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43-57 Buckley Street is the site of a former bus depot at the edge of the Footscray Metropolitan Activity Centre in Melbourne. The applicable planning controls contain discretionary maximum building heights ranging up to 6 storeys.
We were engaged by Anplus Developments to provide urban design advice to inform the design of a redevelopment of the site. We began by developing a set of urban design principles to guide the design relating to through movement, public open space, building scale and massing, façade design and so on.
These principles promoted the introduction of pedestrian routes through the site, a local park, a mix of uses and dwelling types, and a range of building heights to create a varied skyline, culminating in a 12-storey form to mark a major intersection.
A development proposal was designed by DKO Architects and Aspect Studios following these principles and submitted for planning approval. However, following objections by members of the local community, it was refused by Council. Council’s refusal was appealed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Mark Sheppard was commissioned to provide urban design evidence to inform the tribunal’s decision. VCAT supported the proposal subject to minor changes.
kinetica was formerly known as David Lock Associates (DLA).
David Lock Associates (Australia) Pty Ltd changed its name to Kinetica Studio Pty Ltd on 21 February 2020 to reflect the significant reinvention of the business.
Starting with the crystallisation of our vision and values, continuing with a transformation of our planning offer, and culminating in our move to a ‘grown up’ office in the CBD, we are no longer the business we were.
Paralleling these changes, we agreed with David Lock Associates Limited (the English business which gave birth to DLA Australia) that it is time to undo our formal corporate ties, while retaining a strong informal relationship.
This reinvention of the business needed to be expressed outwardly and we began the process of refreshing our graphic identity. DLA has been predominantly known for urban design expertise, and the name reflects our history as a satellite of an English business. A new name offered the opportunity to establish a refined brand, based on a home-grown organisation featuring planners and urban designers trusted for their expertise and independence.
Our new company name, kinetica, reflects our passion for change. We facilitate and shape changes in the use, ownership and development of land to create a better lived experience.
kinetica retains the best of DLA—highly regarded independent urban design expertise—and combines it with highly regarded independent planning expertise.