38 Albermarle St.Kensington

38 Albermarle St. Kensington (formerly known as 393 Macaulay Rd.) is our first project to be delivered via Assemble Futures, an alternative, supportive pathway to home ownership.

We built 38 Albermarle St three kilometres from Melbourne’s city centre, around the corner from bustling Footscray and a 10-minute train ride from Brunswick, so our residents could live healthier, socially connected and financially sustainable lives. An established community of 64 households and over 50 pets live in the building, connected during the construction period.

Designed for full lives

Well-known local architects Fieldwork have designed the seven-storey residential building, enabling healthier living and social cohesion through a mix of one, two and three bed apartments. At the heart of the design is an open-air walkway that brings crossflow ventilation and dual aspect natural light to residents’ homes. Our friends PopPlant greened the walkways, because access to nature makes for a healthier experience for our residents.

We invested in neighbourly connection, through communal spaces on the upper and ground floors: places for work, eating and leisure, together. We also preserved the façade as a nod to the recent industrial heritage of Kensington, and the original architect Harry A. Norris (the mastermind behind the iconic Curtain House, Mitchell House, Burnham Beeches and Nicholas Building).

Homes built to last

We build homes that we want to live in, with enough care and attention to detail to last a lifetime and for future generations. In fact, we are proud to say a few of our team now call 38 Albermarle St. home.

  • Natural crossflow ventilation
  • Planting across the building
  • Communal laundry with two washers, two dryers and a clothesline
  • Shared spaces including workshop, parcel room, lending library, the Albermarle Room and communal spaces on the ground floor
  • Pet-friendly building, with dog washing station
  • Generous bicycle storage
  • Closed Loop composter in the basement to absorb food waste across the building
  • Cassette, a zero-waste café on the ground floor
  • High-efficiency reverse-cycle heating and cooling units in living area and ceiling fans in bedrooms and living room
  • Integrated Fisher Paykal appliances including fridge, induction cooktop, oven, rangehood and dishwasher
  • Ample storage with built-in wardrobes in both bedrooms, and storage cages in the basement
  • Located in the centre of Kensington, with sought-after schools and the city within easy reach

Building for future generations

Everyone should have the possibility to live a net zero future, now. 38 Albermarle Street is carbon neutral in operation and has an average 7 stars NatHERs rating. A 33.2kW photovoltaic solar array on the roof powers the operations of the building. Our opt-in embedded energy network Assemble Connect provides residents with a financially accessible option to purchase 100% accredited Greenpower® and lower than market rate high-speed internet. We are also joining the circular revolution and installed a Closed Loop composter to take food waste from our café and residents and turn it into fertilizer for planting and gardens across the building.

Challenging the status quo

In 2021 we initiated a Key Worker Program in partnership with the City of Melbourne, which resulted in seven homes within the building offered with a 20% rental concession to key workers. As always, we are on a mission to provide more financially accessible homes for more people.

Cassette

On the ground floor, award winning architects Six Degrees have designed Cassette. Named by residents, Cassette is a hospitality space that provides services for our residents and the surrounding neighbourhood. In the evening, the space transforms to provide residents with an extension of their living rooms. Light-filled, and accented with reclaimed Australian spotted gum, terrazzo and raw metals, the design pays homage to the industrial roots of the neighbourhood.

Want to do a vibe check? Visit Cassette from 7am – 3pm, seven days a week, to get a feel. Chat to one of the Cassette team if you are interested in living in the building.

All photography by Tom Ross.

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