Peel By Milieu Delivers a Fresh Face to Collingwood’s Urban Edge.

Peel by Milieu is not just a development of 37, one, two, and three-bedroom apartments in the heart of Melbourne’s Collingwood. It’s a contemporary approach to living that delivers timeless elegance.

Driven by a strong and unique design that illuminates the monumentality of its corner site, this striking brick building is authentic to place. It not only resonates with some of the larger industrial brick warehouses in the area but also architecturally celebrates its new and enticing corner meeting space, which is quintessential to the suburb of Collingwood.

It’s not surprising that a proven team with an abundance of skills and experience was behind the development of Peel by Milieu, including Milieu Property, DKO Architecture, DesignOffice, and Project Group.

At first sight, it’s immediately apparent that no stone was left unturned in this building’s design. Jesse Linardi, Design Director, DKO Architecture, says, “From the outset, we were given time to really develop the design and fine-tune details.” And fine-tune the details Linardi and his team most certainly did.

Without a doubt, the most outstanding feature of the exterior design is the building’s distinctive sculptural shape. This was partially generated by the height of neighbouring apartments: “We brought the corners of our building down to align with the neighbouring heights,” says Linardi, varying from seven storeys on one side and five on the other. The result is a magnificent façade with a multitude of compounding angles, folds, and slopes, creating a wonderful sculptural cutaway on the top level. Richard Todd, Senior Architect, DKO adds, “I love the sculptural quality; the way the building filters from the ground up and becomes a solid block that is carved away, revealing the brick. We’re really pleased with the way it worked out.”

Indeed they should be. This immaculate, contemporary design was really well-considered. “It was all about trying to create a building that was authentic to place … and trying to find a material that was reflective of the character and evolution of the suburb, which was brick,” comments Linardi.

Of course, the best way to integrate brick into the building and achieve an authentic brick appearance on a precast structure is by using a brick inlay system, which was supplied by Robertson Façade Systems. And while Linardi had used brick inlay before, he had never used it for a design as complex and complicated to deliver as this one. Translating the design into reality was challenging, with its multiple angles for a start, coupled with a custom-built breezeway on the ground floor. While the main brick façade was built offsite by the CPP Group, using brick inlay, and delivered ready to install, the breezeway was constructed by tiling brick facings to a steel frame, in situ. This was an absolute labour of love, a work of art, and definitely worth the effort invested. It’s simply spectacular, as you can see below.

Needless to say, the choice of brick tile was critical. The DKO team selected Blanco brick-facing tiles, supplied by Robertson’s Building Products, to incorporate the same brick tile on the façade as on the steel frame at ground level.

From a practical point, they were perfect: “The same Blanco brick facings we used on the precast panels were cut and adhered to a steel backing panel, to create the breezeway. So what you get is dappled light inside the common area and at the entry points to the apartments,” comments Todd.

And from an aesthetic point of view, Blanco brick-facing tiles, supplied by Robertson's Building Products, also hit the mark. Todd adds, “Jesse wanted a building that stood out as fresh, so white tiles were a natural choice. They achieved what we wanted to do, which was to create a fresh face to the urban edge that is Collingwood. And the Blanco brick facings also create a beauty ongoing in this building. Throughout the day they either sparkle or recede in certain lights, and change again in the evening – when the lights are on it’s quite spectacular.”

Peel by Milieu is so well done. It’s a beautiful building to behold and an exceptional place for anyone fortunate enough to call it home.

Developer: Milieu Property
Architect: DKO Architects
Interior Design: DesignOffice
Precaster: Nu-Con Design & Construction
Product: Blanco thin brick tiles
Façade system: Brick inlay
Photographer: Dan Hocking