The Magazine | Australian National Construction Review | Boyd Village
Sustainable Urban Living at the Heart of Southbank
Boyd Village is a landmark Build-to-Rent development delivering 434 apartments, in the centre of Melbourne’s Southbank. Inspired by the site’s educational and community heritage, residents will enjoy premium amenities like private dining rooms, a podcast studio, cocktail lounge, co-working spaces, gym, pool, and dog-friendly zones.
PDG’s Boyd Village development is more than just a high-rise, it’s a thoughtfully designed ‘vertical village with a green front door’ that brings together heritage, housing, and community infrastructure in the heart of Melbourne’s Southbank.
With a population forecasted to grow by 68% by 2043, Boyd Village directly responds to the area’s increasing demand for high-quality, community-focused housing.
“We wanted to create a residential community that integrated physically and culturally with the surrounding area,” explained Josh Griffiths, PDG Construction Director. “That meant ensuring the design didn’t just sit beside the Boyd Community Hub, but became part of it.”
Designed in collaboration with DKO Architecture and delivered by Hamilton Marino, Boyd Village comprises 434 spacious build-to-rent apartments under Investa’s Indi Southbank brand. Each apartment features light-filled interiors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and generous balconies. Across the building, residents have access to premium amenities including co-working spaces, private dining rooms, a pool and outdoor terrace, and even a dog run.
Balancing the modern with the historic was a central design challenge. “We integrated Hawthorn-style brickwork and red metal finishes to reflect the heritage of the JH Boyd Girls’ School and the industrial character of Kings Way,” Josh said. Internally, colour schemes and materials mirror those of the historic community hub, creating a cohesive experience from the footpath to the top floor.
The project was not without its challenges. Construction began in 2022, a time marked by post-COVID industry uncertainty and rising costs. “Collaboration was crucial,” Josh noted. “Working closely with the City of Melbourne, State Government, and Investa, we overcame those hurdles and kept the project on track.”
Boyd Village has also set new benchmarks for sustainability and innovation. The building is targeting 5-Star Green Star Certification and boasts a 7.5-Star average NatHERS rating, with a minimum of 5.5 Stars across all residences.
Notably, the development has been designed with no gas services—every appliance and hot water unit operates using 100% renewable electricity, contributing to the building’s Net Zero base certification. A 10% improvement on NCC Section J compliance across both commercial and residential common areas further demonstrates the project’s commitment to exceeding energy efficiency standards.
The site incorporates best practice water-sensitive urban design and effective stormwater pollutant removal systems, supporting both environmental responsibility and long-term operational efficiency.
Solar panels with more than 25kW capacity have been installed to service both residential and Council tenancies, further reducing the precinct’s carbon footprint. An innovative e-diverter waste system allows residents to conveniently separate general waste, recycling, glass, and organic materials in alignment with the City of Melbourne’s advanced waste collection services.
To encourage sustainable transport, Boyd Village includes ample bike storage facilities and access to car-share vehicles, reducing reliance on private car ownership. Beyond environmental initiatives, the development also embraces a strong social ethos.
Communal areas are designed to promote health, wellbeing, and meaningful social interaction among residents, reinforcing the project’s vision of a connected, future-ready community.
Stakeholder engagement was central to the project’s success. “Whether consulting with the Southbank Residents Association or council departments, we aimed for open communication and community-driven outcomes,” Josh said. “Boyd Village is proof that when developers, government, and the community work together, the result can be greater than the sum of its parts.”
For more information contact PDG, 17/501 Swanston Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, phone 03 9662 9996, email
info@pdg.com.au, website www.pdg.com.au
Factbox
Developer: PDG
Main Construction Company: Hamilton Marino
Architect: DKO
Structural Engineer: Webber Design
Compliance in Action: Heritage, Flood Zones, and Building to Code
Case StudiesAs part of the transformative Boyd Village development by PDG, Philip Chun’s role was to ensure the project adhered to regulatory requirements from concept to completion.
Appointed to deliver building surveying services in accordance with the Building Act 1993 and Building Regulations 2018, Philip Chun’s involvement spanned compliance assessments, building permit approvals, mandatory inspections, and final occupancy certification.
“Our engagement began in late 2019 with a compliance review of pre-tender design documentation,” said Andrew Urli, Director at Philip Chun. “From there, we provided detailed assessments across all design disciplines—structural, civil, architectural, and services—to ensure the design aligned with the Building Code of Australia 2019, which was applicable at the time.”
The site surrounding the heritage building for the former JH Boyd Girls’ School, presented a unique challenge for flood level compliance. “The minimum finished floor level needed to be significantly higher than surrounding streets and footpaths,” Andrew explained. “We worked closely with the design team to ensure Melbourne Water and Melbourne City Council authority requirements where satisfied.”
Philip Chun’s strategic involvement from the early design phase helped drive documentation quality and supported a streamlined approvals process. “Our early compliance reviews set a benchmark for the entire design team and consultants,” Andrew noted. “Once the builder came on board, we provided ongoing compliance reviews tailored to building permit staging, which enabled efficient delivery.”
Throughout the construction process, our statutory role requires mandatory inspections to be undertaken. Chris Farrell, who has over 30 years of experience as a building inspector conducted these inspections from foundations, to concrete pours, to fire rating of apartments on every storey through to completion. The attention to detail during the design and construction process emphasis’s the team aspect at Philip Chun, in being able to deliver a positive outcome for the project and the occupants of Boyd Tower.
From a building surveying perspective, Andrew highlighted the complex ground floor interface and the Level 6 terrace pool zone as particularly challenging and rewarding aspects of the project. “Navigating accessible provisions with elevated entries and rights of access around the adjoining parklands was intricate, but seeing it come together was incredibly satisfying.”
Through proactive engagement and expertise, Philip Chun helped deliver a compliant, accessible, and functional urban development in the heart of Southbank.
For more information contact Philip Chun, Suite 3, Level 1, 5 Queens Road, Melbourne VIC 3004, phone 03 9662 2200, website www.philipchun.com
Beneath It All: Solving Subsurface Challenges
Case StudiesLTE Construction Group brought its expertise in groundworks and foundations to the ambitious Boyd Village development in Southbank, a transformative social and affordable housing project delivered by Homes Victoria. As specialists in civil construction and ground preparation, LTE was responsible for the site cut, installation of foundation piles, rafts, pile caps and slab-on-ground works across the precinct.
“This was a fairly standard job for us in terms of scope,” explained Benjamin Patrick, General Manager at LTE Construction Group. “But every site presents its own set of challenges. Boyd Village was no different.”
One of the primary logistical hurdles was the site’s tight access and the complex urban setting. “We managed the title boundary works and liaised with Hamilton Marino, who handled the broader management plan, including council approvals and traffic plans,” said Patrick. “It was a brownfield site, so there were environmental considerations too.”
A major obstacle emerged early in the foundation works. “We had to use polymer slurry to create deep foundation piles that socket into bedrock,” Patrick explained. “Initially, we lost time due to contaminants—specifically E. coli in the groundwater—were deactivating the polymer slurry. That caused some of the pile shafts to collapse.”
To address the issue, LTE brought in a specialist company to customise and manage the polymer mix on-site. “Once we got the chemistry right, we could produce consistently clean, stable pile holes,” he added. “It was a challenge, but overcoming it became a real point of pride for our team.”
Weekly site meetings and close coordination with builder Hamilton Marino allowed LTE to maintain momentum and compress the schedule where needed. “We often had multiple activities overlapping to make up for lost time,” said Patrick.
In the end, LTE’s ability to deliver the critical groundworks under pressure reflects their reputation for reliability and excellence in infrastructure projects across Melbourne.
For more information contact LTE Construction Group, email info@lteconstructiongroup.com.au, phone 03 9748 3646, website www.lteconstructiongroup.com.au