Newcastle Herald

New keys to the new Newcastle

New keys to the new Newcastle
New keys to the new Newcastle

This is branded content for Third.i Group.

The homes of Newcastle's future are destined to transcend the parameters of those of its past. Soon, the city's West End will be consciously recast into a neighbourhood fit for the contemporary homeowner, in turn helping to fuel the local community's evolution.

The seeds for the city's transformation will be sown by Third.i, an award-winning property development company that is set to construct a new mix-use development on the iconic Dairy Farmers Corner, a site that holds a special place in the hearts of many locals.

"We should attempt to bring nature, houses, and human beings together in a higher unity," German-American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe once proposed, which is exactly what Third.i hopes to achieve for the Newcastle community with its latest project.

Currently the site-situated on the corner of Tudor and Hunter streets in Newcastle West-is positioned in an underdeveloped part of town. According to Third.i Director Luke Berry, this will change when the Dairy Farmers Towers are delivered in late 2024.

"A new community will be centred around this development, creating jobs and injecting a new energy into this part of Newcastle," Mr Berry said.

Given the distinctive nature of the project, it's easy to see why so many have already invested in their own piece of what will soon be one of Newcastle's most iconic addresses.

Recently, more than $50 million worth of apartments in the proposed Dairy Farmers Towers sold at a VIP launch hosted by Third.i, a feat that is testament to the firm's focus on designing a residential complex with community at its core.

The soaring residential structure, one of the tallest in the city, will offer 184 one to three-bedroom apartments built across two lofty towers-oriented to provide future residents with unparalleled views of Newcastle and its beaches.

"Residents will have the best views in town," Mr Berry said. "As well as the harbour, entertainment, and transport options all on their doorsteps."

The building's prime location is not the only thing luring investors. To create a true sense of community for occupants, Third.i will incorporate communal green spaces and facilities such as a gym, pool, wine bar and cellar as well as function rooms.

New keys to the new Newcastle
New keys to the new Newcastle

Perhaps one of the complex's most distinct drawcards, however, is its communal work hub, a zone dedicated to accommodating residents working remotely.

"In what we believe is a first for the city, we want to use some of the community space as a residents' shared work hub," Mr Berry said. "So they can work from home without being in their apartments."

This commitment to accommodating the ever-increasing reality of hybrid working is a reflection of Third.i's development philosophy, an ethos that is rooted in human-centred design. Dairy Farmers Towers will thus not only be a place to call home, but a hive where residents can co-create and co-exist with their community, both on a personal and professional level.

"It's an exciting prospect to give someone the ability to own an apartment and also run a small business from the same site without compromising their living environment," Mr Berry said.

The attention to detail paid to the structural development of the Towers will also be reflected in its architectural design. Known to locals as the former headquarters of the Dairy Farmers Co-operative Milk Co. Limited, the site of the Towers was first established in 1939, and used for receiving, bottling and distributing milk until 1991.

To honour this history, Third.i will re-imagine the heritage-listed, iconic glass milk bottle that once characterised the faade of the original building, as well as its clock towers, as part of a broader public art installation.

New keys to the new Newcastle
New keys to the new Newcastle

"Locals affectionately know the site as Dairy Farmers Corner," Mr Berry said. "And that history will live on."

Having already worked with the local Newcastle community in the past, Third.i are committed to respecting the history of the city so as to keep its evolution anchored in the richness of its past. The Dairy Farmers Towers project is the fourth West End project for the Sydney-based firm, who have already completed WEST Apartments, Eaton on Union, and Stella on Hannell-three striking developments that, combined, created 381 contemporary city homes for local residents.

For their latest project, Third.i will collaborate with leading local architectural firm CKDS, whose design inspiration for the rhombus shaped site is said to have come from its previous life as a milk co-op.

According to CKDS Architecture Senior Associate Joel Chamberlain, the design concept is underpinned by the creation of a quality public domain that draws inspiration from the heritage of the site and the evolving skyline of Newcastle's urban renewal.

"Dairy Farmers Corner is an iconic landmark that holds an important social significance within the Novocastrian psyche. Our proposal aims to reconnect the public with heritage through a highly pedestrianised ground plane and the incorporation of interpretive public art and landscape," Mr Chamberlain said.

Designed to bring Newcastle, its homes, and human beings together in a higher unity, the Dairy Farmers Towers project will help to actualise Third.i's vision of West End as the city's place to be.

"A landmark will be reborn to create a new chapter in the West End's growth as a great place in which to live, work and play," Mr Berry said.

Destined to be a West End icon, Dairy Farmers Towers is due to be completed by late 2024 but apartments are already selling fast, a reflection of the reality that Newcastle is high on the radar of Australians looking to relocate to up-and-coming postcodes.

Want to explore more of what this precinct will offer? The public launch of Dairy Farmers Towers will take place on Saturday December 4 from 10am to 12pm at WestEnd Cafe & Display, 17 Charles Street, Wickham.

The perfect opportunity for you to learn more about the cornerstone development that will soon transform Newcastle's West End into where you'd rather be.

To register for the event, visit dairyfarmerstowers.com.au

This is branded content for Third.i Group.