Construction of a 6500 square metre park will begin immediately, the AFR reports, and will be open within 12 months.

The project is expected to be Sydney’s first 6-star green rated mixed used precinct, and will include on-site generation for power, heating and cooling. Rainwater collection will also be a prominent feature of the redevelopment, which will take between eight and 10 years to build, and include a total of 1550 apartments.

It was reported last year Mr Quek had put this project on hold given the financial environment, but he continued to demolish buildings and conduct remedial work on the site, while submitting applications.

“2009 was always the year in which we consolidated our approvals…following on from the modified concept plan which was approved in February last year,” Mr Quek is reported as saying in the AFR. “This was always the year, 2010, in which we would commence construction and we are on program to do that.”

A 73,000 square metre “commercial campus”, designed by UK-based Foster + Partners, will design a building for the corner of Abercrombie and Broadway streets.

Johnson Pilton Walker will design a residential property in Kent Street, while two residential towers and a 14,000 square metre retail complex, to be designed by Jean Nouvel, is also proposed.

These four buildings are still awaiting approval.

Fraser Property Australia has $4.5 billion in projects either at the planning or development stage, in Australia and New Zealand, according to the AFR.

“The Design Hub is indicative of the high level of technical expertise and specialised skills Watpac possesses, which have been responsible for the successful completion of a range of projects for a varied clientele along the eastern seaboard.

“We are excited to deliver such an innovative project, building on our environmental credentials, and allowing the talents of our Watpac staff to be showcased in such a prominent location on Melbourne’s civic access.”

The Design Hub will house RMIT’s diverse range of design initiatives, design research groups and post-graduate programs, with multi-disciplinary teams working across a range of disciplines including textile and fashion design, architecture, industrial design, landscape architecture, urban design, engineering, fine art and creative media.

The 12,000m2 building will comprise two basement levels and eight levels above street level, and will contain research, lecture, and exhibition spaces.
The landmark project is registered for a Green Star rating under the Green Building Council of Australia’s Education V1 rating tool, and includes a range of environmentally sustainable design features.

Designed by leading Melbourne architect Sean Godsell with Peddle Thorp, the building will feature a climatically responsive ‘smart skin’ comprised of 16,000 sand-blasted glass cells, which will track the sun via the building computer automation system to help shade and power the building.

Additional environmentally sustainable features include an under floor air distribution system, rain and waste water harvesting, an internal waste management system, extensive energy metering and display of live energy data, as well as careful selection of all building materials to minimise the building’s environmental impact.

Work is expected to start on site immediately with completion scheduled for mid-2011.

This project builds on the significant number of Green Star-rated projects undertaken by Watpac, as well as a large number of projects completed for the research and education sectors.

In Queensland, Watpac is currently building the $361 million Knowledge Based Research and Business Project, involving offices, laboratories, and specialist research facilities, including facilities for 200 scientists.

In New South Wales, Watpac was recently awarded the $80 million Cochlear Global Headquarters construction contract at Macquarie University, and the $50 million Woolworths Data Centre project.

Another image of the CUB Carlton development: