We’ve officially broken ground on District Living, marking a significant milestone in Melbourne’s build-to-rent landscape and taking the first step toward delivering much-needed rental housing to the city’s Docklands precinct.
The sod turn ceremony brought together key project partners and government representatives to celebrate the commencement of one of Australia’s largest build-to-rent residential communities. Wurundjeri educator Thane Garvey-Gannaway conducted a traditional Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony, acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the project will rise.
A project of scale and significance
District Living represents a major addition to Melbourne’s rental housing market. The Docklands precinct has been shaped by our client, AsheMorgan, for more than a decade, and District Living takes that vision to the next step.
Stage One alone comprises 626 apartments across two buildings, offering a diverse range of homes from studios through to four-bedroom layouts, including unique dual-level configurations. When complete, the District Living precinct will deliver more than 900 apartments across two stages—positioning it as one of the largest build-to-rent projects in Australia.
As our Co-founder and Director Andrew Deveson noted in the project documentation, “Australia’s rising demand for rental housing highlights the importance of building with quality and longevity in mind. District Living will deliver much-needed apartment stock to the market and serve the city for decades to come.”
Partnership and collaboration
The groundbreaking ceremony brought together a significant cross-section of stakeholders committed to the project’s success. Acting Lord Mayor of Melbourne Roshena Campbell joined Development Victoria Executive GM, Precincts, Niall Cunningham, alongside Consul-General of Japan Mr Tokuro Furuya and representatives from AsheMorgan and their global investment partners—Marubeni Corporation, Haseko and Mizuho.
The ceremony featured golden shovels and a powerful Wadaiko Rindo Japanese drumming performance, reflecting the international partnership driving this landmark development.
Speakers at the event emphasised the collaborative nature of the project and its potential to address Melbourne’s housing shortage. One speaker highlighted, “We want to deliver something truly exceptional and will be a fantastic asset for the owners moving forward,” while another noted the “very important issue of the housing shortage in Melbourne” and committed to “make the best effort in solving this issue.”
Delivering with innovation and precision
Our approach to District Living builds on the digital innovation that underpins all our major projects. We’re applying advanced design coordination, 4D sequencing, and prefabrication methods to improve precision and efficiency—ultimately providing better housing outcomes for future residents.
These methods form part of our broader residential construction expertise, which has seen us deliver everything from build-to-rent communities to purpose-built student accommodation and social housing tower projects across Victoria and beyond.
A long-term vision for Docklands
Situated beside AsheMorgan’s established District Docklands precinct, District Living will benefit from existing retail, entertainment and lifestyle amenity. Plans for a future pedestrian link to North Melbourne station will further enhance connectivity for residents.
The fully electric design targets a 7.5-star NatHERS rating, with landscaped green areas and a focus on active transport supporting low-impact, sustainable living. Stage One will include more than 2,200 square metres of resident amenity—featuring a wellness centre with gym, plunge pool, sauna, steam room and sky terrace—alongside extensive outdoor spaces, pet-friendly areas, and ground-floor retail activation.
As one of Australia’s fastest-growing construction companies,we’re proud to bring our technical capability and proven systems to this significant project, helping to address the city’s evolving housing needs while contributing to a thriving, connected community at Docklands.
District Living is more than a construction project—it’s a commitment to quality, longevity, and Melbourne’s rental housing future.
