JOIN USThe tallest prefabricated tower ever to be constructed in Australia has reached full height, prompting the designers to praise the efficiency and relevance of the construction method.
The 133-metre, 44-level La Trobe Tower apartment building in Melbourne’s central business district is designed by Rothelowman, the largest prefabricated project undertaken by the firm in its history, and uses a new prefabricated construction method developed by the Hickory Group.
Hickory and Rothelowman’s strategy saw prefabricated building elements, including modular bathroom pods, precast concrete slabs and pre-attached windows trucked into site and craned into place — a method that is estimated to have knocked eight months off the construction time.
As it stands, all structured elements on the La Trobe Tower project have been completed, with only interior fit-out work remaining to be completed. The La Trobe Tower will have 206 one- and two-bedroom apartments. and a common area on Level 15 featuring a lounge, outdoor terrace, kitchenette and gymnasium.