Brick Inlay blends contemporary design with industrial heritage at Windsor Place

Jul 3
3 min read

K2LD’s Windsor Place is perfect to place. This six-storey mixed-use development is positioned between a low-scale more bohemian residential neighbourhood to the south, and the buzzing commercial activity of High and Chapel Streets to the north. With four retail outlets on the ground floor and the remainder contemporary, versatile office spaces, Windsor Place steps into this mix with clarity and sets a high benchmark for future commercial development in the area.

The well-considered design responds to an area gradually transitioning from a predominantly low-scale context to a denser urban environment. It feels contemporary and high quality, while still connected to Windsor’s industrial past. Matthew Trawn, Senior Designer, K2LD explains:

“Our brief was to design a workplace that felt contemporary yet still grounded in its context. So, we wanted to design a building that read as premium, but approachable, reflecting the area’s subtle industrial heritage.”

This thinking is evident in the sensational palette of modern materials, which gives a gentle nod to the building’s industrial past through brickwork, glass and steel. While brick and glass unify the lower building, aluminium fins and curved glass create a lighter volume above.

Windsor Place’s three-storey brick podium grounds the building and creates a sense of interest with two distinct building forms along High Street, each with a complementary yet varied brick palette. One is a custom rustic brick blend with apricot tones, while the other combines three or four rustic red bricks in a rich, earthy mix:

“The brick palette wasn’t about mimicking neighbours; it was about creating a tonal quality that felt natural, contemporary, and suited to a premium commercial building,” Matthew explains.

Brick Inlay was used to create the brick facades, with panels fully fabricated off site in the precast factory rather than traditionally laid on site. This proven system supported the project’s tight construction program and aligned with camillo’s preferred construction method. It also gave K2LD’s design team greater control over finish and detailing:

“Being able to workshop key details in the factory before installation was great, because it meant the appearance of the brickwork met the design intent from the start,” Matthew says.

Early sampling and mock ups helped to resolve complex details before the panels were installed. Strong collaboration between Melbourne Architectural Precast, camillo and the Robertsons team made a significant difference to the outcome, particularly where the façade detailing was more intricate. For example, in one area, a Brick Inlay panel steps out to form a brick pier before recessing back into a three-sided flanged steel column:

“Just working through that detail with the team at Robertson’s, LTE Structures and camillo to get it right was great, because we got a much better outcome than I've seen on other projects.”

Above the podium, the building has a lighter expression. Levels four and five are set back to meet planning requirements and reduce the building’s mass from the street. Stunning aluminium fins provide shading to the east and west facades, while curved glazing softens the upper levels and is a striking contrast to the solid brick base below.

Large terraces on levels 3 and 5 create a strong connection to the outdoors, giving workers access to ample fresh air, while a roof terrace on level 6 takes advantage of widespread city views and is a welcome place to relax and chat with colleagues.

Windsor Place is a striking presence in the eclectic suburb of Windsor, delivering a premium contemporary commercial building with just that hint of rustic industrial heritage, so fitting to its surroundings. Chapter Group and K2LD have set a high benchmark for future top-tier commercial offerings in the area, and we look forward to what transpires in the years to come.