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Completed May 2021

Station St, Fairfield

Builder: Manresa Constructions Pty Ltd
Architect: FMSA Architecture
Investment partner: Victorian Government

A modern, multi-story apartment building with brick and white facades stands next to a traditional red-brick house with arched windows, both behind a white fence under a clear blue sky.
A modern apartment building with red brick and white sections, glass balconies, and a white fence stands next to a traditional red brick building with arched windows; trees line the street.
Modern apartment building with tall, narrow windows, red brick and white exterior walls, glass balconies, and a white fence in front. Tree branches partly frame the image, and the sky is clear and blue.

About the project

Located in Fairfield, this 38-apartment complex provides safe, secure social housing for women in need. Formerly known as ‘Carmalea’, the site was once a 22-bedroom rooming house. Unison redeveloped the property into the Marjorie Oke Apartments: modern, self-contained homes that mark a shift away from traditional rooming house accommodation.

Originally built in 1893 as a grand family home for renowned confectioner and philanthropist MacPherson “Mac” Robertson, the building now known as the Marjorie Oke Apartments has a long and meaningful legacy in Melbourne’s north. Since the 1920s, the property has played an important social role: providing housing and refuge for women at the margins of society, including single pregnant women, older women, and those escaping domestic violence.

Awards

2021, Great Place Award

PIA VIC Awards for Planning Excellence

 

Property Features

38x homes
14x studio units
24x 1-bedroom units
Heritage-listed building

Building redevelopment

Unison’s redevelopment of the site has preserved this legacy while responding to the changing needs of social housing. The project involved the adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed building, known historically as ‘Carmalea’, alongside the construction of a new four-storey building to provide long-term, self-contained homes for women experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the Darebin area.

Respecting the site’s architectural and cultural history was central to the project. Careful investment was made to maintain the character and integrity of the original building, while delivering modern, accessible housing and facilities that support safety, dignity, and connection.

Development funding

The $11.5M project was in part funded by the Victorian State Government’s Community Sector Owned Rooming House upgrade program.

The balance of the project’s costs was funded by Unison. As a not-for-profit organisation, Unison reinvests operating surplus back into our services, our properties and our communities, and importantly the development of much-needed affordable housing.

A narrow walkway separates a traditional red brick building on the left from a modern, gray and white building on the right, with a metal gate and covered passageway visible ahead.
A modern apartment building with red brick and white walls, featuring tall narrow windows and glass balconies, is surrounded by a white fence and leafy trees under a clear blue sky.
A modern apartment building with brick and white walls, glass balconies, and a white fence stands next to an older red brick building with arched windows, trees, and a paved driveway.
A modern apartment building with brick and white facades stands next to an older red brick house, both behind a white fence on a sunny day with clear blue sky.
A large leafy tree stands near a red-brick building with arched windows and doorways on a sunny day. A paved path leads past the building, and a white picket fence is visible in the background.
A modern building entrance with vertical wooden slats and large horizontal wooden beams overhead, leading to a well-lit hallway. Black mailboxes are mounted on the left wall.

    Want to discuss a project?

    To discuss a development project with our team, don’t hesitate to contact Unison CEO James King on 03 9349 0250.

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