East Village is a new regional retail precinct located in the region now known as Sunbury, between Melbourne and Mount Macedon. The design concept draws on the history of the broader Sunbury area, which has a rich and diverse history dating back tens of thousands of years.

The masterplan for the precinct offers a high-quality urban design with an inherently ‘local’ feel. East Village blends urban convenience with a regional lifestyle by creating spaces for a diverse group of people, from nature enthusiasts to young professionals, families, and community workers – offering weekday recreation, weekend markets, and local community focused places and spaces.

The design includes a Regional High Street with an active bustling frontage, where food and beverage, outdoor dining and sheltered walkways provide a vibrant place for locals and visitors.

Recreation and activity are also a focus, with inspired and exciting spaces for children and their families, climbing, learning, and interacting with one another while connecting to nature.

The Urban Market Hall is a place to gather, socialise and shop, with the market hall being a place to celebrate the exchange between people and goods.

A range of community recreation facilities are provided – from outdoor cinemas, local work meetings to family birthday barbecues or basketball games, all designed to encourage socialising in a safe and friendly environment. The space transitions into a lively weekend market setting, with pop up markets, and food trucks, as well as opportunities for buskers, performers, and integrated local art.

A key consideration in the success of the concept is the design of the on-grade car parking to minimise impact both visually and to pedestrians. The under-croft carpark seamlessly aligns to the natural fall of the site allowing for only a partial excavation to accommodate the extent of the car park.

Sustainability is an important feature of the masterplan with environmental initiatives embedded from day one. Renewable energy is purposely built into the design, which includes solar panels across the buildings and carpark. Parking and charging facilities are provided for a range of transport types including bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, and electric cars. Electricity can be provided by photo voltaic cells arrayed across roofs and car parking bays while also acting as shading.

Rainwater gardens are positioned to allow efficient rainwater capture and re-use, reducing pressure on local water supplies, increasing the independence and resilience of the town centre. Additional landscaping, deep soil planting and canopy trees maximise site permeability, promote biodiversity and provide shading.

Bringing together locally sourced, sustainable material, the project is a great opportunity to connect with regional Victorian and metropolitan Melbourne suppliers, makers and recyclers, whilst helping reduce the project’s carbon footprint. The design looks to use, where possible, locally sourced and recycled materials to not only strengthen the local economy, and contribute to a better built environment, but also to create a stronger sense of identity for the community.