MODEL has appointed Multiplex under an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) agreement for its first two built-to-rent (BTR) projects in Abbotsford, with a combined development cost of around $330 million.
MODEL’s Johnston Street project (around 240 homes) is set to become Australia’s tallest timber residential building, while the Lithgow Street project (around 150 homes) will adaptively reuse the more-than-a-century-old Schweppes Cordial Factory to create a sustainable living hub.
The design approach, led by Warren and Mahoney architects and supported by a team of engineering, sustainability and delivery partners, reflects MODEL’s environmental ambitions. Both developments are targeting 6 Star Green Star, 9 Star NatHERS and Certified Passivhaus outcomes, with mass timber and all-electric design central to a low-carbon delivery strategy.
The appointment follows six months of collaboration with Multiplex, giving both parties the confidence to enter into an ECI agreement and formalise an aligned delivery team across architecture, structure, civil, sustainability, façade, acoustics and overall building performance.
With the builder now formally engaged and both projects in the final stages of the Victorian Planning Minister’s Development Facilitation Pathway, MODEL is progressing detailed design and procurement strategy to support construction readiness.
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MODEL founder and CEO Rory Hunter said the ECI approach reflects a disciplined response to current market conditions, where early alignment and delivery certainty are critical to managing cost volatility and protecting long-term asset value.
“As MODEL’s first two assets, they need to say exactly what we stand for: better homes, lower carbon and a fundamentally better rental experience,” he said. “Getting that right is as much about how we deliver as what we deliver.”
Multiplex regional managing director Ross Snowball said the ECI process had created the right conditions to optimise how these projects are delivered.
“MODEL has a clear ambition, not just around sustainability outcomes, but around how projects should be delivered to achieve them – with all stakeholders in mind,” he said.
“ECI gives us the ability to properly influence outcomes early. We can test ideas, simplify systems and bring a more industrialised approach to delivery, using modularisation and a kit-of-parts mindset to drive efficiency, reduce waste and improve build quality.
“If you want to deliver high-performance buildings at scale, you need to systematise what works and remove unnecessary complexity. That’s where we see a real opportunity to set a new benchmark for the Australian BTR market.”
Multiplex brings experience in mass timber, prefabrication and complex project delivery, including Gillies Hall at Monash University and the recently completed ANMF Hotel in Melbourne. Both projects were delivered using mass timber and certified to the Passivhaus Standard.
MODEL’s head of development Matt Mattiske said the appointment completes an aligned delivery team, strengthening the pathway to execution.
“With Multiplex joining us at this stage, we have an exceptionally qualified delivery partner at the table early enough to genuinely influence outcomes. That gives us a much stronger position on cost, constructability, program and long-term building performance, while also providing greater certainty around delivery and protecting the project’s commercial outcomes,” he said.
“All of MODEL’s projects are designed to create homes that perform better, last longer and offer a materially better living experience. This team will carry that intent through to completion and into operation.”