Freecity, Australia’s leader in premium volumetric modular construction (VMC), has stacked modules to level 12 of its 20-storey, 528-unit purpose-built student accommodation development at 169–171 Herring Road in Macquarie Park, passing the halfway point on what will become Australia’s tallest VMC building.
The first modules were craned into position on 12 June, and in the 13 weeks since, twelve levels have gone up, an average of close to a floor a week. More than half of the building’s modules are now installed.
Each module arrives fully fitted out, including its facade, having been manufactured in China and delivered through Freecity’s modular integrator, Space Labs Australia, a specialist in high-rise VMC.
Unlike conventional construction, where much of the building program takes place sequentially on site, VMC allows modules to be manufactured and fitted out while site preparation and construction works proceed at the same time.
Lawrence Zheng, Co-Founder and Joint CEO of Freecity, said the project’s pace was expected to accelerate further as the team refined its processes.
“The team is continually refining the stacking process, logistics and coordination on site, so the experience we are gaining at Herring Road will also inform how we deliver the next generation of VMC projects,” said Zheng.
Zheng said the development reflected a broader need for faster, more efficient housing delivery in Australia, pointing to the benefits of manufacturing and construction happening concurrently rather than in sequence.
Benjamin Brown, Associate Director of Development at Freecity, said the project would ease pressure on Sydney’s stretched rental market by delivering student accommodation more quickly.
“With Sydney’s rental market under enormous pressure, getting 528 purpose-built student rooms into the market faster will have a real impact,” said Brown.
Brown said every student able to secure accommodation close to university was one less person competing for scarce private rental stock alongside families, professionals and key workers, and that the pace being achieved at Herring Road demonstrated how VMC could help bring new housing supply online sooner.
Beyond speed, the methodology delivers measurable sustainability benefits, including reduced waste, lower carbon emissions from on-site activity and a smaller overall environmental footprint.
Modules can be reused and given a second life, or deconstructed for material use at the end of the asset’s life.
The Herring Road development is targeting a 5 Star Green Star Buildings rating and has already achieved WELL for Residential precertification, with full certification to be pursued upon completion.
Situated 100 metres from Macquarie University, Macquarie Park Metro Station and Macquarie Shopping Centre, the development responds to sustained demand for quality student housing in the area.
Macquarie University has approximately 44,000 students, and on-campus accommodation is consistently at capacity.
Once complete, the building will offer residents a cinema, meeting and study rooms, function spaces, a fully equipped gym, communal kitchens and social spaces.
Herring Road is the first of three purpose-built student accommodation projects Freecity has under construction in Sydney.
Last month the company broke ground on its eight-storey, 117-unit development at 23–25 Frederick Street in Rockdale, and its Forest Lodge development is due to break ground within weeks. Together, the two sites will deliver a further 235 units.
Freecity is also designing what is expected to be the largest VMC building in the world, a tower of more than 60 levels in Parramatta for Build-to-Rent housing, along with three residential VMC towers at Rouse Hill that will add a further 548 rental homes.
The company holds a development portfolio exceeding $7 billion and a pipeline of more than 6,000 units across Sydney’s major urban renewal precincts.