East Village at Knutsford named Waterwise Development of the Year

Fremantle’s East Village at Knutsford is a 1.5 hectare site that forms one portion of the ‘Knutsford’ development by DevelopmentWA. Including two apartment sites and 36 townhouses, the vision is touted to become one of Fremantle’s most sustainable new developments, with a unique landscape connecting it to the greater Knutsford Street precinct.

This image from Josh Byrne & Associates, who were intricately involved in the sustainability aspects of the project, shows you just where it is.

Knutsford Street Precinct. Credit Josh Byrne & Associates

Here’s a closer up artist’s birds-eye impression that gives you a good feel for what Knutsford is all about.

Credit Josh Byrne & Associates

Here are some recent pics of Knutsford.

East Village at Knutsford. Credit Fremantle Shipping News

And the good news is 🥁 … East Village has just been named Waterwise Development of the Year for its urban greening design that aims to reduce mains water use by 80 per cent and for creating a microclimate that uses run-off from streets and lanes to sustain trees and public green spaces.

Fruit and nut trees, watered with the run-off and supplemented by ground water, are planted along verges and in public spaces, supplying residents with seasonal produce including mangoes, olives, avocados and almonds.

Developed by DevelopmentWA, each of East Village at Knutsford’s 36 townhouses will have its own rainwater tank.

The award is part of Water Corporation’s Waterwise Development Program, created in 2014, in partnership with the Urban Development Institute of Australia. It supports developers to implement best-practice water efficiency standards in the design and delivery of new land developments.

Twenty-seven developments have been endorsed under the program, with Peel Business Park joining the ranks of waterwise developments in WA.

The Waterwise Development Program supports the WA Government’s Kep Katitjin-Gabi Kaadadjan (Waterwise Perth Action Plan 2) to establish leading waterwise communities for Boorloo (Perth) and Bindjareb (Peel) by 2030.

Fremantle local member and Water Minister Simone McGurk was justifiably upbeat about the Waterwise program and recent announcements –

“The Cook Government continues to support water-sensitive urban design and I congratulate our award recipients and all waterwise development alumni for their work to create greener, cooler, more liveable communities.

“Sustainable design practices that make homes energy and water efficient can actively combat the effects of climate change.

“In turn, these environmentally friendly developments lower bills, increase property value, and are naturally comfortable to live in without excessive heating and cooling.”

By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News

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