Planning approval for HVN Pakenham at 81 Henry Street, Pakenham marks Australia’s first Autobox project. Autobox is a transformational modular structural system designed to improve speed, logistics and circular outcomes. The milestone arrives at a time when the sector is under pressure to improve productivity whilst reducing waste and carbon.
HVN Pakenham is a five storey Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) development in Pakenham, Victoria. The development comprises a ground level medical centre and associated amenities, residential apartments across Levels 1 to 4, and ground level car parking, with a total built floor area of approximately 2,800 square metres.
Autobox in action
Unlike conventional volumetric modular approaches that can be constrained by repeated stacked forms, Autobox is designed to support more complex geometries and larger clear spans. A defining feature is the ability for modules to be transported in a flat packed configuration and expanded into three-dimensional form on site, reducing freight volume and easing logistics. Robert Bird Groups concept-design package sets out:
- Foundations, module layouts and sections
- Core and Autobox module framing
- Quantities and lifting details
Accessibility and inclusive design requirements will remain central as the project progresses through detailed design and building approvals, including alignment with National Construction Code access provisions and the Disability Discrimination Act.
For HVN Pakenham, the hybrid concrete-steel system is approx. 30% lighter than traditional framing, which can reduce foundation requirements. Three modules can be transported on a single truck, compared with one for standard modular construction, reducing haulage by two-thirds.
Assembly of the structural frame could be completed in two weeks, compared with roughly ten weeks for conventional construction. The wider program could be delivered twice as quickly as a traditional approach, supported by off-site pre-installation of services.
Furthermore, Autobox is designed for disassembly, allowing structural modules to be dismantled, relocated and reused on future projects.
Project team and next steps
HVN Pakenham is being developed by Gan Capital and designed by VIA Architects. Design is intended to meet National Disability Insurance Scheme SDA standards for High Physical Support and Improved Liveability.
With planning approval in place, the project is positioned to demonstrate what circular modular structural delivery can look like in practice, balancing speed and certainty with design intent.
Read industry coverage here:
