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Sydney Architect Lawrence Nield was honoured with the Australian Institute of Architects prestigious Gold Medal in Adelaide last night.
<img style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; float: left; margin: 5px;" width="300" src="/images/stories/lawrenceneild.jpg">Neild (pictured left) – who was the head of master planning for the Sydney 2000 Olympics – has worked on projects in New Zealand, Greece, China, Vietnam, France, Italy and the UK.
He is well known for his design of sports centres, hospitals and educational buildings, his academic work at both the University of Sydney and the University of NSW as well as his broad writings on urban design.
His newest award will join a Sir Zelman Cowan Award for Public Buildings, which he won in 1997 for the University of the Sunshine Coast Library, a Sulman Award and an RIBA Award. Nield retired from Sydney firm BVN Architecture several years ago but is rarely far from the industry.
The AIA’s national presidential Brian Zulaikha says: “Lawrence’s local work uses a broad and principled approach to architecture that reveals an uncommon understanding of our history, the arts and other intellectual achievements”.
The AIA also awarded former Sydney lord mayor and long-time urban design activist Lucy Turnbull with the President’s Award for her contribution to the advancement of architecture.
<img style="float: right; margin: 5px;" width="300" src="/images/stories/lucyturnbull.jpg">
“It gives me much pride, both professionally and personally, to be able to recognise Lucy’s contribution to the Institute, but also to architecture and design more generally,” says Zulaikha.
Turnbull (pictured right) wrote the book Sydney - Biography of a City and in 2008 was Commissioner of the Australian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Among her many board positions, she is deputy chairwoman of the Committee for Sydney, was appointed to the Cities Expert Panel, and in January last year she was appointed officer of the Order of Australia.
The Best Emerging Architect Award was presented to Western’s Australia’s Kelly Rattigan, while Robert Adams from the City of Melbourne won the Leadership in Sustainability Award.
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Lawrence Nield and Lucy Turnbull honoured at Australian Institute of Architects awards

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Port Coogee, the planned coastal community south of Perth, is one of Australia’s largest coastal renewal projects. And now the project set on 86 hectares of industrial wasteland has won recognition from the 2012 Urban Development Institutes of Australia (UDIA) National Awards for Excellence.
Australand landed the Best Residential Development along with the gong for Environmental Excellence for its Port Coogee Marina development, 23 kilometres south of the Perth CBD. The planned coastal community is one of Australia’s largest coastal renewal projects and set on 86 hectares of industrial wasteland.
Australand general manager Tony Perrin says the developer has been working hard to deliver what it promised the public with this sometimes controversial $2 billion project.
<img src="/images/stories/portcoogee1.jpg">
“We have attach a great deal of value to the environmental award because there was so much negative spin put on the site and what we planned for it particularly with the marina, which some sections of the public did not want,” he says
The ecological issues ranged from protecting seagrass beds through to ground water contamination and reducing toxins that hit the ocean.
“We managed and executed it responsibly, and the award is an affirmation of that,” Perrin says.
<img src="/images/stories/portcoogee2.jpg">
The marina will accommodate about 300 powerboats and sailing boats to a maximum of 20 metres. The first 60 boat pens were snapped up last year, and another 95 pens will be released this year.
The project will eventually have a residential community of about 5,000 people moving into it over the next 10 years. Since December 2006 more than 350 blocks of land have been sold from a starting price of $425,000. About 80 houses have been built, with another 45 underway. As demand increases 1,000 apartments will be built, and a large retail village with cafes and restaurants will be central to the site. It is tipped the project will create about 1,200 jobs locally.
<img src="/images/stories/portcoogee3.jpg">
The WA government first offered the site for redevelopment 18 years ago. Australand became involved 15 years ago. The zoning process swallowed the first decade, and the past five years has been dedicated to active development.
<img src="/images/stories/portcoogee4.jpg">
“It is incredibly encouraging to win the UDIA’s Best Residential Development nationally in such an early stage of the project. We perceive there is still a lot of work to be done to get the vision that we set out to create. I feel that the commercial areas in the centre of the project will represent that vision in years to come. The award is a recognition of the planning and the roundedness of the project, landscaping, streetscapes, roads and parks and the unique environments that exist in the project which integrates beach’s with parks and micro environments,” Perrin says.
Hardy plants and endemic species will landscape the site, and the streetscape, from lighting to lookout features and materials used, has been influenced by the industrial and marine history of the land. The partly exposed shipwreck of the Omeo has inspired the public art that will be part of the community.
 
 
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Australand’s controversial Port Coogee project wins top development gong at UDIA awards

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Tucked away in a special little corner of Queensland is a luxurious utopia with beautiful houses, native animals roaming freely and a prized level of environmental sustainability.
It is a rich man’s hideaway where strict design codes and by-laws ensure it remains an Australian paradise by the sea.
Sunrise at 1770 is near the exclusive Agnes Water between Bundaberg and Gladstone. It takes more than five hours to drive from Brisbane.
Remote by design, the project aimed to become the nation’s premier ecologically sustainable community.
In 2007 and 2008 the UDIA voted it the Best Sustainable Development in Queensland and then Australia. In 2009 at FIABCI’s Prix d’Excellence World Awards it was the first runner-up in the environmental category.
Twenty-five houses have been built in the community, which will allow a maximum of 172 homes on the site, which is surrounded by protected wetlands, beaches and reserves. One of its finest houses has been listed for sale with $2.95 million hopes.
The contemporary Springs Road house, which is owned by property investors Mark and Janene Hulst, was named both Queensland Home of the Year (2002) and Custom Home of the Year.
Noosa designer Steven Kidd of Kidd+co Designers designed this and several other glamorous houses at Sunrise.
“We had a great brief and we did a few houses in a row, which makes a nice vision. Mark’s house has a beautiful internal garden in a wonderfully unique environment. We decided to keep the existing vegetation and turn the house inside out,” Kidd says.
‘The balconies hang off the house. The design concept works with circulation areas plus breakout spaces. It is a timber-framed house with exceptional timberwork inside that was crafted by the builder Mike Murray.”
Given the house is positioned at a 45-degree angle, two faces take in views of the Coral Sea and the famous Springs Beach surf break.
Clean lines create a tree house style of living where sections of space with cantilevered balconies act as a floating canvass with a pristine bushland or the sea as a frame. It is minimalism without forsaking any cosy comforts, since the house is technically savvy and equipped with rain sensors on the atrium windows, an external rooftop sprinkler system for fire control, under-garage water tanks, auto sensor bathroom lighting and in a nod to summertime necessities, climate-controlled wine storage behind the kitchen.
“We built it together and love living at Sunrise. It was a great challenge so we are looking to buy another block of land here and do it all again,” says Mark Hulst.
Sunrise at 1770 has raised boardwalks to two beach clubs with three pools, barbecue pavilions and tennis courts.
To buy into Sunrise, where the Smorgan family owns property alongside bankers, a film producer and a couple surfing identities, is to buy into a body corporate with a green future. The primary water supply comes from rainwater tanks and wastewater is used to supply toilets, a communal car wash and firefighting.
A “dark sky” policy prevails so turtles use their rookeries. Non-native pets are verboten, so local wildlife and Godzilla, the resident two-metre-long goanna, can roam unmolested.
The three-bedroom, three-bathroom Hulst house is listed for sale through Gordon Christian at Harcourts Agnes Water.
 
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Sustainable Agnes Water award winner listed on Queensland’s Discovery Coast

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Restaurateurs Matt Moran and Peter Sullivan are immersed in the final renovations of the old Prunier’s building in Woollahra’s lovely Chiswick Gardens before its March 7 reopening.
<img src="/images/stories/moranwork6.jpg">
Moran recently tweeted that operation Chiswick will have a ceiling-to-floor white-tiled Parisian bistro-style bar plus a wood-fired oven.
<img src="/images/stories/moranwork5.jpg">
A kitchen garden, with a dedicated gardener, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.chiswickrestaurant.com.au/the-garden/recipes">will produce seasonal goodies</a> for the “sharing” menu. Apparently the radishes (pictured above) and cucumbers are doing well.
<img src="/images/stories/moranwork3.jpg">
Art director Vince Frost, who created chic packaging for Donna Hay and Ceramica di Manfredi and produced a beautiful book for Damien Pignolet, is also working to create the restaurant theme. The wine list is designed by ARIA sommelier Matthew Dunne with diners enjoying views over the council garden on Ocean Street. 
The space is believed to have been part of the stables of an old house called Chiswick, which occupied the land. Woollahra Council bought it from a Mrs L.F.Holmes in 1938 for seven thousand pounds.
From 1953 the restaurant was called The Kiosk. In 1970 it was Dimitris, and Pruniers moved there in late 1972 from the Al Corso, in Double Bay, where it had opened in 1947.
<img src="/images/stories/moranwork4.jpg">
Chris Grinham from Humphrey and Edwards Design worked with Moran and Sullivan  on the restaurant’s design and interiors.
<img src="/images/stories/moranwork7.jpg">
The restaurant is set to open March 7.
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Celebrity chefs Matt Moran and Peter Sullivan have a taste for design with restaurant and kitchen garden in Woollahra

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Jewel – the Gold Coast’s most ambitious property development to be given the nod – is searching for a prestigious hotel operator for the $950 million three-tower project.
A short-list of operators is shrouded in mystery, but the preferred operator should be known by March.
<img src="/images/stories/jewel1.jpg">
 
Although the Gold Coast is well supplied with luxury hotels, it is yet to attract the ultra-luxe brands such as Aman, Peninsula and Shangri-La hotels.
Gold Coast developer RDG, which is backed by the Chinese property giant Ridong Group, has moved into gear to get the plan underway.
“We have the DA approved and are currently negotiating some of the finer points with the council. Our main focus now is to secure a hotel operator,” says RDG chief executive Steven Haggart.
Jewel will be on the corner of Wharf and Old Burleigh roads, Surfers Paradise.
It will have a six-star hotel with all of the attendant restaurants, bars, pools, gyms and all of the shopping expected of such an operation. There will also be two residential towers, one of of 35 levels and one of 45 levels.
<img src="/images/stories/jewel2.jpg">
It will also have a spa, beach club, ballroom and a two-level recording studio, which was inspired by the Setai Hotel in South Beach, Miami, where Lenny Kravitz has branded the property.
According to Haggart, contracts for off-the-plan apartment sales will be ready by November this year.
“We want to be able to take the apartments to market by the end of this year,” he says.
For such a premium plan, the apartments are modestly priced, starting at about $800,000 for a two-bedroom unit.
“Jewel will be like an island with its own beachfront and without being surrounded by KFCs. We are pricing it realistically for the local and international markets and providing excellent quality,” says Haggart.
About half of the units are tipped to be sold offshore while 30% are marked for interstate ownership and the remaining 20% for local Queenslanders.
RDG expects to announce the builder for the project later this year, with demolition tipped to start in March 2013 and completion slated for summer 2015-16.
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Jewel, set for Surfers Paradise skyline, seeks hotel operator looking for a Gold Coast gem

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Rydges Hotel Group is set to spend $11 million to create an entire level of New York-inspired dining at its South Bank hotel in Brisbane. 
<img src="/images/stories/rydges1.jpg">
Designed by Base Architects in collaboration with LA interior designer Tracy Beckham, the 2,887-square-metre space will have an elevated dining area, a lounge plus poolside bar and eatery. It will be named in honour of the Roman god of indulgence, Bacchus. The Grey and Glenelg street frontages is set to get one of the design industry’s newest must haves: a vertical garden.
<img src="/images/stories/rydges2.jpg">
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Rydges gets a taste for Big Apple-style dining in Brisbane South Bank hotel

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Queensland architect DBI Design has won the coveted World’s Leading Hotel Award for its Etihad Towers project in Abu Dhabi at the World Travel Awards in Doha.
The Brisbane-based outfit was up against some the world’s leading architects including France’s Jean-Michel Wilmotte, who transformed two Art Deco Paris offices – originally designed by the distinguished 1930s architect Charles Letrosne – into the Mandarin Oriental Paris. Wilmotte is well known for his redesign of several wings and galleries of the Louvre Museum.
<img src="/images/stories/dbi2.jpg"> 
Other finalists were Jestico + Whiles for the W Hotel London, New York’s Skidmore, Owings and Merrill for The Park Hyderabad, Allan Murray Architects for Hotel Missoni Edinburgh, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the American firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates for the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong.
<img src="/images/stories/dbi5.jpg">
DBI managing director Warren Coyle says he is delighted that Etihad Towers claimed the prize against such imposing competition.
Etihad Towers is a US$1 billion (A$962 million), five-tower project in Abu Dhabi’s exclusive beachside area of Al Ras Al Akhdar near the Corniche. It has three residential towers with 800 apartments, 200 serviced apartments, a 400-room Jumeirah hotel, 12 restaurants, retail space and a convention centre. Worked started in 2006 for His Highness Sheikh Suroor Bin Mohammed Al Mahyan.
<img src="/images/stories/dbi3.jpg"> 
“It is a very sculptural form, and the owner really liked that iconic style. He wanted a landmark and a statement to Dubai, so we set out to give him one,’” Coyle says. 
DBI was invited to enter the international design competition after one of the developers bought an apartment in the Ultra building on Broadbeach, which DBI had designed. 
DBI designed, engineered and fitted out the project mainly from its Brisbane office.
“Designing remotely from Australia was a challenge, and we were the lead consultant so had a great deal of control including structure, air-conditioning, and acoustics which was new to us and very challenging,” Coyle says. 
<img src="/images/stories/dbi4.jpg">
DBI is behind some of Brisbane’s most avant-garde buildings and is working on FKP’s AUD$210 million The Milton. 
“We can design projects that are truly world-leading,” says Coyle. 
The recent prize, which is considered the “Oscars” of the travel industry, has more than 5,000 companies from 162 countries competing in 1,000 categories. 
<img src="/images/stories/dbi6.jpg">
The prize is DBI’s first international award, although the firm has accumulated a swag of local awards. 
“This award so is a nice start for us on the international scene,” Coyle says.
<img src="/images/stories/dbi1.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial;">
 
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Queensland-based DBI Design wins award for Abu Dhabi hotel Etihad Towers

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Millionaire Perth businesswoman Marilyn New is once again attempting to sell off her Esplanade Hotels Group after the holding failed to sell last year.
The portfolio includes the colonial-style 300-room Esplanade Hotel in Fremantle, which is the town’s only 4.5-star hotel where the pool is overlooked by a multi-story car park, and the 101-room Esplanade River Suites serviced apartments in Como.
Perth has long suffered from a lack of hotels, so occupancy remains high and room rates are strong.
Last year the two hotels were listed with CBRE and it was touted that any sale – and they were offered as a package or individually – might well have brought more than the $98 million that the five-star Hyatt Regency sold for in 1996, which was the most recent comparable sale. However, current selling agent Jones Lang LaSalle is calling for expressions of interest and not mentioning price point.
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New deal: Freo's Esplanade Hotels Group on the market once again

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Property investment scion Jo Perrott is set to launch a second $30 million unit trust that will focus on buying prestige residential properties in Australia.
The move comes just two months after Perrott announced the creation of the Allure Properties Diamond Fund, which aims to buy at least six luxury properties in London, the south of France, Colorado, Queenstown and Phuket while the dollar is high and real estate prices are low. The fund spreads its risk across different currencies and economic zones.
“We are responding to the market demands and the decision to launch a domestic fund has been client-led. It will join our international fund,” says Perrott.
Like the international fund, the domestic fund will total $30 million and be a closed fund that is operational for five or six years. Properties will be in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane – possibly Noosa and the Barossa – and worth between $3 million and $6 million each.
The new fund will be launched early next year.
“We have had so much interest, particularly from Melbourne, WA and Sydney as well as from management companies, in this approach to shared investment in luxury real estate. Many clients talked about wanting domestic property with a shorter time span. We expect that by March next year we could be ready to close the international fund,” says Perrot.
While no cash has yet changed hands, Perrott believes there is already enough interest to sell each of the $250,000-a-pop units in the fund and the domestic fund will be similarly priced.
“This is new to Australians, and people need to do their research before committing $250,000. We spend a lot of time with interested parties and our Information Memorandum is a very lengthy document. Already we have about 20 potential buyers in the mix at the moment,” she says.
The Allure Properties Diamond Fund will be a closed fund operating for eight years. During this time each unit holder will be allocated two weeks of vacation time in any of the holdings, which are expected to rent out for up to $20,000 a week. This time allotment can be rolled over into subsequent years, sold or given away. After eight years the fund will be wound up and the proceeds returned to investors.
Perrot hopes to create a new prestige property fund every 18 months.
In the UK this type of unit trust has been a popular alternative to standard residential investment for high-net-worth individuals. One company, Rocksure, has created six funds since 2006 and successfully weathered the GFC and the troubled UK economy.
“The dollar is high and property prices are low. The residences that we have targeted are about 50% discounted on their prices several years ago. We have all the right indicators in place for this to work well,” Perrott says.
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Jo Perrott's Allure contemplates domestic prestige vacation property fund

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Marilynne Paspaley's much-anticipated $70 million luxury Pinctada resort development on WA’s Rottnest Island won’t be proceeding.
The former actress and Pearling family scion has abandoned plans for a resort on the island because of too many “constraints”.
She says outdated bureaucratic processes killed off her vision for the resort.
In June WA Tourism Minister Kim Hames told a parliamentary estimates hearing that Pinctada’s inability to raise finance for the project had thrown it into “limbo”. Paspaley denied this, claiming the time frames imposed were not realistic.
Last year the WA government named Pinctada as preferred developer and its plan would provide the island its first new accommodation since the 1980s.
Paspaley is among the few developers to successfully build hotels in WA in the past 20 years, including Pinctada Cable Beach in Broome, for which she became a registered builder. She also holds The Kimberley Grande and McAlpine House in Broome.
However, the rigid processes in place through the Rottnest Island Act proved too much for the developer, who claims that her plans would not have been commercially viable.
She says she has spent millions of dollars trying to minimise the obstacles associated with her plan for a 120-room resort and spas overlooking Longreach Bay on a site that is the island’s degraded former rainwater catchment.
This is the second attempt to find a developer for the site. In 2009 a consortium led by Broadwater Hotels and Resorts collapsed after two years of negotiations.
The search to find a suitable developer will continue and Karma Resort’s founder John Spence, who is also a Commissioner for WA Tourism, is likely to cast another bid for the pleasure to develop the property.
 
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Marilynne Paspaley abandons plans for Rottnest Island resort Pinctada 

Melbourne developer Spacious Group has completed Voyage Altona, one of the closest new apartment developments to Altona Beach.

Off the plan purchasers have started moving into the 49-apartment project on Pier Street, with the remaining move-in-ready one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments starting from just over $500,000.

Display apartments have now been fitted out, allowing prospective buyers to inspect the completed residences by appointment.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112195 project_image_fid=372638]

The completed apartments feature open-plan living and dining areas which extend onto private balconies and terraces, while full-height glazing maximises natural light throughout the interiors.&nbsp;

Hybrid timber-look flooring, stone benchtops, Miele appliances, porcelain-tiled bathrooms and generous storage feature throughout the building which also features landscaped communal areas, expansive shared terraces, lift access and secure on-grade parking.

Drawing inspiration from its bayside setting, Voyage adopts a restrained palette of warm neutral tones and textured finishes. Many of the apartments take advantage of views across Port Phillip Bay, while the indoor-outdoor living spaces have been designed to make the most of the coastal outlook.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112195 project_image_fid=3286]

Voyage was developed to address what Spacious Group identified as an undersupply of higher-quality apartment product in Altona, with a focus on owner-occupiers looking to remain within the bayside community.

"Voyage responds to very strong local buyer demand for quality, owner-occupier-focused product," says Barry Plant Projects Director Jarrod Farey, who has handled sales since the project's launch.

"The project delivers an elevated lifestyle proposition, with its design and quality of finish far exceeding anything previously produced in the area, as well as its proximity to Pier Street Village and the beach."

The majority of purchasers have been local downsizers and owner-occupiers looking to stay within the Altona community but who previously had limited opportunities to buy a brand-new apartment.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112195]

Joel Robinson

Spacious Group completes Voyage Altona in Altona's beachside precinct

Homecorp has secured approval for a $360 million apartment development at Budds Beach, paving the way for one of the Gold Coast's most amenity-rich residential projects to launch later this year.

Gold Coast City Council has approved Lýon Residences, a 32-level tower that will deliver 178 two and three-bedroom apartments across a prominent corner site at 8-10 Acacia Avenue and 25-27 Oak Avenue.

The approval comes as developers continue to invest in premium lifestyle-driven apartment projects on the Gold Coast, where owner occupiers are increasingly prioritising amenity as much as apartment size and location.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/l-on-residences-25-27-oak-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Lýon Residences</a> has been designed around a resort-style wellness offering, headlined by a Moroccan-inspired spa precinct featuring treatment rooms, a Nordic sauna and steam room, hot and cold plunge pools, a soaking pool and a residents-only juice bar.

The rooftop will include a heated infinity pool and spa, residents' lounge with private kitchen and bar, gymnasium, yoga and Pilates studio, outdoor entertaining areas and barbecue facilities overlooking the Surfers Paradise skyline.

<img alt="Lyon" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2d3e29af-8793-486e-a684-52cef862241f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-15%20at%204.32.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ayG2zpLf3SS6Zy8XmKDcQods4kVWb0gm" />

Homecorp Founder and CEO Ron Bakir said Budds Beach provided the ideal location for the company's latest luxury apartment project.

"Budds Beach represents one of the most unique and sought-after pockets of the Gold Coast, and Lýon Residences has been designed to reflect that sense of rarity and refinement," Bakir said.

The project arrives as wellness continues to become a defining feature of new residential developments both in Australia and internationally.

The latest Global Wellness Institute figures show wellness real estate remains the fastest-growing segment of the global wellness economy and is forecast to exceed $1.8 trillion by 2030. Australia continues to rank among the world's 15 largest wellness real estate markets, with developers increasingly integrating health, recreation and community facilities into apartment projects.

Queensland is also experiencing strong population growth, with the Gold Coast continuing to outperform many other Australian cities as demand for new housing remains elevated ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Bakir said the project had been designed to respond to that shift in buyer expectations.

"Strong population growth and sustained demand across the Gold Coast continue to highlight the need for well-designed new housing supply. Lýon Residences responds directly to this demand while setting a new benchmark for residential living," he said.

Each apartment has been designed to maximise views across the coastline, the Nerang River and the Gold Coast hinterland.

Located just minutes from Surfers Paradise beach and the Broadwater, the development also offers easy access to the light rail network, Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads.

Early site works are underway, with construction expected to commence later this year.

Homecorp approved for Budds Beach apartment tower, Lýon Residences

New apartment developments with uninterrupted, north-facing views over Perth's Swan River are exceptionally rare.

Recognising just how limited those opportunities are, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/edge-visionary-living">Edge Visionary Living</a>, one of Perth's most respected builder-developers, targeted <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/applecross-wa-6153">Applecross</a>, assembling an unrepeatable 6,342 sqm riverfront site on the corner of Moreau Mews and Canning Beach Road to create one of Perth's only new north-facing apartment developments directly overlooking the Swan River.

Today, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/riviere-residences-applecross-59-canning-beach-road-applecross-wa-6153">Rivière Residences</a> offers buyers a unique opportunity to choose between completed residences ready to move into now and off-the-plan homes in the final stage, Rivière West.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=28384 project_image_fid=3823]

Across the completed East and Central buildings, residents are already enjoying the development's luxury amenity, while two of the precinct's hospitality venues are now open.

The completed component of the development gives buyers the advantage of experiencing the finished product firsthand, including its uninterrupted river views, while still having the opportunity to secure a residence in the final stage.

"People are wowed by the view and the quality of the apartments,"&nbsp;Edge Visionary Living Sales Executive, Holly McSweeney, says.

"They're looking for the convenience of lock-and-leave living, but they're not looking to downsize on quality."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=28384 project_image_fid=3826]

The rarity of the development hasn't been lost on prospective buyers, McSweeney says.

For McSweeney, it all comes back to a location that is becoming increasingly difficult to replicate.

"Location, location, location," she says. "We are nestled right on the front of the Swan River. You can never get built out, so wherever you are in Rivière Residences, you've got views of the river forever."

The unique waterfront position has resonated particularly strongly with local downsizers. McSweeney says many buyers are long-time Applecross residents looking to transition from large family homes into a luxury apartment without sacrificing space, quality or the lifestyle they've enjoyed for decades.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N_FowNW0wu8?si=vb25XFq1wZ-iufAW" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

A major focus for Edge in recent years has been resident amenity. Across its apartment portfolio, from beachfront developments in Scarborough to luxury towers in South Perth, the developer has increasingly invested in the spaces beyond the apartment itself.

The strategy has largely been shaped by downsizer demand. Many buyers are moving from large family homes with swimming pools and established gardens. While they're looking to leave the maintenance behind, they don't want to compromise on lifestyle.

At Rivière, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hillam-architects">Hillam Architects</a> designed the resident facilities as an extension of each apartment. A 25-metre heated swimming pool takes advantage of the north-facing river outlook, complemented by a large gym, sauna and steam rooms, private dining spaces, residents' lounges, a cinema, games room, and dedicated wine and whisky rooms.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=28384 project_image_fid=372542]

The waterfront location has also proved to be a major drawcard. Residents are within walking distance of the Raffles Hotel, South of Perth Yacht Club, the Heathcote Cultural Precinct and the cafés, restaurants and boutiques along Ardross Street.

Beyond the location and amenity, McSweeney says many buyers take confidence from Edge's fully integrated development model.

Having delivered apartments across Perth for decades, Edge now designs, develops and constructs its projects in-house, giving the company greater control over quality, delivery and the finished product.

"What I love is when people walk through their apartment for the first time and say, 'This is better than what we imagined,'" McSweeney says. "We hear that all the time."

Completed apartments in the East and Central buildings are now available to inspect by appointment, while Rivière West, the final stage of the precinct, is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=28384]

North-facing Swan River views drive demand at Rivière Residences in Applecross

Nearly 60 per cent of apartments at McNab Group's $220 million The Tannery development in Brisbane's West End have sold ahead of the project's public launch, including a suburb-record $2.57 million sale for a two-bedroom apartment.

The early sales campaign has secured buyers for 50 of the project's 87 apartments, highlighting continued demand for larger owner-occupier apartments that combine generous floorplans with premium lifestyle amenities in one of Brisbane's most tightly held inner-city suburbs.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=143337 project_image_fid=374768]

McNab Group Executive Chairman Michael McNab said selling more than half the project before launch reflected changing buyer expectations.

"Selling more than half the project before public sales open tells us buyers are actively seeking apartments that offer something genuinely different," McNab said.

"Today's buyers are looking beyond four walls. They want homes that genuinely enhance the way they live, with spaces that support health, connection and everyday wellbeing."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=143337 project_image_fid=374767]

A key point of difference for the project is the adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed Dixon's Tannery building, which will become The Retreat, a residents-only wellness precinct rather than being redeveloped into additional apartments.

The Retreat will feature a sauna and steam room, hot and cold plunge pools, a commercial-grade gym, Pilates studio, cinema, library, co-working spaces and private dining room. Rooftop amenities will include a swimming pool, landscaped gardens, outdoor entertaining areas and dog-friendly spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=143337 project_image_fid=374760]

Designed by Cottee Parker Architects with interiors by Tom Mark Henry and landscape architecture by Aspect Studios, The Tannery comprises 87 two, three and four-bedroom apartments across 11 levels overlooking the Brisbane River.

Cottee Parker principal Dee Passenger said preserving the original tannery building had been central to the project's design.

"The easy option would have been to maximise the site's development potential with additional apartments. Instead, McNab has chosen to preserve the original tannery as a shared wellness retreat, ensuring this important piece of Brisbane's history remains at the heart of the community."

Passenger said sustainability also played a key role in the design, with materials from the original industrial site salvaged and repurposed throughout the development.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=143337 project_image_fid=374761]

Motiv CEO Carly Cottam said buyers had responded strongly to the combination of larger apartments, wellness facilities and the West End lifestyle.

"We are seeing more buyers looking for homes in the sky that provide the space and functionality of a traditional home, while benefiting from the convenience and lifestyle that apartment living brings," Cottam said.

She said purchasers included both owner occupiers and investors, with demand coming from local buyers as well as interstate purchasers.

Coinciding with the public launch, McNab also announced a partnership with Queensland Ballet, whose neighbouring Thomas Dixon Centre shares historical ties with the original Dixon family.

Located on a 4,465 sqm site at 439 Montague Road, The Tannery overlooks the Brisbane River and is around 10 minutes from the CBD.

Construction is underway, with completion expected in the second half of 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=143337]

More than half of residences sold before public sales as McNab announces significant partnership with Queensland Ballet

McNab's The Tannery nears 60 per cent sold before public release, sets two-bedroom West End record

Iwan Sunito's vision for a landmark mixed-use precinct in Sydney's Inner West has taken a major step forward, with approval granted for the $1.9 billion Five Dock development first unveiled earlier this year.

The approved scheme by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/one-global-capital">One Global Capital</a> will deliver an 80,500 sqm mixed-use precinct comprising 840 apartments, integrated hotel accommodation, commercial and retail space, alongside publicly accessible open space designed to create a new destination for the growing suburb.

"This is a significant milestone for One Global Capital and for the future of housing delivery in Sydney," Sunito said.

"The Housing Delivery Authority was established to identify major housing projects capable of delivering meaningful supply more efficiently, and we are delighted that Spencer Street has been recognised as one of those projects.”

He said the declaration reflected the rapid progress achieved since acquiring control of the site.

"In less than seven months we have progressed from taking control of the site to securing entry into one of the NSW Government's most important planning pathways. It reflects the experience of our team, the strength of our consultant group led by Urbis, and our long-term commitment to delivering transformational projects that contribute to Sydney's future."

When the project was revealed earlier this year, Sunito described the opportunity as one of the strongest development sites he had worked on.

"I probably hadn't appreciated the uniqueness of the site until more recently when putting together the concept plans," Sunito said.

"The proximity to the water, and the golf course opposite, is unlike any other part of Parramatta Road. We have a unique position and view corridors over the water that makes this one of the best sites I've worked on."

The development has evolved since its initial announcement, with the approved plans increasing the residential component from the originally proposed 750 apartments to 840 homes while retaining the project's focus on creating an integrated neighbourhood rather than a standalone residential development.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/a-city-within-a-city-iwan-sunito-flags-1-5-billion-mixed-use-precinct-in-five-dock">"A city within a city": Iwan Sunito flags $1.5 billion mixed-use precinct in Five Dock</a>

The precinct will combine apartments with hotel accommodation, commercial workplaces, retail offerings and public spaces, creating a mixed-use environment intended to serve both residents and the broader Five Dock community. The proposal also continues the collaboration between One Global Capital and internationally recognised architect <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/koichi-takada-architects">Koichi Takada</a>, whose previous work with Sunito includes Infinity, Arc and Skye North Sydney.

Takada previously said the design was driven by a philosophy of integrating nature into the built environment.

"The concept for this development is born from our design approach to naturalising architecture," Takada said.

"The public realm benefits from biophilic design that integrates generous landscaping, and the development is optimised for natural daylight, airflow and water views to foster wellbeing, sustainability and spaces that foster community interaction."

Sunito has consistently described the project as a "city within a city", with a strong emphasis on creating a destination that extends beyond housing.

"We want to create a development that's not only to be seen, but to be experienced by the whole local community," he said.

The approval comes as Five Dock continues its transformation ahead of the opening of the Sydney Metro West line, with the new Five Dock station set to significantly improve connections between the Inner West, Parramatta and the Sydney CBD.&nbsp;

The precinct will also benefit from its proximity to the Parramatta Road corridor, nearby waterfront parklands and established retail and dining offerings that have made Five Dock one of Sydney's most tightly held Inner West suburbs.

Andrea Dixon

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