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Former Ladbrokes CEO Dean Shannon has sold a Queensland equestrian properties. 
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-acreage+semi-rural-qld-guanaba-127382742" target="_blank">The four hectare Guanaba estate</a> on the banks of the Coomera River in the Gold Coast hinterland had a $1.9 million asking price through Scenis Road Properties agent Drew Slack-Smith.
The 10 post and rail horse paddocks, each with their own luxury indoor outdoor stable, were added by Shannon since his $1,525,000 purchase in late 2014.
There's also a barn, super stables and an outdoor arena.
The main homestead set in gardens has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and three main living areas.
Shannon stepped down from his post at Ladbrokes last year and became managing director at new online betting company Neds.
This article was first published in the Weekend Australian.
 
 
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Dean Shannon sells Guanaba equestrian estate

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The Queens Park home of the now Byron Bay-based INXS drummer Jon Farriss, has been sold well before its scheduled auction.
Farriss, who is now renting a $1,250 a week estate at Newrybar in the Byron Bay hinterland, paid $3,225,000 in Queens Park in 2007.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-queens+park-127727446" target="_blank">1970s home</a> set behind a walled fore garden on York Road has views to Centennial Park from its upper level.
There's four bedrooms, a separate studio apartment, a built-in barbecue courtyard and a swimming pool on its 605 square metre parcel.
It cost Farriss $3,225,000 in 2007 and became a $3,200 a week rental when the drummer moved north.
The Agency's Ben Collier sold the home.
Farriss previously owned a Hyams Beach waterfront which he sold for a then record $2.32 million two years ago. He paid $1.78 million in 2004.
 
 
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INXS drummer Jon Farriss sells at Queens Park 

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The Surry Hills creative HQ and home of innovative food photographer Geoff Lung has sold ahead of its auction.
Lung, one of Australia's leading hotels and resorts, food, travel, interiors and lifestyle photographers, has been based in the New York style warehouse since the early 1990's.
Ivan Bresic and Shannon Whitney at BresicWhitney have the Foster Street offering with $3.2 million hopes, but it is understood to have sold at $3.5 million plus. 
The mixed-use space, which includes a two bedroom apartment that spans the entire second level, sits on the second floor of Surry Hills' iconic 1920's Edwards &amp; Co tea warehouse.
It was once the administration floor. Tea was hoisted up to the upper floors and dropped down a central chute to horse and carts for delivery.
The sign atop the facade remains in red and white glazed bricks built into the parapet.
The minimalistic property with industrial kitchen spans 210 sqm of floor space, not including mezzanines, with rows of floor to ceiling original windows. It's the only space in the building with five metre ceilings. 
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
 
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Edwards & Co tea warehouse apartment on Foster Street, Surry Hills sells

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A co-op Potts Point penthouse traded for the first time in almost seven decades fetched $4.4 million at auction last night.
The penthouse that sits atop the 1948 Aaron M. Bolot-designed <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-potts+point-127681002" target="_blank">17 Wylde Street</a> had been owned by its developer John Davis since its completion in 1951.
Family have remained in occupancy since his death in 2008.
It spans 165 sqm and has 270 degree harbour views from its ninth floor position where inspectees on several opens had to walk up with the lift out of order.
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The apartment has three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Jane and Sam Schumann at Di Jones has the offering.
Regarded as one of Bolot’s best pieces of work, 17 Wylde Street's creative curvilinear design was produced in response to the site’s unusual triangular shape, forming a prominent curve.
The internal floorplans for all apartments were designed to maximise aspect and spaciousness, with kitchens and bathrooms grouped on the southern side while living rooms and bedrooms faced the north side, almost entirely glazed to maximise the breathtaking 270 degree Harbour View.
17 Wylde Street was one of the few apartment blocks developed by the Urban Cooperative Multi-Home Units building society and the building was awarded the 2017 NSW Enduring Architecture Award by the Australian Institute of Architects NSW Chapter.
 
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Co-op 17 Wylde Street, Potts Point penthouse fetches $4.4 million 

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Key workers – such as teachers, nurses, ambulance and fire officers and the police – perform essential services.
Across the Sydney some 156,000 workers are employed in these occupations, equating to some six per cent of the workforce.
However, high property prices and high rents are placing barriers to their home ownership which were not experienced by previous generations. 
There is now a serious mismatch between where key workers live and work, according to an important report prepared by Sydney University researchers for the Teachers Mutual Bank, Firefighters Mutual Bank, Police Bank and My Credit Union.
The report found that in the decade to 2016, key areas in Sydney lost up to 20 percent of teachers, nurses, policy and emergency service workers to outer and regional areas, while areas including the Illawarra, Southern Highlands and the Hunter Valley had net gains.
In 2006 more than 20 local government areas were affordable to a police senior constable. By 2016, that number had declined to four. 
The majority of key workers now reside in outer ring suburbs, which the report advised was unlike other world cities, such as London, New York, or San Francisco.
The problem begins with the shortage of affordable rental homes near employment as this undermines the capacity to save for a deposit.
An enrolled nurse with five years experience on $57,000, requiring a one bedroom rental property, would be able to afford a median property in only 9 per cent of middle ring suburbs and in no inner ring suburbs. 
As a consequence, many key workers are commuting long distances to get to work, or are living in unaffordable rental accommodation. 
There's no doubting Sydney needs its Macquarie Street policy makers to improve key worker access to home ownership given the lack of affordable and appropriate homes.
But the report also identified one way to help restore housing options that requires innovative consideration of the plight of challenged home buyers bu the banking and superannuation sectors.
A key suggestion was the implementation of shared equity models that have long been used in the United Kingdom to help low and moderate income earners enter home ownership. 
According to the UK Council of Mortgage Lenders, there are around 200,000 shared ownership homes in the UK where eligible households can purchase a minimum of 25 per cent of a property (and up to 75 per cent) and pay a rent of 3 per cent on the remaining share.
Over time the household can purchase the remaining equity in the property from the affordable housing provider partner (who owns the balance), or repay it when the house is sold. 
We need mortgage lenders to embrace shared ownership.
It needs superannuation funds to joint venture with banks in this product. 
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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Banks need to embrace shared ownership concept as way forward for home affordability

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One of Paddington's largest terrace homes has been be sold for the first time in two decades for $7 million.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-paddington-127715622" target="_blank">Underwood Street residence</a>, over nine metres wide at the end of the row, last traded for $1.55 million in 1998.
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It has a $7 million price guide through The Agency's Ben Collier, who was marketing the property for a March 24 auction.
Set on 475 sqm, the stately home has retained its original heritage.
The traditional verandahs wrapping around all three levels have views down towards Rushcutters Bay.
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The five bedroom home is set in private and mature established gardens that includes a swimming pool.
Underwood Street hasn't passed the $7 million mark since 2011 when Collette Dinnigan sold her five bedroom compound to Woollahra lawyer Tania Van Der Vegt for $7.3 million.
The average five bedroom terrace is fetching $4.65 million, CoreLogic calculate.
 
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One of Paddington's largest terraces sells for $7 million

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Dream Island, designed as the first large-scale leisure destination in Russia, is set to create new opportunities for family recreation in Russia.
There will be an indoor amusement park, the riverfront scheme provides a regional shopping centre, outdoor leisure facilities, a 400-key 4-Star hotel, a concert hall and a yacht club.
Details were presented at the international investment exhibition MIPIM in Cannes last week.
The Dream Island city resort includes the world's largest indoor theme park with 29 most modern amusement rides, a city promenade with more than 200 shops and 50 restaurants and cafes, cinema and a concert hall, and a spacious landscape park with a sports area. 
The opening of the first stage of the project is planned in 2019 in Moscow, in the picturesque Nagatinskaya bottomland. 
Dream Island is a socially significant project not only for Moscow, but for all Russia, representatives advised.
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 It will improve the quality of the urban environment, investment attractiveness and competitiveness of Moscow against the background of foreign megacities.
In 2017 Dream Island won several Russian and international awards at once: “Best Project in Field of Commercial Real Estate" according to PROESTATE AWARDS 2017 federal prize, the best project in the nomination "Public Areas" in Good Innovations 2017 competition, as well as the victory in the regional stage of the prestigious international European Property Awards in the nomination “Leisure Development”. 
Theme parks around the world are powerful drivers for development of the tourism industry. 
It is expected that their role will increase in the future, so key principles of their deployment will have an increasing impact on both regional and international tourism.
 The Dream Island family city resort will become one of the most visited sights of the capital. 
It is expected to host about 50 million people annually, including flows of the local tourism (the Moscow metropolitan area), internal and external tourism. 
The opening of the Dream Island Park is supposed to increase tourist flows to Moscow by 16%, which is about 3 million new tourists annually, and the share of tourism consumption in the gross regional product (GRP) of Moscow – by 70 billion rubles, Amiran Mutsoev, Chairman of the Board of Dream Island holding company, said.
<a href="http://www.chapmantaylor.com/projects/nagatino-theme-park" target="_blank">Chapman Taylor</a> provided the masterplan and concept design.
Architecturally the building expresses its purpose of amusing children by appearing as a wonderland. 
The concept design is loosely related to historic Kremlin architecture that can be found in many ancient Russian cities. It is also inspired by imposing Gothic buildings of Western Europe.
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Russia's Kremlin-inspired Dream Island amusement park aims for 50 million annual visitors

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The Red Mountain Resort, designed for Festir ehf, in Iceland has been awarded a commendation in the Retail &amp; Leisure category at the recent 2018 MIPIM/Architectural Review Future Project Awards.
<a href="http://johannestorpe.com/projects/the-red-mountain-resort" target="_blank">The Red Mountain Resort resort </a>promises a sensory escape into breathtaking Icelandic nature resort for the modern spiritual traveler, the judging panel noted.
"Its architecture seduces visitors through an exploration of the interplay between nature and visitor.” 
The designer Johannes Torpe Studios markets itself as an advocate for "an unrestrained and fearless approach to design."
The Red Mountain Resort is the studio’s very first large-scale architectural project. 
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Situated on the Western peninsula of Snæfellsness, at the point where the river mouth runs out to the sea, the resort faces Seæfellsjokull, a majestic glacier covered stratovolcano. The mountain is home to the Icelandic saga about Barður Snæfellsás, who is said to have left the chaotic world of men behind to live in solitude. 
Snæfellsjökull, a 700,000-year-old glacier covered stratovolcano, inspired Jules Verne who made the volcano the passage way to the centre of the earth in his science fiction novel Journey to the Centre of the Earth from 1864.
The studio's lead architect Kit Sand Ottsen explored the tradition of Icelandic turf houses built by the first Norwegian settlers, experimenting with ways of creating a modern interpretation.
"The emerging idea was to turn the construction inside-out," he explained.
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Turf houses are wooden structures insulated by a thick wall of turf - in other words, a light structure with a very heavy base.
The studio inverted this structure by creating a heavy concrete structure enclosed by a light base of glass. As a natural extension, the relationship between positive and negative space has been explored, and throughout the building there is a clear contrast between light-weight and more heavy building volumes.
The building itself is an industrial interpretation of the rocky landscape with heavy geometric shapes shooting up from the ground like sculptural rock formations and tall steam-chimneys that are an architectural take on geysers.
Concrete is chosen as the primary material and is treated with a red pigment that mimics the hue of the surrounding landscape.
The concrete is applied to create layers of contrasting rough and smooth textures and form patterns inspired by those found in the layers of the turf houses. Selected parts of the rooftops are covered with grass like the traditional building techniques of the area.
"This both intensifies the notion of a building that is closely related to the history of the site, and adds to the sense of a hidden destination that discreetly rises from the landscape," the project brief advised.
The use of reflecting glass on the building’s exterior creates a mirror effect, evoking the illusion of a building that disappears into the landscape. Portals and tunnels are additionally dispersed throughout the building to enhance this otherworldly and magical atmosphere.
The local geology is made up of caves, craters, peculiar rock formations, volcanic plugs and the moss covered lava fields.
It replicates wind tunnels, fire baths and ice pools that represent the unpredictable extremes of Icelandic weather.
 
 
 
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Iceland spa project for the modern spiritual traveller scoops MIPIM 2018 commendation

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Philippe Starck has revealed plans for a 14-storey hotel in the French city of Metz, with an 18th-century-style house on the roof.
Metz mayor Dominique Gros, the internationally acclaimed creator <a href="http://www.starck.com/en?i=maison-heler-an-out-of-scale-phantasmagoric-architecture-in-the-dynamic-city-of-metz" target="_blank">Philippe Starck</a> and Hilton unveiled their plans for the distinctive, <a href="https://maison-heler.com" target="_blank">Maison Heler Metz</a>, Curio Collection by Hilton at last week's MIPIM.
Located on Metz’s former freight station, Maison Heler Metz is the most ambitious urban planning development launched in the region for a century. 
 The 14-story hotel has secured a €22.5 million investment led by Yvon Gérard and a consortium of investors. 
“Maison Heler Metz is a unique property, the design of which perfectly captures the spirit of our handpicked Curio Collection by Hilton hotels. 
"This will be Metz’s first high-end hotel opening in a number of years, and an impressive addition to our portfolio in France, which continues to be the most visited country in the world,” said Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, EMEA, Hilton. 
Curio Collection by Hilton is made up of hotels selected for their unique character. 
Maison Heler Metz joins more than 20 Curio Collection by Hilton hotels, trading or under construction properties in Europe.
In the heart of the newly developed Quartier de l'Amphithéâtre, Maison Heler Metz will be the first hotel entirely created and developed from the ground up by the famed French creator.
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Starck imagined a habitable, surreal and poetic work of art, which he antiquates becoming a strong symbol for the region. 
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“This project is an ‘out-of-scale’ phantasmagoric architecture,” said Philippe Starck.
“It's a game about uprooted roots, a symbolic construction of the Lorraine region.”
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The monolithic and monochromatic building will be topped by an 18th century traditional Alsatian home. 
The house atop the 14th floor will include a rooftop terrace and garden, peppered with local trees.
The house will hold a restaurant and lounge bar. 
There will be 119 guest rooms and suites. 
“Philippe Starck is a pioneer of international design and we are very proud to be working with him on this project,” said Yvon Gerard, co-founder of Maison Heler and leader of the project. 
The hotel is part of the social, ecological and economic development of Metz, in a new neighborhood dedicated to culture, housing and business. 
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Philippe Starck's first hotel for France

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A deal has been agreed to begin work on the world’s largest apartment towers built using modular construction.
The twin-tower scheme of build-to-rent flats in Croydon, London will on completion have 550 apartments.
Set at <a href="http://101georgestreet.co.uk/" target="_blank">101 George Street</a>, it will comprise two towers at 44-storeys and 38-storeys.
Tide Construction is set to team with investors, Greystar, the US multi-family giant and investment company Henderson Park.
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The part-38, part 44-storey tower will reach 442ft, from nearly 1,500 modules, and take just 24 months to build.
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Tide’s associate company Vision Modular Systems will build the scheme. VMS is one of the UK’s largest providers of volumetric construction modules, manufactured at its factory in Bedford. 
Tide and Vision recently completed Apex House in Wembley, the tallest modular tower in Europe, for Scape. At 29 storeys the student development uses 679 modules for 580 student beds. It was built in less than 12 months.
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Simon Bayliss, managing partner at HTA, said the technological advances made in modular construction mean that projects of this size are possible in London.
"The towers at George Street show that choosing to go modular doesn’t mean you must sacrifice great design," he said. 
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The towers scheme, drawn up by HT Design, will be worth over £150 million.
Presently, the tallest prefabricated building in the world is a 32-storey block in New York.
Tide is both a development and contracting company.
101 George Street is the fourth project Greystar and Tide Construction have delivered using modular construction and, once complete, will bring the total number of units the partnership has delivered in London to 1,700 units.
Modular construction is highly suited to rental developments as investors and operators can welcome residents into their homes sooner and open the revenue streams earlier.
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44 storey London apartment block set for modular construction 

One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

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Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

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Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

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FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

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Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

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The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

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Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

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The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

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Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<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/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

Jonathan Chancellor

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