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GUEST OBSERVER
Going green has gone from being a luxury option to a necessity for the built environment sector today.
For cities around the world it has a key role to play in helping to cut their long-term carbon footprint. In Singapore, for example, the built environment is responsible for almost a quarter of our carbon emissions.
To reduce this we need to change not just the way buildings are constructed and run but also the perception of sustainability.
In the early stages of Singapore’s green building movement, green building practices were not perceived to offer any competitive advantage. However, today, we are seeing a shift in mindset with green buildings now regarded as a form of value creation for developers. Adding green building certifications such as Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) Green Mark to a development’s list of credentials can help boost the developer’s corporate image and the prestige of such developments.
Singapore: A green work in progress
Such moves are driving rapid change. Over the past decade, Singapore has greened almost one-third of its building stock including improving energy and water efficiency, using eco-friendly construction material and creating healthier indoor space. It is well on track to achieving the target of greening 80 percent of all the buildings by 2030 to meet the standards set by the BCA Green Mark certification process.
Other cities can learn from the initiatives used to make progress. The Singapore government, for example, offers incentives for higher green building ratings. One of the most popular for developers is to obtain up to 2 percent additional Gross Floor Area when they achieve higher Green Mark ratings for new developments.
For older buildings, BCA also provides support to building owners to co-fund up to 50 percent of the energy efficiency retrofit cost. We’ve seen that retrofitted commercial buildings can benefit from an increase in their capital value of about 2 percent.
This is proof that profit and eco-consciousness can go hand-in-hand for green real estate.
The rise of green-minded tenants
It’s not just developers embracing sustainability; increasingly, green real estate is driven by tenants. Businesses which strongly advocate corporate social responsibility are increasingly expecting a better indoor environment, lower operating costs and enhanced market value for their spaces.
Once again, governments can help boost demand for sustainable buildings by extending green building certifications to tenants. In Singapore, the public sector champions this by leasing office spaces only from buildings which are at least certified Green Mark GoldPLUS. Public sector events are also required to be held in Green Mark-certified venues.
Real estate intermediaries are also stepping up to meet such demands. Through green leases and green facilities management, they now offer prospective building tenants a way to differentiate themselves by making a positive commitment to the environment, without undermining the viability of their business.
However, there’s a flipside to this as more buildings meet green standards, the additional value these currently provide is likely to decrease. To truly reflect the advantages offered by green buildings, more efforts by real estate appraisers will be required on how best to capture the value of green attributes.
All of this is just the start of a long-term sustainability commitment. The next challenge for cities is to ensure that green building practices are self-sustaining. A critical factor is to have a business environment that values green spaces and the people who created them.
Building for the future
Regulation will have huge impact on the future of green real estate around the world. Following the Paris agreement which came into force on 4 November 2016, sustainability regulations will become even more relevant to global real estate investors. For example, in the European Union, cities will be going beyond just greening buildings, to having net-zero buildings as a regulatory requirement.
Jurisdictions will also be created to mandate public disclosure of building energy use data, further intertwining energy use into decision-making on leasing and investment.
Stepping out of the “business as usual” approach may appear daunting, but with strong industry leadership and greater collaboration among all stakeholders, coupled with a forward-looking mandatory framework, the road to having “future-ready” green buildings and cities is a promising one.
This article by Ang Kian Seng, group director (Environmental Sustainability) at the Building and Construction Authority in Singapore, appeared in <a href="https://www.jllrealviews.com/viewpoint/why-green-real-estate-is-the-way-forward/" target="_blank">JLL Real Views</a>.
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Why green real estate is the way forward

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Former veteran CBRE agent Rick Butler has refuted CBRE's claims that he and his company, Richard Butler Property Advisors had allegedly "conducted business that breached confidentiality agreements with CBRE".
It was his first comments since it emerged last week that CBRE has commenced legal action seeking "substantial damages."
Despite being at the firm for 27 years, Mr Butler said he was actually retrenched in August last year.
He said he had always complied with all of his obligations to CBRE during and after his employment and would be defending his reputation.
"At 66 it's encouraging that a giant international corporation like CBRE now sees me as a threat," he told The Australian Financial Review 
"I'm grateful for the support of many clients.
"In my time at CBRE we were never afraid of competition and I'm not afraid of it now.
"Legal action will in no way distract me from my work," he said. 
CBRE has stood by its claims, the paper advised.
"We are confident in the strength of our case and we are prepared to proceed through the complete legal process to achieve a successful outcome," a spokesperson said. 
Butler, one of Australia's leading real estate agents and CBRE's lead conduit to offshore capital, left the firm last year.
It is understood CBRE commenced the legal battle last Wednesday, issuing a notice to Mr Butler and his company's lawyers, with plans to resolve the dispute through mediation and arbitration.
"Former CBRE agent, Rick Butler (now of Rick Butler Property Advisers Pty Ltd) provided advisory services to CBRE in 2016 which required that he and RBPA comply with contractual obligations relating to confidentiality, utmost good faith and fidelity, and acting in the best interest of CBRE," the company said in a statement. 
"In November 2016, a number of individuals, including Josh Cullen, tendered their resignations from CBRE to join RBPA."
 "CBRE has today taken the first steps in commencing action against RBPA and Rick Butler in relation to these events.
"These actions leave CBRE no alternative but to seek substantial damages."
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Lawyered up CBRE Australia sees veteran Rick Butler as a "threat"   

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Melbourne has no bubble and its apartment market was not even close to reaching an oversupply, according to Charter Keck Cramer research director, Robert Papaleo.
He says there has been misinformation surrounding the issue.
“The structural tailwinds supporting Melbourne apartment market outweigh the cyclical headwinds,” Papaleo told attendees at the recent Australian Property Institute and REIV’s State of the Market 2017 State of Market conference.
“There is no apartment supply bubble and oversupply is not imminent.
"Melbourne is experiencing unprecedented supply but it not oversupplied,”
Papaleo said Melbourne’s housing market is performing strongly because it is at a 30% discount to Sydney, compared to 15% cheaper in 2011.
“This will drive more migration to Melbourne," said Papaleo who added that Melbourne remains attractive to international students.
He said that one year ago, 24,000 apartments were expected to be completed in 2017 across metropolitan Melbourne, but the latest figures suggest 16,000 apartments are now expected to completed.
“We are heading towards a situation where 16,000 apartments a year will be completed over the new few years to 2020."
It comes off the supply peak of 19,000 apartments in 2016, he said.
“Oversupply is not evident in the market.
"Two years ago, in 2015, 9,000 apartments were sold across Melbourne’s Central City Region.
"In 2016, 6,000 apartments were sold; despite the fall it was still a good result.
"And developers are holding back supply,” he said.
“Obviously, if interest rates move, there will be an impact on that price growth.
"What we are seeing at the moment, though, is the Melbourne housing market is truly reflecting its attractiveness to local investors, local owner occupiers, as well as, in particular segments – such as the apartment sector as well as the greenfield market – international investors as well as interstate investors continue to see relative value in Melbourne prices compared to the places that capital is coming from, whether that be Sydney, or whether that be Singapore,” he said, as reported by Australian Property Journal.
 
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At 30 percent cheaper than Sydney, Melbourne has apartment advantage without oversupply or bubble: Charter Keck

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GUEST OBSERVER
We’ve discussed the changing attitudes towards the amount of backyard inner city buyers prefer. 
We found that the ‘sweet spot’ in the ratio of internal space to land size for period terraces was between 1:0.3 to 1:0.47, however this was likely skewed by larger properties bought by the extremely wealthy. For this section of the market, the focus 
is on creating a dream sanctuary with the largest block size. Here, where space is no longer a luxury but a given, swimming pools are a common addition to backyards. 
As Melbourne skinny dips in and out of summer’s hottest days, Secret Agent thought we’d revisit our research on these cool inner city retreats to find out the value created by having a pool in your house. 
We looked at ten suburbs in Melbourne’s inner East and South East: Kew, Hawthorn, Hawthorn East, Toorak, Kooyong, Armadale, Malvern, Glen Iris, Camberwell and Brighton. The study was limited to only include three to five bedroom houses for a more realistic representation of a pool’s value. 
On average, a swimming pool added between 10% and 16% to the value of a house, with the lowest expected value created being approximately $140,000.
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However, this varied between suburbs, from as low as 6% in Camberwell, up to 35% in Hawthorn East. In Kew, houses that featured a pool were expected to sell for $450,000 more, which is a premium of about 30%. In Hawthorn, a pool is expected to only add $180,000 (11%) to the value of a property. 
There are a few explanations for the differences in added value. For example, a big house may have other extensive renovations aside from a pool; such as a cellar, theatre room, tennis courts and sculptured gardens. Additionally, the number of car spaces and the school zoning would have an impact on sale price. 
A swimming pool can be a wonderful addition and a good investment despite its seemingly high upfront costs, since the lowest expected value it can create is around $140,000. Much more than just dollars and cents, a pool satisfies our natural, instinctive need to be close to water. 
For more information, <a href="https://secretagent.com.au/">click here</a>.
 
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Pools add at least $140,000 in value: Secret Agent

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GUEST OBSERVER
Smart cities create a symbiosis between information, the Internet of Things and technologies to make better decisions and provide desired services. 
These cities map community preferences to improve services and infrastructure including public transport, libraries and waste services. 
They use sensors, Bluetooth and iPhones to track conditions and activities and send awareness messages ahead of emerging problems and disasters.
Smart cities integrate businesses in an expanding global innovation network. They do much more than creating a single great product or industry to stay ahead of the innovation curve. They develop visioning initiatives to create their preferred futures.
But making products that “change the world” does help keep locations in the news. Hyperloop systems to increase the speed and lower the cost of travel are synonymous with Californian innovators. Augmented reality glasses that will remove the need to work at your PC put New York developers in the spotlight. Singapore is known for its digital economy and driverless taxis.
Smart cities cannot afford to be complacent about their achievements. If they stand still, they will soon be overtaken by further innovation.
Digital disrupter Uber plans to add driverless cars to its ride-sharing network. The next innovative mode of travel around smart cities will be autonomous aerial vehicles – drones and quadcopters. Dubai plans to have passenger drones up and running within months.
How can cities stay ahead of the curve?
For futurist Sohail Inayatullah, progressive innovation is empowering (increasing inclusion), nature-based (learning from, protecting and often enhancing through new technologies) and purposeful.
Mayors, CEOs and leaders create a progressive culture that attracts and retains talented staff. Smart organisations improve staff skills and design reflective spaces. They provide a healthy lifestyle culture supported by excellent pay and conditions.
They also encourage employees to participate in innovation hubs, city labs, maker spaces, universities and business start-ups, and via shared platforms with Creative Commons licences.
California’s high-tech companies – Apple, Facebook, Yahoo, Netflix, eBay, Tesla and the like – gain product feedback from customers and New York financiers every year at CES in Las Vegas. CES 2017 displayed TVs with 2.5mm screens that vibrate to make sound, holographic displays, eye-tracking phones and an electric car that accelerates from 0-59km per hour in 2.39 seconds. While products on display were designed in US cities, global suppliers made many of them.
Cities also stay ahead of the innovation curve through the actions of industry leaders who promote the diversity and stability of local workforces. In 2008, US smart cities benefited from the support of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who testified to the importance of hiring foreigners.
Microsoft, along with Amazon and Expedia, again supported Washington State in 2017 by testifying against US President Donald Trump’s immigration ban. In a joint message of co-operative governance to protect global relationships, 16 US attorneys-general rallied against the presidential executive order denying entry to citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries. They rejected the immigration ban for undermining national security and America’s core values as a “nation of immigrants”.
Separating reality from hype
Smart city “reality” is about co-creation at the fastest rate in history. This relies on physical and digital connectivity, openness to global markets and high-speed internet. By 2020, Australians will enjoy a 5G wireless internet service with speeds 100 times fast than the current NBN.
High-speed connectivity is needed to support virtual reality and rich entertainment experiences. SpaceX wants to launch 4,425 satellites, rebuilding the internet in space to create a “full and continuous global coverage”.
For leaders, smart city “reality” also means promoting their city’s unique benefits. Socially inclusive, affordable cities with liveable climates attract talented staff.
Australia’s largest city, Sydney, offers those conditions. It is a global leader in bio-tech, high-tech manufacturing. It also has some of the highest levels of sustainability and natural environmental open space in the world.
Compared to London, Sydney rates better for political stability, crime rate, cost of living and cost of rent. Sydney is similar to London in productivity, world university rankings, and health system performance.
Cities with the most advanced technology and liveability include Sydney, London, Stockholm, Seoul and Toronto.
Aligning innovation to emerging futures
Smart cities reduce hype by creating visions. Visioning imagines socially inclusive, sustainable and transformational futures and consequences before enacting them.
When delivering foresight workshops, I use the acronym SELECTFTGP – for “select futures that grow possibilities”. This seeks to encompass all systems: social, environmental, legislative, economic, cultural, technological, futures, transport, governance and political. Considering all social possibilities and impacts, before narrowing to preferred futures, helps to avoid “hype”.
The Australian government has a national Smart Cities Plan. The plan emphasises attraction of talent, accessibility, connecting high-density housing and job centres and high-quality urban design. It recommends a smart city reference group to improve stakeholder engagement, a national cities performance framework, and City Deals.
Queensland is including a Townsville City Deal in its draft regional planning framework, ShapingSEQ. The City Deal will “hard wire” ShapingSEQ through an agreed delivery mechanism for project prioritisation, funding and governance. Submissions on the draft document close March 3, 2017.
Brisbane, Gold Coast, Logan, Sunshine Coast and Geelong have applied futures studies methods to their city visioning.
Smart cities will advance across the Australian landscape when state governments legislate for cities to create and align 20-to-30-year visions to their emerging futures.
Colin Russo is futurist, University of the Sunshine Coast and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/colin-russo-267108" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Here’s what smart cities do to stay ahead

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GUEST OBSERVER 
Ferocious bidding on the right homes – despite this being the largest auction start to a year in Melbourne auction history – the market lapped it up, spat out a few and said ”feed me, feed me, give me more.”
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At 6.00 pm the James Clearance Rate on Inner Melbourne Homes was close enough to 90% – yep 90% and that was on a Super Saturday (a big test).
James Bidderman was 2.6 bidders per auction, which means that whilst around 170 bought –  an incredible 270 didn’t  – and those 270 wounded underbidders will be back next week to fight it out, against a new wave of buyers; which in turn means the market will be going up, not down, ceteris paribus (all things being equal) over the next little while.
Absolutely no surprises – the market is strong and rising.
What else would you expect the Melbourne auction market to be doing?
No really, what else would you expect of the Melbourne auction market in the current environment.
Hands up if you are expecting the market to fall in the near future?
Can we ask why?
Not because we know for sure it won’t, we just want to know why you think the market will fall anytime soon?
Why will the market bake a different cake, whilst the market ingredients remain the same?
Demand=buyers=people=population is going up and not likely to stop, until change.
Supply=homes=land is going down and not likely to change.
This is a Demand, Supply and Price Interaction outlined by economists a few centuries ago (stood the test of time), tweaked as it applies to Inner Melbourne Home Market today.
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Here are the major political parties increasing Demand/Buyers/Population policies. Google was the search function.
Liberal Party: We could not find a population policy among their key policies. 
Labour Party: We could not find a population policy among their top 100.  At least they were attempting to address the housing issue.
Greens: We found a population policy – well, it’s a commentary. But let’s be fair – at least they recognise that population is an issue. 
One Nation: They do not appear to have an easy to find population policy – they do have a migration policy that states a zero net migration. Dick Smith supports this part – No, not the boat people and Muslim commentary – the population management policy of zero net migration and infrastructure. 
None of the above is designed to be a criticism of politicians, we believe most are sincere and trying and that is not our role at James Buyer Advocates, as we see it.
Anyway back to the Demand=Buyers=Population side of the Home Market.
We hear you – what about interest rates and income and debt?
Yes, they affect (mainly at the lower levels), but the real driver is population demand, mainly from overseas.
Our belief, at the higher level, is the Inner Melbourne market has moved through the phase of infinite demand and supply interactions to a more finite one.
Our belief, at the higher level, is the Inner Melbourne market is slowly moving away from income, debt and interest rates; to an asset wealth exchange. In our opinion, assets not income are now beginning to steer the Inner Melbourne High End market.
Meaning the Inner Melbourne home-with-land market is moving to finite asset to asset transactions within any given time period and an increasing number of the interactions will only involve wealthy overseas investors, local intergenerational wealth and the occasional new-to-the-scene successful entrepreneur/very high salary earner – rather than banks, interest rates and anybody can buy a home.
Melbourne through the internationalism of its market, through Australia’s population and immigration policies (particularly the 2009 FIRB change) is in the process of becoming like Mumbai, New York, Inner London – where homes are exchanged on a different basis and with different players to mum and dad, rolling up to a bank, out to an auction and sign a contract, after they had a idea they wanted a nice house in Hawthorn last week.
Those days are well and truly gone for many and getting that way for others. That is not to say that another GFC would not have a significant effect on the Inner Melbourne market, of course it would, as debt is still involved. However, in our opinion, it would need to be as serious as that, for there to be a significant drop in prices.
Economic cataclysms are not that common and the buyers and sellers that recover best are usually the bricks’n’mortar asset rich anyway.
Our point – the logic of an Inner Melbourne homebuyer waiting for a meaningful drop in prices is, well, seemingly illogical to us.
Why will prices drop when the government and the opposition have no obvious focus on demand=buyers=population policies except full steam ahead – meaning more and more population (read more and more buyers, read more and more demand)? That is the demand side.
On the supply side it’s also just as simple.
Land and Infrastructure – they are not making it any more.
There will be no long lasting significant increase in supply in Inner Melbourne (ever again).
In fact we are losing more and more land to make more and more apartments.
As well, many buyers (local and overseas) are buying and holding and not selling – further reducing supply.
Many of these apartments are being bought by buyers on no stamp duty – so no contributions to infrastructure in the form of new taxes.
And whilst it was a bit of a joke, they are not making anymore infrastructure – it’s actually unfortunately sort of true (governments are not focussing on keeping pace anyway – they are more concerned about welfare and refugees, than new railways and regional living and immigration control).
We are not looking to suggest there should be specific changes on anything, that is for our leaders, whom we support.
All we are trying to do is outline the real issues – the real situations – so as our buying clients can make informed decisions going forward.
Noticed the increased traffic lately?  
That is demand=buyers=population increase and supply=land &amp; infrastructure decrease.
So back to the question we ask our clients/buyers – why do you think prices on good quality homes in Inner Melbourne will fall any time soon – unless there is a major change in …….. something?
Is waiting a good strategy?
Is buy-now a better strategy (if it’s the right home long term)?
Unless you see a major change in population policies, such as immigration and/or a big push to regional infrastructure or ….. something else we can’t see now, then, in our opinion at James, good homes with land will continue to rise and rise and rise in price, in the longer term future (yes of course with hiccups along the way)…….. and interest rates……Mmmm – not sure what affect they might have………. some yes……….but………. that may be history, the game may have changed?
Macro Change – will it come?
Our leaders current assessment is business wealth, turnover, profits, trade and so on is of greater community importance than owning your own home, village atmosphere, culture and so on.
They may be right, maybe its a pipe dream – personally we feel sad about that.
There is talk around the Inner Melbourne home buying market edges like monetary policy tweaking, but there is silence, a vacuum of policy about immigration and population (the real drivers) – and many buyers are just hoping things will be different, so they are not speaking up – population increase is the elephant in the room.
Hope is great, but it is action that changes things.
Are there any signs of action and change coming on a macro level?
If the Melbourne market was Canberra and buyers were kangaroos, there would be some calls for a cull – eg their would be noise in an attempt to reduce the problem – if there was going to be widespread action and change.
If the Melbourne market was the environment, many would be up in arms protesting about overgrazing and looking for strategies for change – there would be noise if there was going to be widespread action and change.
There is no noise on population issues – there will be no change in demand without you hearing the noise.
The macro noise is not there.
So Micro Change – yes you – you still have options.
1) Lie in the foetal position and give up on buying a good home.
2) Keep thinking the same ingredients will bake that different cake for you – knowing that almost every quality home has between 3 and 7 bidders up against you – and that number is increasing and your opposition is becoming better resourced (they are being forced to).
3) Or act now – do something about it – engage with a different idea in a different way – you need to make it happen. You may need to understand there is no magical wand coming from above. Maybe get some professional assistance – just a thought.
James Buyer Advocates – 5 from 5 this February month so far (for normal people/buyers) – but we were very, very picky on which properties we went after.
Suggestion to get you rolling on the MICRO.
Consider making an immediate mindset change in dealing with the population and home buying issue.
Consider moving away from focussing on saving money in the deal and buying cheap to focussing on doing what you need to do ($ prudently of course) to secure a good long term home (for you), that will last you 10-15 years and longer.
Your solutions may well be micro (you) – as macro ones simply ain’t happening anytime soon.
MAL JAMES is principal of<a href="https://www.jamesbuyeradvocates.com.au/" target="_blank" title="James Buyer Advocates" rel="nofollow"> James Buyer Advocates</a>, which advocates on behalf of buyers of property over $1 million. Mal writes auction reports, advice and in-depth market analysis on James' website.
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Let’s face a home truth – the elephant in the room – population: Mal James

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The Tennis Victoria board president Gary Clark and his psychologist wife Kaye Frankcom sold their Williamstown home of 20 years at weekend auction.
It sold for just under $4 million, after it passed in at auction.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-williamstown-124489066" target="_blank">120 Cecil Street, Williamstown</a> home had three parties bid for the renovated 1910 weatherboard.
The property had been passed in at $3.7 million through Greg Hocking Elly Partners.
The couple’s children were just five and seven when the family moved into the five-bedroom house, but they’ve left home.
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Tennis chief hits a winner with weekend Williamstown auction

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The director of economic forecaster BIS Shrapnel, Robert Mellor, said east coast property owners should not be fooled into thinking they are immune from downturns in property prices.
But he said any corrections will not be as quite so dramatic as the mining town crash.
Mellor told News Ltd that rapid property price rises could not be sustained due to the cyclic nature of the economy.
Those who have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars above the value of their property in competitive markets such as Sydney would likely see a drop in the value of their homes in the next few years, he said.
“People who have bought off the plan and those who have paid clearly inflated premiums for established homes will suffer most,” he said.
“Those who have bought 10 to 20 percent more than a property was anticipated to go for, might suffer a 10 percent loss in 12 months time.”
Mellor forecast that continued low interest rates would head off the threat of substantial mortgagee auctions in the major cities.
However, he said in the climate of heavy borrowing to meet escalating prices, there was one sector of mortgage holders who were particularly vulnerable.
“Particularly people doing interest only payments, everything for them is predicated on price growth, their investment strategy is going in for price growth,” he said.
“They may even be started to be affected by a small movement in interest rates, so they could find themselves getting into trouble.”
He said investors looking to sell in the next couple of years would likely lose money if they had not had their property long, he said.
“These abnormally buoyant conditions are not going to be sustained,” he said.
“Perth is a good example.
"Perth house prices dropped by 10 percent, thanks largely to an oversupplied market.
“Prices there are down 10 percent since December 2014, which just highlights you do not need rising interest rates to bring about a correction.
“All you need is too much supply coming on stream, which, in Perth’s case was houses."
He said a 10 percent correction by historical standards was a fairly substantial decrease.
“Even in previous recessions, it’s been rare for prices to fall more than five per cent.”
Brisbane apartment investors, and to a lesser extent their counterparts in Melbourne, are particularly at risk of heavy losses, he said, due to oversupply.
He said the Melbourne market had shown unexpected resilience, 
He expects Sydney price falls to start in late 2017 and continue into 2018.
“What you are seeing in sales activity is a market that is heavily driven by investors and that’s potentially unsustainable,” he said.
“The prices they are paying are over the top.
"A year ago I would have said the market was flattening out, and there was not a significant risk of price decline in Sydney, but if the latest data is correct, there is a risk the price correction later this year and into 2018 could be in the field of 10 percent.”
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Overpriced OTP apartment buyers will suffer most: BIS Shrapnel's Robert Mellor

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Rural and regional Australia have had a hard time of late. The economies of Sydney and Melbourne are growing, but much of the rest of their states are not. The population of regional areas is stagnating and agriculture is struggling. 
Perhaps worst of all there is a feeling that no-one in Canberra or in the booming coastal periphery cares about this. The people of Orange have apparently spoken.
Outside Sydney, behind what seems like an impervious sandstone curtain, not all is well. Even the largest towns in regional New South Wales are struggling to retain their populations and have faced difficult economic times through the present decade, although the drought years have faded away.
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Outside the big cities, many populations in regional and rural Australia are declining or static. ABS, Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2014-15, CC BY
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Agriculture still matters, for employment and exports, but mechanisation has cost jobs. Farming is still how people see rural and regional Australia, but it is certainly not the only thing.
There is more to rural Australia than agriculture, and most places have shifted away from the mass production of agricultural commodities – move over the wheat-sheep belt – towards the marketing of rural lifestyles and landscapes. Farming becomes valuable as scenery.
City people can be tempted for weekends away and old-fashioned farm stays have evolved. But that works most easily for NSW coastal towns – like Berry and Kiama – that are within striking distances of capital cities. More distant inland places have had to work a little harder to diversify.
Ironically, Orange is one of the towns that have led the way in terms of change. An enormously successful FOOD (Food of Orange District) festival has drawn in city crowds and tempted some to remain. At the other end of the state, the Tamworth Country Music Festival has grown every year and been a massive boost to regional income.
<h2>Jumpsuiting on the bandwagon</h2>
But it is probably even smaller towns that have benefited most from festivals. Most successful of all has been Parkes, otherwise simply a transport centre on the wheat and sheep plains. This week it celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Elvis Festival. 
The whim of a handful of townsfolk, one of whom later changed his name to Elvis Lennox, the festival began in a tiny way in 1993. Parkes citizens were doubtful – what had Elvis to do with rural Australia? But the local newspaper, the tourism office and the rugby club – in jumpsuited style – got on board, and the festival boomed.
Once it lasted barely a weekend. Now it lasts five days. Two hundred people came to the first festival – now there are 20,000, almost twice the town’s population. Accommodation is booked five years in advance, home hosting extends to nearby towns like Forbes and even Orange, and tents overflow on Graceland on the Green. 
The festival brings in more than A$10 million, employs many people, and has enabled even improbable local businesses to prosper. The local vet offers “Elvis costumes for the smaller dog”. The two tattoo parlours bring in new seasonal Elvis designs. Only the funeral directors appear to have failed to gain any trickle-down effects.
Certainly luck helps, but inspiration, patience and creativity – which are not only metropolitan traits – really work. Parkes now has its King’s Castle, an Elvis museum that ensures that Elvis and his famous gold lamé suit never leave town.
Where Parkes has succeeded, its neighbours have sought to follow. Trundle, once famous for having the widest main street in the country, is now more famous for its ABBA festival. Kandos, not much further from Parkes, is working hard to develop its Bob Marley Festival. 
Who will claim Leonard Cohen? Unlike Elvis, he at least had visited Australia.
<h2>Musters and other big celebrations</h2>
There is music in the air in NSW and that music is creating employment, placing and keeping some small towns on the map and simply being a source of enjoyment when, as in the drought years of earlier this century, times were particularly tough.
The annual Deni Ute Muster has spurred revival in Deniliquin. The more static Utes in the Paddock – an open-air gallery of utes mounted in a parody of Stonehenge – breathed new life into tiny Ootha. Glen Innes remembered its Celtic ancestry and constructed an impressive circle of standing stones. 
Meanwhile, the citizens of Nyngan, at the centre of Bogan Shire, are trusting that the statue of the Big Bogan (“who stands proud with his mullet, stubbies singlet and Southern Cross tattoo”) will breathe some new life into the town in the wake of the success of the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour. And who could resist Priscilla Queen of the Desert’s birthday bash at Broken Hill’s Broken Heel Festival?
But it is not only festivals. Mountain-biking trails may work just as well. Silverton has protected its heritage buildings and become a centre for the visual arts. Bowral can thank Don Bradman for growing up there. Hill End has set the pace in reviving gold panning.
None of these activities can ever effectively replace agriculture, but all have a part to play in making regional Australia a richer and more vibrant place.
Regional Australia cannot be written off. Services, tourism and the creative industries have become a vital part of the regional mix. And the smartest regions are those that have recognised this, sought diversity and flexibility, and become creative. 
On January 12, the Elvis Express will roll into town, and Parkes will celebrate 25 years of a festival that has created employment, generated income, provided a degree of pleasure in the drought years and given one town more than a reason to hope.
John Connell is professor of Human Geography, University of Sydney and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-connell-94439" target="_blank">here</a>.
Chris Gibson is director, UOW Global Challenges Program &amp; Professor of Human Geography, University of Wollongong and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-gibson-9277" target="_blank">here</a>.
Both are authors for The Conversation.
 
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Wheat, sheep or Elvis Presley? Rural Australia has had to change its tune

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVER
Most people with mental health issues in rural areas don’t seek treatment and access to mental health services is limited outside the major cities.
So rural professionals like hairdressers, bank managers, agriculture suppliers and vets have a crucial yet often overlooked role in looking after the mental health of their community.
These professionals have trusted work relationships where country people often pour out their emotions and open up to them about their problems. Training in some simple skills would allow them to approach these conversations with confidence, and contribute to improving the mental health of their communities.
Rural mental health
Rates of mental illness in rural communities are actually similar to those in metropolitan areas. However, rural people have higher rates of suicide and harmful alcohol use and about 70% of those with mental health problems do not seek treatment.
This is for a few reasons. First, there is a lack of mental health services in rural areas. In NSW for example, a quarter of people live outside major cities but 91% of psychiatrists have their main practice in a city. Second, people have difficulties accessing what specialist rural services there are due to cost (like lower rates of bulk-billing in rural areas) and distance.
And third, the stigma attached means many people may not seek help. This is especially the case in smaller communities where individuals are more visible and confidentiality may be less certain, and there is a culture of stoicism and self-reliance. All of this leads to people in rural areas being less likely to seek help – people from cities are almost twice as likely to have seen a psychologist in the last year (15%) compared with those from rural areas (8%).
Talking with ‘safe’ professionals
Rural people do often talk about their problems with “safe” professionals – professionals they already have trusted relationships with for other routine reasons. And these professionals – hairdressers, accountants, vets, teachers, agriculture suppliers – often listen to their problems.
Accountants and bank managers are good examples. A rural accounting firm once asked me to come in and train staff on how to deal with farmers who were attending meetings about finance or succession planning, and then letting it all out in a flood of tears about how stressed they were, and sometimes even their thoughts about suicide.
It can be easy to see how hairdressers too can be proxy counsellors, given the very close and trusting relationships they often have with their (especially female) clients. But their role in rural areas can be even more valuable. Some rural families may have only one car for the household, so they may only make it into town once a week. With such limited social contact, the time spent with hairdressers, grocers and early childhood nurses is very valuable in providing social support.
Supporting rural professionals
As mental health professionals we should be actively supporting these existing relationships between people who may be struggling and the “safe” professionals they already talk with. The Turnbull government’s reforms for mental health services announced in 2015 emphasised “our current ‘one-size-fits-all approach’ is not helping Australians […] as best it can”.
The reforms included moving towards a “stepped care model” where people receive varying levels of intervention and support depending on their level of need. For people struggling with emotional issues (but not a mental illness) or an actual (but unrecognised) mental illness, non-stigmatising community support where they are listened to and referred on as appropriate is exactly what they may need.
How can we support these professionals so they know what to do when someone opens up to them? There are a number of existing training programs, including the excellent Mental Health First Aid and Rural Adversity Mental Health Program.
And there is a precedent for providing such support – in the US state of Illinois hairdressers are being given training in domestic violence prevention because of the trusted relationship they have with their clients.
Some tips for supporting someone when they open up to you:
<ul>
<li>listen more than you talk</li>
<li>be non-judgemental</li>
<li>be aware of appropriate services to refer the person to</li>
<li>use open-ended questions (cannot be answered “yes” or “no”, such as “so tell me about …”)</li>
<li>encourage exercise, healthy eating, sleeping and socialising</li>
<li>be honest - be yourself</li>
<li>spend time with them</li>
<li>look after yourself.</li>
</ul>
Do not:
<ul>
<li>give advice (such as “when I am stressed, I have a glass of wine or two” or “go and have a nice flutter at the TAB, that always cheers me up”)</li>
<li>pressure them to “snap out of it”, “cheer up” or “get their act together”</li>
<li>avoid the topic</li>
<li>assume the problem will go away.</li>
</ul>
It’s important to encourage people and provide a sense of hope that “help is available”. Sometimes all they need is someone to listen.
Gene Hodgins is senior lecturer and Clinical Psychologist, Charles Sturt University and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gene-hodgins-322218" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Hairdressers in rural Australia end up being counsellors too

Developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/bottega-property-group">Bottega House</a> has secured council approval for its first Brisbane project - a $270 million luxury residential development on an absolute riverfront site in leafy St Lucia.&nbsp;

The 15-storey project, known as <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/st-lucia-by-bottega-house-180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">St Lucia by Bottega House</a> , will occupy a prime north-facing site at 178-180 Macquarie Street, directly fronting the Brisbane River in the established inner-west suburb known for its rowing clubs, golf courses and sprawling University of Queensland campus.&nbsp;

St Lucia by Bottega House will feature a suite of amenities including dedicated wellness spaces, a mineral pool and cold plunge. The project has been positioned to attract affluent owner-occupiers seeking high-quality, house-sized apartments.&nbsp;

Bottega House has been set up by co-directors Nick Malloch, Louis Mennes and Craig Marsh.

Malloch said the project drew inspiration from its Brisbane River setting and leafy inner-west surrounds, while responding to the demands of discerning locals looking to transition from freestanding homes into apartment living.&nbsp;

"With an expansive river frontage and lush green surrounds, we knew we had to create something special that reflects the natural beauty of the location while offering residents masterfully crafted homes," said Malloch.&nbsp;

"Our intent was to complement the project's quiet, private setting by introducing residences that offer a calm retreat and sanctuary from the everyday. The result is a harmonious blend of architecture, interiors and amenity that emphasises wellbeing, comfort and beauty without excess."&nbsp;

Malloch added that project consultants had been carefully selected in alignment with Bottega House's commitment to care, quality and attention to detail. The design team includes architects <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a>, interiors practice <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and landscaping by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/urbis">Urbis</a>.&nbsp;

Three-bedroom apartments are expected to start around $5 millio. Selling agents Keenan &amp; Byrne said the pricing strategy for the project was anticipated to achieve upwards of $25,500 per square metre.&nbsp;

The project's development approval this week follows the success of Bottega House's inaugural Queensland project - a 22-storey collection of full-floor sky homes at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast which included the sale of a two-storey penthouse at a record price for a beachside residence.&nbsp;

St Lucia by Bottega House is expected to launch to market in November, with construction anticipated to be completed mid 2029.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151826]

Joel Robinson

Bottega House to make Brisbane debut with St Lucia riverfront apartment development

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sherpa-property-group">Sherpa Property Group</a> is advancing its affordable apartment model into Brisbane with the acquisition of another site at Cordelia Street in South Brisbane for $27 million.

Sherpa, which has a $1.7 billion pipeline across Southeast Queensland, intends to bring a cohort of apartments exclusively for first homebuyers into its proposed 186-apartment project to be built at 2 Cordelia Street.

The Sherpa model has already been incredibly well received from their Gold Coast projects, where Sherpa Group set aside a number of apartments exclusively for first homebuyers.

The new $320 million project marks Sherpa Group's second development in Brisbane, following its $255 million Symphony project, also on Cordelia Street, which is currently under construction.

Symphony will deliver 146 apartments across 28 levels, offering a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments. With 114 already sold, construction by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/lps-group">LPS Group</a> is scheduled for completion in 2028.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7574 project_image_fid=351654]

Sherpa Founder, Christie Leet, said the company was excited to be venturing into Brisbane for its second residential project.

“We’re big believers in the future of Brisbane as we lead into the 2032 Olympics and beyond,” Leet said.

“The success of Symphony has guided us into what will be our second project and we look forward to submitting our plans with council soon so we can deliver yet another quality project to the inner city residential market.

“Our Flourish model has been very well received both in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and we’re excited to be able to offer some of these apartments again exclusively to first homebuyers to help get them into the property market.

“The model has been extraordinarily well received in our previous projects and it is something we are committed to moving forward.”

2 Cordelia Street will be designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hal-architects">HAL Architects</a> &amp; Finegrain and will include Sherpa’s signature residential amenities including pool, gym, recreation, wellness and work from home spaces.

The project will feature ground-floor commercial space, creating a vibrant amenity for residents and the surrounding community.

A development application will be lodged with Brisbane City Council in August on the code compliant site and will be launched to the market early 2027.

Sherpa acquires new site for second Brisbane apartment tower

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.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

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.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

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.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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.

&nbsp;

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.

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> 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

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.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Jonathan Chancellor

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