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Berith Park, the Wahroonga estate of the former managing director of Coca-Cola Amatil Australasia Warwick White has been listed with $15 million hopes following the family’s impending move to Dublin.
The historic 1902 Wahroonga estate comes with seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom estate on 7,583sq m with a tennis court, swimming pool, golf range and gym.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-wahroonga-123738422" target="_blank">The Billyard Avenue listing</a> has price guidance of $13.75 million to $15 million through Ray White, which would set a new Wahroonga record which stands at $9.21 million since 2014 on Water Street for <a href="https://www.belleproperty.com/selling/NSW/North-Shore-~-Upper/Wahroonga/House/2P2637-10-water-street-wahroonga-nsw-2076" target="_blank">Wairimu</a> on a 3228sq m block.
Berith Park last sold through Burns &amp; Burns agent Julia Burns for $5.59 million to Warwick White and his wife, Karen.
They bought after White returned to Sydney as managing director of Coca-Cola Amatil's Australian business.
The adjoining two vacant lots, totalling 4504 sq m, were sold to the Edney family for $3.5 million.
Berith Park had held the North Shore record for 11 years after retired bookmaker Bruce McHugh sold for $5 million to Vivian and Wendy King in 1990.
Berith Park was built by a Queensland merchant, Alfred Smith, in 1897, but was remodelled by Sir Arthur Rickard, whose presidency of the Millions Club assisted the establishment of Barnardos after World War I.
For almost two decades, Sir Arthur and his wife, Lady Nellie Rickard, resided in the Queen Anne-influenced house, a showpiece of the period that featured in a 1914 issue of the publication Building. Rickard, a big-time Pitt Street-based property developer he named the suburbs of Greenacre and Asquith donated the floral clock outside Taronga Zoo in 1928.
Following his subdivision woes in the Great Depression, it was Sydney Lord Mayor-to-be Stanley Crick who bought Berith Park in 1932, owning it until 1946.
It later became home to the Dominican Fathers, then the Dominican Sisters. 
The upper north shore record high of $11.5 million was set in 2010 by the Bremon residence in Warrawee when it was bought by oil and gas entrepreneur Jerry Ren.
The record was matched in 2012 when tech guru Daniel Petre and his wife Carolyn sold in Killara to Anita Cunliffe, wife of UBS head of investment banking Guy Fowler.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Berith Park, Wahroonga listed with $15 million hopes

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The national housing market has recorded a slight decline in median house and unit values over August 2016 according to the Residex median value index.
The falls in median values have been fairly broad-based across the country, but Perth was the weakest capital city in the month and quarter for houses.
Darwin was the weakest in the month and quarter for units.
 
The August figures are detailed in Table 1 below.
<a href="https://blog.residex.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2016-09-20-market_update_residex.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
Table 1: August 2016 Median Value Index
 <a href="https://blog.residex.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2016-09-20-market_update_residex.png"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-4467" src="https://blog.residex.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2016-09-20-market_update_residex-1024x699.png" alt="2016-09-20--market_update_residex" width="695" height="474"></a>
Source: Onthehouse.com.au
Across the nation, median house values fell by 0.86 percent in August and unit values declined by a very similar 0.87 percent.
While most regions have recorded a decline in median values in August, it is quite a different picture over the past 12 months.
Median house values have increased over the 12 months to August 2016 in most regions of the country and are 6.58 percent higher nationally. In comparison, seven of the 16 regions published in Table 1 have recorded a fall in median unit value over the past year. Nationally, median unit values have increased by 2.91% which is less than half the rate of growth of in house values.
When we look at the median house and median unit data over time, it shows that house and unit values are now below their peak in all regions. The magnitude of these declines varies significantly on a region-by-region basis as well as across different property types.
(note that Residex median values are non-revisionary and are published monthly. The methodology used to calculate median values is different to Residex’s quarterly repeat sales index).
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Perth property prices still in decline: Residex

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The Nanshan Group's co-founder son Song Jianmin has paid $7.5 million for the Keepers Cottage at 15 Old South Head Road, Vaucluse during the Golden Week festival. 
The leasehold sandstone historic cottage is set on 2600sq m of land was built in 1881 by James Barnett as the Keeper's residence of the adjacent 1818 Macquarie Lighthouse.
It sold pre-auction.
It has been updated by architect Clive Lucas. 
Leasehold owners, Carmen and Steve Davidson sold the property. The couple bought the property in 2002 for $2.52 million.
The first owner was neurosurgeon John Matheson and his wife Eve.
It is occupied on a federal government 125-year lease. 
Song Jianmin's father is one of China's richest men, Song Suowen worth $US2.5 billion. 
The Songs' company, Nanshan own the five-star Pullman Sydney Airport hotel for $84 million. 
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Vaucluse lighthouse cottage leasehold sold to Chinese buyers

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There are $5 million hopes for the Armadale home of Gallagher Jeffs architect, Tim D’Antoine, project lead on the build of Tasmania’s MONA art gallery, and his wife, Camilla, owner of homeware brand Mozi.
They worked with Daryl Pelchen Architects on the renovation and extension.
Its design features include bespoke Christopher Boots-designed lighting, an island bench decorated with antique Spanish tiles and an Agape bath designed by Patricia Urquiola.
There's also reclaimed windows from Sydney University.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-armadale-123679206" target="_blank">The five-bedroom property</a> combines an Italianate Victorian facade with a contemporary timber-clad rear extension.
It’s listed for an October 22 auction with Darren Lewenberg of Kay &amp; Burton Bayside.
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Tim D'Antoine-designed Armadale home

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/65561/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
The return of land to Indigenous custodians in Australia over the past 20 years is a dramatic shift in Australian land tenure and management. Yet this revolution has, as yet, barely touched urban Australia.
Public and policy discussion about the future of urban Australia is framed as if Indigenous people were not present, and as if cities were not built on Aboriginal land. 
What would it take to think about cities as spaces where Indigenous and non-Indigenous systems, knowledge and values co-exist? What would recognising such co-existence mean for how the future of cities is decided?
<h2>Property and racial stereotypes</h2>
As in other urbanised nations, Australian cities are one of the main engine rooms of the national economy. Wealth creation is possible because of the system of private property rights that makes cities what they are today. 
Property shapes how cities function, how they look and how we live in them. And property fragments urban environments. It chops up the landscape with titles, fences, investment portfolios, development options and planning zones. 
In places like Australia, that system of property is imposed on Indigenous lands. It entrenches non-Indigenous property rights and excludes the people from whom the land was stolen. 
Most importantly, property works against the recognition that cities, too, are Indigenous places. It is a first important reason why the revolution in land titling and management has not penetrated Australian cities.
<h2>Urban areas off limits to land rights</h2>
While more than 30% of the continent has been returned to Indigenous control, almost none of that land is in urban areas. 
In contrast to Canada and New Zealand, it is exceptionally difficult for Indigenous people to gain access to land in urban Australia. There are few opportunities for land grants, and limited chance of success in native title, as recent research shows.
A second reason is racial stereotypes. Indigenous values are able to be acknowledged in natural but not in built environments. 
Places like Kakadu, Uluru and Budj Bim are where non-Indigenous Australia is willing to value traditional custodians’ contribution, knowledge and practice. Yet Aboriginal values in the built environment are virtually invisible. 
These racial stereotypes have been held a long time. They cast Indigenous people in urban environments as “too modern” to make legitimate claims. And they cast urban environments as too modified for ongoing Indigenous cultural connection. 
In jointly managed national parks, Indigenous majorities on boards of management are now a well-established approach. Yet the idea of having Indigenous people as majority decision-makers over urban development options or metropolitan-scale strategic planning is largely unthinkable. 
This is not an Indigenous problem. It is a problem of non-Indigenous racial stereotypes and the power of property rights.
<h2>Cities are political spaces of co-existence</h2>
Cities are nonetheless places where tensions simmer about recognition, reconciliation and land justice. The Tent Embassy in Canberra is perhaps the most symbolic and is an important model for other Aboriginal actions that assert sovereignty such as in Redfern, Perth, Brisbane and during Melbourne’s “Stolenwealth Games”.
The case is similar in other countries. In Vancouver, First Nations peoples issued the City of Vancouver with an eviction notice asserting unlawful occupation of their lands. The action came after the city council threatened to forcefully remove people, many of them Aboriginal, living in a homeless camp in a city park. 
In Honolulu’s Kaka’ako district, there is a direct relationship between the number of native Hawaiians sleeping rough under tarps and the rapid gentrification of their lands by upscale housing developments. 
Canada is also the place where we find some interesting examples of urban co-existence between Indigenous peoples and settler governments. The small city of Iqaluit was declared the capital of the Nunuvat territory in 1999, one of many dimensions of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. Iqaluit is a multicultural town under an admittedly constrained form of Inuit self-governance.
In 2014, Vancouver City Council declared the Year of Reconciliation. It passed a formal declaration acknowledging that the city was:
"… founded on the traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations and that these territories were never ceded through treaty, war or surrender."
It is more than ironic that this is the same council that sought to remove the homeless camp. 
<h2>On the horizon 
</h2>
In Australia, too, some new opportunities signal possibilities for meaningful co-existence in cities. The settlement of the Noongar claim in southwest Western Australia heralds important opportunities for Noongar access to land and involvement in urban governance in the Perth metropolitan area and beyond.
Earlier this year, the Queensland parliament passed new planning legislation. It makes “valuing, protecting and promoting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, culture and tradition” a central purpose of planning.
In Victoria, a recent review of Aboriginal heritage legislation has strengthened the role and powers of traditional custodians in the protection and ownership of their cultural heritage. It makes their role in urban development increasingly important.
How any of these opportunities unfold will depend on the willingness of non-Indigenous systems of urban governance and management to shift over. Allowing genuine space for Indigenous knowledge, law and cultural perspectives on urban decision-making would surely be significant to achieving a meaningful co-existence in cities.
<h2>Imagining different urban futures</h2>
Let’s imagine how urban Australia might be different. 
Imagine if caring for country principles were at the heart of the urban development system. Imagine if the planning and design of public space recognised these are some of the only places that Aboriginal people can access a land base in the city.
Imagine if we used density and zoning tools to provide reparation for land theft and to redistribute wealth. Imagine if mainstream urban planning processes recognised continuing co-existing Indigenous methods of land governance. Imagine if we did urban development in a way that honours Indigenous histories, knowledge and relationships with those places.
Wouldn’t that be a meaningful co-existence worth striving for in Australian cities?
Libby Porter is vice-chancellor's principal research fellow and Associate Professor, RMIT University and author for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/libby-porter-300183" target="_blank">here</a>.
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How can we meaningfully recognise cities as Indigenous places?

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/65226/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Whether you live in an urban apartment or a rural homestead, your outdoor area is more than just a private space. Ecologically, a garden is another jigsaw piece in the landscape. 
Whatever their size, gardens can contribute to natural functions and processes in the local area, such as regulating water drainage, buffering the damaging effects of strong winds, or providing food and shelter for native wildlife. 
Many wildlife species survive in urban areas, but their presence and persistence depend on how specific their food and shelter needs are, how they respond to disturbances, and the quality and quantity of other green spaces in the landscape. 
For larger animals, such as birds and mammals, a home garden could become a stepping stone across an otherwise hostile urban landscape. For smaller animals, such as insects, it could be the centre of their home range.
In urban areas, where space is often limited, gardening with pollinatorsin mind is a simple way to encourage biodiversity in the backyard. And, depending on the surrounding landscape, habitat for pollinators will also be habitat for other animals.
<h2>Flowers are just the first step</h2>
Flowers produce sugar (nectar) and protein (pollen), the main diet for many adult insects and birds. Unlike other insect groups, native beelarvae develop almost exclusively on pollen collected by their parents, so flowers are essential to grow native bee populations.
There is no single best combination of flowers for wild bees. Many “plants for pollinators” lists available online are based on local experiences and rarely apply to all geographic regions. A general rule of thumb for a pollinator garden is one that produces flowers for most of the year and is built on diversity – monocultures of any single flower type or colour will suit only a very small number of generalist species.
Native plants are an ideal option for attracting native pollinator insects and birds, but many garden exotics, especially herbs, fruit and vegetable plants, are just as popular. Modern hybrid varieties should be chosen carefully, as some are bred for commercial fruit or flower traits (like size or colour), but the flowers lack the nectar or scent cues that attract pollinators looking for food. 
<h2>Build it and they will come</h2>
The structure and design of a garden can determine what wildlife species will visit or make a home. Vertical structure, built from multiple layers of different plant heights, provides more spaces for wildlife to co-exist. Small plants and shrubs provide good shelter for insects and very small birds, while larger trees will attract visits from more mobile birds and mammals. 
Large trees with rough or shedding bark that creates lots of cracks and crevices are excellent shelter for insects and small lizards. Trees that produce resins and sap flows, such as conifers, acacias and eucalypts, are also useful for some native bee and wasp species that use resin to seal their nest cells. 
Insect hotels can provide homes for insects that usually nest in dead wood. But only a small proportion of the world’s bee species are wood-nesters. About 75% of bee species dig their nests into the ground, usually in sandy, uncompacted soil, preferably on a slope that won’t get waterlogged. 
It can be difficult to build all of this into small gardens, but many pollinator insects will have home ranges of a few hundred metres, while birds and mammals can travel much further. So landscape composition can also influence the wildlife potential of an individual garden. A high proportion of paved areas can reduce the number of wild bees or native birds in the neighbourhood. Highly manicured green spaces can also have a negative effect on wild bee species. 
<h2>Disrupting the food chain</h2>
Like any ecosystem, gardens involve an intricate web of life, from the soil microbes underground to the birds in the trees. It’s easy to grab the spray bottle to kill off the dandelions and blow down the flies, but what are the knock-on effects?
Many of the animals and plants we think of as a backyard nuisance often provide services we don’t see. For example, many native wasp and fly species (even blowflies!) are pollinators as adults. And as larvae, they control many of the insect pests we see on our plants, or decompose organic wastes. Small reptiles, like geckoes and skinks, mostly feed on small insects that annoy us, like mosquitoes and midges.
Plants we think of as lawn weeds, particularly dandelions and clover, are a favourite food source for native bees and hoverflies. Aphids and scale insects also produce a sugary substance called honeydew as they suck on plants, which is an important sugar source for some beneficial insects like wasps, bees, ants and hoverflies. 
Limiting synthetic chemical use is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to enhance wildlife in gardens. Insecticides can kill beneficial insects, or affect them indirectly by disrupting their metabolism or reproductive cycles. Overuse of herbicides removes important food resources, like dandelions, that pollinators rely on if other flowers are scarce. 
There is also the potential for chemicals to work in combination and have a greater impact.
<h2>Managing gardens as ecosystems</h2>
Many wildlife don’t like regular disturbances, which is why urban areas can be intimidating environments for animals. It can be hard to balance human needs with the habitat needs of wildlife. Many actions that minimise risks for humans can have the opposite effect for wildlife. 
For example, pollinators generally prefer open grassy areas to dark forested areas. In urban environments, grassed areas are often mown regularly for human recreational and safety needs. This affects the availability of flowers for pollinators and also affects the persistence of these plant species. Mowing less often and outside peak flowering times can make a big difference for plants and pollinators. 
Similarly, large old trees are homes to myriad animals. Unless they pose a very real risk of danger to human lives, pruning overhanging branches can be better for the local ecosystem than removing the whole tree. 
Wildlife are rarely deterred by fences, so it is likely that most of the animals you see in your yard are also using your neighbours’ yards. Managing gardens as a collective landscape, rather than individual gardens, can keep wildlife happy while also enhancing neighbourhood communication.
Manu Saunders is post-doctoral research fellow (Ecology), Charles Sturt University and author for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/manu-saunders-1448" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Birds, bees and bugs: your garden is an ecosystem, and it needs looking after

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/66486/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
When Australia’s central bank moves interest rates as part of its monetary policy, it’s not just politicians who stand to lose if banks don’t follow suit. 
Retail lending markets form an integral part of the monetary policy transmission mechanism. If interest rate rises are passed on at a different rate to cuts it can adversely affect the efficacy of expansionary versus contractionary monetary policy.
In August 2016, APRA data showed the big four Australian banks held 83 percent of the home loan market (including both the owner occupier and investment categories). 
At an individual level, the ability and willingness of lenders to pass on the official interest rate cuts to borrowers depends on many factors. These include exposure to overseas funding sources, market power, the funding mix, reserves and the extent of securitisation. But it’s also clear delaying interest rate cuts can significantly impact their bottom line.
According to my analysis, the big four banks can make approximately $A8.6 million per day as a group if they do not fully pass onto borrowers a hypothetical 0.25 percent cut in the RBA’s cash rate. 
<a href="/images/2016/10/06/Screen%20Shot%202016-10-06%20at%2011.08.06%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/10/06/Screen%20Shot%202016-10-06%20at%2011.08.06%20AM.png" alt="">
More specifically, if ANZ, CBA, NAB and Westpac manage to postpone lowering their mortgage interest rates say by 10 days, they can potentially make an extra A$16, A$28, A$16 and $A26 million dollars in profits, respectively.
Previous studies on mortgages, small business loans and credit card interest rates have found significant evidence for the “rockets and feathers” hypothesis. That is, when the cash rate increases, various lending rates shoot up like rockets but when the opposite occurs they go down like feathers.
In my research I used monthly data (2000-2012) for 39 bank and non-bank financial institutions including 7 building societies, 15 Australian-owned banks, 3 foreign subsidiary banks, 13 credit unions, and 1 major mortgage broker. The research found the mortgage interest rate spread of all lenders rose after the 2008 global financial crisis, albeit to varying degrees. 
In general, the research shows most building societies and some credit unions can offer more competitive home loans than banks.
There is no significant relationship between lenders’ markups and the level of over the counter customer service since the 2008 financial crisis. This is an important observation as the mortgage spreads of larger lenders are typically higher than those of their smaller non-bank counterparts. This puts lie to the view that the relatively higher mortgage interest rates of the larger banks in Australia are justified by higher overhead costs associated with the running of their large branch networks.
Abbas Valadkhani is professor of economics, Swinburne University of Technology, and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/abbas-valadkhani-177513" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Banks make millions in delaying interest rate cuts

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GUEST OBSERVER
A 400 percent spike in days lost due to industrial disputes in the building and construction industry shows the urgent need to bring back the ABCC.   Master Builders Australia told the Senate Inquiry into the Government’s bills to bring back the ABCC that the building industry is alarmed at the worsening industrial environment on building sites since the last Senate Inquiry into the bills in February this year.   Put simply, things have not improved, and in many respects have worsened. Without the ABCC, this trend will continue and the community will keep paying more for schools, hospitals and roads.   Since February 2016 the number of days lost to industrial action in our industry has dramatically according to ABS data. The most recent data showed the construction industry as having the highest number which comprised two thirds of the national total   It is simply unacceptable. It’s the community that suffers not just from more expensive community facilities but from the economic damage as unacceptable and unlawful building union practices holds back productivity and job growth in the nation’s third largest industry.   In the past week we have seen Fair Work Building and Construction (FWBC) in the courts trying to stop rolling CFMEU stoppages targeting a contractor in Queensland. Earlier this year the union unleashed similar industrial tactics delaying construction of Commonwealth Games facilities that will cost taxpayers in the hundreds of thousands.   Recent court cases also highlight how small businesses are the victims of building union bullying. Evidence heard by the Heydon Royal Commission highlighted the plight of small building firms without a strong cop on the beat to protect them or the deep pockets necessary to take defensive legal action.   The Royal Commission also heard evidence from the Police about their inability to tackle the building unions to ensure they comply with the rule of law like normal people.
This is why, following a double dissolution election that reaffirmed the Government’s mandate to bring back the ABCC, Master Builders continues to strongly back the return of a tough cop on the beat on building sites.
Wilhelm Harnisch, chief executive officer, Master Builders Australia and can be contacted <a href="https://www.masterbuilders.com.au/" target="_blank">here</a>.
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We need a tough cop on the beat on building sites: Master Builders Australia

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/63717/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
The architecture profession perennially chides itself for being a poor advocate of the value of good design. The phenomenal rise of the Open House movement demonstrates how a simple concept – celebrating exemplary buildings by opening them free to the general public for one weekend a year – has become a successful format for such advocacy, combining entertainment and education.
Since the first Open House weekend – held in London in 1992 when 20 buildings opened their doors to the public – the Open House movement has expanded to over 30 affiliated cities world-wide. There were more than 375,000 building visits at London Open House in 2015. In Australia, Open House events now run in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart and Adelaide – with Brisbane’s on this weekend.
Though its promotional material borrows from the jargon of the real-estate industry, the Open House mission is more noble: to cultivate a knowledgeable audience for architecture and involve people in the decisions that are made about the built environment. 
The Open House format is also not entirely new. It combines aspects of the logic of the Grand Tour with its education in taste; the public institution Open Day popularised in the 20th century; and the voyeuristic pleasure and insights into everyday life provided by historic house museums.
In cities like London and New York, it is easy to explain the popularity of such an event in terms of simple tourist numbers. However, its success in other locations highlights the way it has tapped into local and repeat audiences. In my home city of Brisbane, there has been more than a five-fold increase in building visits in five years, with over 66,000 in 2015. A number of these are repeat visitors.
In most Open House programs, buildings of recognised historical value sit alongside the latest in high quality contemporary design. One of the most popular buildings at Open House London recently was Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners’ newly completed Leadenhall Building, affectionately known as the cheesegrater for its raked form. However the most popular building was George Gilbert Scott’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office Building of 1868.
Interestingly, Brisbane’s own “cheesegrater” – the ABC Centre by Richard Kirk – has been a consistently popular building each year since its inclusion in the program.
Open House also showcases the latest in sustainable design and innovative development. In 2015, Common Ground, a supportive inner-city housing initiative, and Green Square Affordable Apartments were opened in Brisbane. In Melbourne, you could see how a 75m2 Flinders Lane apartment was renovated for a family by Claire Cousins.
One of the most sought-after Open House experiences is gaining access to private houses. These are often the most difficult to get into and are still considered the jewels in the crown of the architectural profession. And just as Grand Designs has been such a success in bringing architectural content to a TV audience, it satisfies an aspirational desire to see beautiful domestic settings and how other people live. 
However this impulse is not always gratified by prestigious homes. In 2013, I visited the the Jacobi House, the Eisenmenger House, and the Chater Street Residence in suburban Brisbane. They were startling for their respective modesty in size and conception. They had all been lovingly renovated by their mid-century enthusiast owners who guided visitors through their homes as amateur experts.
The following year, inspired by this experience, I opened my own apartment in Brisbane’s Torbreck, an iconic high-rise building designed by Aubrey Job and Robert Froud and built in 1959-61. 
Like the owners of the houses, I felt compelled to showcase Torbreck’s design to a larger audience. Overwhelmingly visitors were curious to see the interiors of this otherwise inaccessible but visually prominent suburban landmark. It was delightful to witness their surprise and enchantment at the clever apartment layouts, the light-filled spaces, and the playful use of materials and colours.
One of the parallel events at Brisbane Open House that typifies the form of soft advocacy it does so well, is the Man About the House stand-up comedy and music show performed by Tim Ross and Kit Warhurst.
In this show, performed for intimate audiences in architecturally significant homes, Ross weaves stories of growing up in suburban Australia; being curious about design and buying and restoring a mid-century home in Sydney, with discussions of the architecture of the host venue. Since 2013 Ross and Warhurst have toured this show as far as London and Palm Springs. 
Ross is a self-made expert, sanctioned by the profession (he was MC at the opening of the Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale). He is also an everyman, and performs a journey of personal cultivation in a way that demonstrates the importance and value of architecture to society. 
In Ross’s most recent project Streets of Your Town, a two-part TV series that will air on the ABC next month, he takes this model to a larger audience – seeking out exemplary domestic architecture in our suburbs to reveal its quality and beauty. 
There is a larger question at stake for Ross: he wants to discover how in Australia we lost sight of an ambition for quality architecture for all - an ethos that underpinned much mid-century design - and where our suburbs are heading as a result. The series combines documentary footage, interviews with experts and residents, and Ross’s informal and humorous commentary to take the viewer on a journey of self-realisation.
A robust architectural culture needs interlocutors and the typical Open House program has grown to include parallel events including lectures, films, debates, and children’s programs.
<div class="enlarge_hint">In 2016, Melbourne Open House had a special program of lectures and films on brutalist buildings, a generally unloved form of late modernist architecture that is enjoying a new popularity at a time when many such buildings are being demolished. Brisbane and London Open House have a focus on opening offices of architecture practices to demystify the processes of architectural design.</div>
It is difficult to quantify the real success of an event such as Open House in raising the expectations of the general public for a high quality built environment – and how this might translate into tangible outcomes, such as more heritage listings, or better suburbs. Still, Victoria Thornton, the founding director of Open City and London Open House, is now undertaking an impact study that will endeavour to do just this.
However, the Open House movement demonstrates a softer form of advocacy in bringing conversations about architecture to a larger and more diverse audience.
While it does not take the place of a robust critical culture or the more direct political lobbying that professional architectural and built environment bodies undertake, it has a simple but important value in offering direct experience of buildings and a festive expansion of architectural culture.
Susan Holden is lecturer in Architecture, The University of Queensland and author for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susan-holden-291421" target="_blank">here</a>.
 
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Opening doors and minds: the Open House phenomenon

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Shippies, the 1840s Hobart hotel premises are currently for sale at Battery Point.
<img src="/images/2016/10/05/600_ships.jpg" alt="">
The property at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-hotel+leisure-tas-battery+point-502127254">29 Trumpeter Street</a> is a Hobart institution.
<img src="/images/2016/10/05/Screen%20Shot%202016-10-05%20at%201.03.50%20PM.png" alt="">
The Shipwrights Arms Hotel is tenanted for four years from 2015 with a four year option.
It has a land area of 1,460 sqm fronting three streets and is part of Hobart's history in the prestigious Battery Point area.
<img src="/images/2016/10/05/Screen%20Shot%202016-10-05%20at%201.04.46%20PM.png" alt="">
Its net rent is around $234,000 p.a.
It is offered through Knight Frank agent Ian Reed with expressions of interest closing on November 3.
<img src="/images/2016/10/03/29%20Trumpeter%20Street.jpg" alt="">
The property last sold in 2006 at $2 million. It previously sold in 1992 at $772,000.
Construction is brick with suspended timber floors and galvanised iron roof. Ceilings are plasterboard and lathe and plaster; windows are timber and aluminium. A single lift and stair well provide access to the upper level with a fire escape at the rear.
The property has two bars, commercial kitchen, extensive dining area, nine accommodation rooms and recently refurbished manager’s residence. The property also has a sealed car park with 20 spaces. 
<img src="/images/2016/10/05/Screen%20Shot%202016-10-05%20at%201.06.11%20PM.png" alt="">
The hotel's reputation is as an authentic maritime village pub, the closest thing to an old English Corner Pub.
It marketed itself as "No Pokies, No TAB, No Tofu, No Keno, No Live Music, No Bok Choy."
<a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-tas-battery+point-502119426" target="_blank">The local post office</a> is also for sale.
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Shippies, Battery Point hotel premises for sale

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.

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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.

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.

[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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