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GUEST OBSERVATION
Last month, Canadian-American architect <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Gehry" target="_blank">Frank Gehry</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/oct/24/frank-gehry-journalist-finger-architecture-shit" target="_blank">delivered</a> a defiant middle finger to a Spanish journalist who asked if his designs were “just about spectacle”.
It’s a criticism that has dogged Gehry and his iconic buildings – that they are more sculpture than architecture, that they are “logotecture” perfect for branding purposes.
In Spain, Gehry was adamant: "In this world we are living in, 98% of everything that is built and designed today is pure shit."
So will the new $180 million <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/partners-and-community/initiatives/city-campus-master-plan/projects-progress/dr-chau-chak-wing" target="_blank">Dr Chau Chak Wing Building</a> at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), become a cultural icon putting UTS on the world map of tertiary institutions? Or will it instead foist another eyesore on Sydney to rival its brutalist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTS_Tower" target="_blank">UTS Tower</a>?
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A model of architect Frank Gehry’s Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology building in Sydney. AAP/Gehry Partners, LLP
Iconic buildings are <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-more-soft-power-than-ever-but-can-we-keep-it-20698" target="_blank">recognised</a> cultural indicators of <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-more-soft-power-than-ever-but-can-we-keep-it-20698" target="_blank">soft power</a>. Every one of his clients is after the Gehry-icon effect. But with any Gehry building that’s pushed the limits comes controversy.
Back in 2012, columnist Mike Carlton dubbed it “a rain-sodden clump of cardboard cartons left out for a council clean-up”. Germaine Greer basically <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/jan/09/germaine-greer-frank-gehry-uts" target="_blank">called it</a> an insult to the colonial buildings which apparently inspired it.
Only recently Fairfax critic Elizabeth Farrelly <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/frank-gehrys-uts-building-is-no-opera-house-20140709-zt144" target="_blank">said</a> it was “bad Gaudi”.
But the “brown paper bag” is the Pritzker prize-winning Gehry’s first building in Australia and with the “starchitect” status come great expectations.
Professor <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/roy-green-3866" target="_blank">Roy Green</a>, Dean of the UTS Business School, set the bar high when he told the Sydney Morning Herald it would be “the second most iconic" building in Australia.
The then UTS Vice Chancellor Ross Milbourne went <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/australia/gehry-building-to-rival-opera-house-37494" target="_blank">even further</a>: "We’ve got the Opera House, and it’s hard to say we are going to beat that, but from what I’ve seen we’ll have an equally outstanding icon at this end of Sydney."
Only weeks before Gehry’s appearance in Spain, he launched <a href="https://www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr/" target="_blank">Fondation Louis Vuitton</a>, a new art museum in Paris commissioned by the billionaire head of the luxury brand LVMH, Bernard Arnault.
It sits in a park of the Bois de Boulogne, its twisting, gigantic glass sails eliciting mixed reviews: from “<a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/architecture/2014-10/frank-gehry-fondation-louis-vuitton-arts-center-article" target="_blank">masterful</a>” and a “radiant tour de force” to “<a href="http:/mg.co.za/print2014-10-24-frank-gehrys-architecture-of-over-indulgence" target="_blank">architecture of over-indulgence</a>” and “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/oct/21/frank-gehry-fondation-louis-vuitton-shows-he-doesn%E2%80%99t-know-when-to-stop" target="_blank">he doesn’t know when to stop</a>”.
The 85-year-old Gehry has no intention of stopping.
<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/08/architecture-survey-201008" target="_blank">Anointed</a> “the greatest architect we have today” by the late godfather of modern architecture Philip Johnson, he is busier than ever, with his first London project – the futuristic <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/554700/new-images-released-of-foster-and-gehry-s-battersea-power-station-designs" target="_blank">Battersea power station apartments</a> to Germany’s tallest residential tower in Berlin, the new Facebook headquarters and other projects from Abu Dhabi to Venezuela.
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It all began back in the 80s when the obscure industrial town of Bilbao proposed building a <a href="https://www.guggenheim.org/bilbao" target="_blank">Guggenheim museum</a> and giving Frank Gehry free reign.
As Frank Gehry <a href="https://newsroom.uts.edu.au/news/2011/02/frank-gehry-in-conversation">told</a> a public meeting at UTS in 2011, what they really wanted was an architectural icon that would pay dividends.
"They asked for the Sydney Opera House, they said they wanted it and the Minister of Commerce and the President of the Basque region said it was a business decision and they wanted to achieve what the Sydney Opera House achieved."
He delivered a titanium surrealist structure that shocked the locals:
"In Bilbao they wanted to kill me – in the paper they said kill the American. I was worried. I thought they meant it."
According to Johnson, Guggenheim Bilbao “is the greatest building of our time”.
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Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Wikimedia Commons
In the lead up to its official launch with Frank Gehry in February, UTS has been hosting VIP tours showcasing its jewel in the crown.
I was on the same tour as Don Bianchino of <a href="https://bianchinoassociates.com.au/" target="_blank">Bianchino &amp; Associates</a>, a Sydney-based architectural and design firm. The building, he told me, was “better in the flesh”:
"I think at the end it will be a breath of fresh air. I don’t think I could personally describe this building as a refined elegant building; it’s quite crude in some ways, but that’s what makes it iconic or will be iconic I think."
At a cost of $180 million it averages at about $9,780 a square metre. Bianchino says you can build a good quality commercial building for around $6,000 and a residential one for about $3,000 per square metre. He thinks this is the sort of building only an academic institution can afford.
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Gehry’s Dr Chau Chak Wing Building in Sydney, under construction. Author
In an interview commissioned three years ago by UTS for their archives, Gehry said most of the buildings that business occupies are counterproductive to the results they demand.
"The building is a straight-jacket. Most commercial buildings are pro forma; in my experience there has been a fear of exploring the unknown and risk … but (this) leads to banal buildings you see all over the world since the war and can pick them out, the same version ad nausem."
The link between the built environment and performance is a growing area of research by architects and neuroscientists.
This year’s <a href="https://www.anfarch.org/news/nobel-prize-research-previewed-at-anfa-2014/" target="_blank">Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine</a> was shared by researchers who discovered cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain, an important bridge between the two disciplines.
Perhaps Frank Gehry knows something the rest of us don’t.
At one point in the VIP tour “Frank’s fingerprint” is pointed out, a Dr Seuss-like sharp curve in the brickwork where Gehry pinched the model to get it just right.
Whatever future generations might think of the building, Don Bianchino says:
"I think the engineering and the build-ability of the design is something that we marvel at – how the hell did they do this?"
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/30364/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Helen Vatsikopoulos is a lecturer in journalism at <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/" target="_blank">University of Technology, Sydney</a>.
Helen worked at both SBS and ABC 1 and the Australia Network for 26 years as a reporter, producer, presenter and won the Walkley Award for Best International Report 1992.  
She is currently making a documentary on the Dr Chau Chak Wing building for the ABC and BBC with Essential Media.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
Feature photo: Andrew Worssam
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Iconic building alert: Waiting for the Frank Gehry effect in Sydney

Victorian politicians' $136 million of property: What hope is there of housing policy reform?

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Under changes proposed by the government, financial planners will be required to register with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission from next March. They will need to provide details of their educational qualifications, experience and any complaints lodged by clients.
The government has made determined efforts to wind back red tape through the amendments to the Future of Financial Advice reforms. However, a register will just create further compliance requirements without being of much benefit for clients. Until reforms are made to better align interests between adviser and clients, we will not see any real change within the industry.
A register is unlikely to weed out rogue advisers
A register is unlikely to overcome the problem of identifying “rogue advisers”. This issue has continued to plague the industry because of the failure by ASIC and financial services firms to tackle the systemic conflicts of interests between planners and clients. The successful performance of individual planners is still directly related to a product sales culture.
While the register is a step in the right direction, it will be valueless without strict registration requirements and enforcement. Currently, the registration requirements are vague and the corresponding penalties for any breach are very unclear.
If removal from the register is the only penalty, it may give the impression the government is assuring the community that registered advisers can be trusted to give appropriate advice. This is unlikely to actually be the case.
Challenges to industry reform
The difficulty for clients is finding an adviser who is committed to their best interests. No legislation, education qualifications or experience can overcome a culture of “product selling”.
What is needed is a client-centred industry. Both individual advisers and their organisations need to work in a culture where ethics and professionalism are valued, maintained and delivered. This requires a huge cultural shift from product advice to strategy advice.
While education goes part of the way in achieving this goal, fundamentally this must come from the licensees and advisers themselves. The problem is complicated by six large licensees controlling 80% of the financial advice industry. Many clients fail to appreciate that if you seek advice from one of these large institutions, most likely your funds will be placed in their internally branded products.
The industry is further complicated by the variety of individuals giving unregulated financial advice. In direct real estate investing, advice on gearing, investment returns and taxation is often freely given with little controls or oversight.
The proposed register will not overcome this problem since real estate salespersons are not considered financial advisers and are not included in its scope.
So is it possible to gain truly independent and transparent advice? In the current environment this is difficult and perhaps word of mouth and personal recommendation is still the client’s best friend.
When a registration system works
There are examples of registers that have been successful in improving standards across an industry. The Tax Agents Register is administered by the Tax Practitioners Board and has very specific education and professional registration requirements. Registration must be renewed every three years.
Tax agents must provide evidence of professional indemnity insurance and the professional development undertaken during the period to maintain their registration. Any non-compliance results in removal from the register and hence the inability to practise.
A similar regime would need to be applied to the financial planner register if it is to have any credibility.
Current indications are that the register will include any complaints or offences committed by the adviser. However, what the industry needs is for these advisers to be struck off the register and unable to practise.
The whole success of the register will also be dependent on the funding and resources allocated to ASIC to monitor and continually update the register. Without ASIC’s active involvement, the register will not be credible and is likely to become a “toothless tiger”. What consumers don’t need is just another list of financial advisers which offers no real value.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/33471/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Sharon Taylor is senior lecturer at <a href="https://www.uws.edu.au/" target="_blank">University of Western Sydney</a><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-western-sydney"></a>.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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National financial planning register will just list problem, not solve it

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GUEST OBSERVATION
At the Australian Institute of Architecture’s 2014 <a href="https://architecture.com.au/events/national/awards/national-awards">National Architecture Awards</a> in Darwin last night, a total of 43 awards and commendations were given across 13 categories by five jurors, chosen from 56 projects shortlisted across eight states and territories from a total of 153 eligible projects.
So in this “best of the best”, as the jury put it, what are some of the emerging themes and trends?
The buildings speak for themselves. They will endure, adapt, change and weather, each in its own way, as all good architecture does. My interest here is in how the profession presents itself, how it fronts up to its constituencies.
In the words of the jury – chaired by Paul Berkemeier – accompanying each award, the language is telling and marked here in quotation marks. It reveals what seems to matter most to architects today, what they value, how they wish to be portrayed and how they see their role and contribution.
Various themes are at work in the jury citations.
Themes
One theme is “aesthetic” and praises the award-winning buildings largely in terms of power (bold, strong, giant, muscular, massive, grand, robust, daring, dramatic); another is “character” (thoughtful, original, visionary, inspired, refined, confident, joyful, playful, whimsical, theatrical, extroverted, modest, timeless, poetic, unassuming, delicate, authoritative, exuberant, sensitive, elegant, adventurous, expressive, rich, beautiful, delightful, humble, efficient, thorough, rigorous, intellectual); yet another is “experience” (exciting, striking, thrilling, vibrant, mesmerising, shimmering, evocative).
Significantly, “bold” and “playful” predominate.
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Winner of the Lachlan Macquarie Award for Heritage – Eternity Playhouse by TZG. AIA/ Brett Boardman
Skills
Another theme highlights the skills architects wish to be known for, the capacities they claim as expertise: ingenuity, cleverness, care, imagination, restraint, thoughtfulness, considerateness, subtlety, seduction, discreteness, grace, gentleness, craft, care, ambitiousness, resourcefulness, playfulness, passion, commitment, tenacity.
Projects succeed variously by being cleverly manipulated, adroitly transformed, artfully curated, intelligently arranged, sensitively handled or delicately manoeuvred.
There is widespread valorisation of a “limited palette” of materials, implying that luxury comes through scarcity and paucity, where “a strong singular idea and a restrained material palette can lead to a rich architectural outcome”.
This particular value system, with self-evident moral overtones, is consistent in both the language of citations and the materiality of the projects themselves: raw, restrained yet rich material palette; soft material palette; modest but sensitive palette of materials; Brutalist approach to material selection; restraint and thoughtfulness in the choice of materials.
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The former Rocks Police Station by Welsh &amp; Major Architects was awarded the National Commendation for Heritage. AIA/ Katherine Lu
Much value is given to architecture’s recuperative function, its role in preserving or “<a href="https://theconversation.com/national-architecture-awards-2014-lets-look-at-the-heritage-finalists-31964">repurposing</a>” historical built fabrics; renewing environments and settings; “finding new uses” for neglected buildings; engaging “rich local history” or “helping to protect, manage and preserve endangered landscapes”.
Among the subjects of this “loving preservation and reinvention” was the former Rocks Police Station in George Street, Sydney, by <a href="https://www.welshmajor.com/">Welsh &amp; Major Architects</a> which received the National Commendation for Heritage with an adaptation for use as a café.
And the <a href="https://www.darlinghursttheatre.com/eternity-playhouse">Eternity Playhouse</a> in Darlinghurst by <a href="https://www.tzg.com.au/">Tonkin Zulaikha Greer</a> (TZG) won the Lachlan Macquarie Award for Heritage.
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Transformation and education
Another pervasive theme makes claims about architecture’s transformative, didactic role of indicating and educating, leading by example, promoting innovation and pushing boundaries.
A notable trend across the awarded projects is the move to enlightened hybrid programming that is adding value to the national intellectual, research and civic endeavour.
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Awarded a National Award for Public Architecture, the Dandenong Mental Health Facility – Bates Smart Whitefield McQueen Irwin Alsop Joint Venture. AIA/ John Gollings
Such mixed programs are devised through the initiative of far-sighted institutional and private partnerships, often including architects who are well placed to devise, model and test new typologies equal to the challenge.
Projects such as the <a href="https://www.plantbank.org.au/">Australian PlantBank</a> (main image) by <a href="https://www.donovanhill.com.au/">BVN Donovan Hill</a> in Mount Annan (NSW), which won a National Award for Public Architecture, combines research institute, seed repository, museum and public building.
Also recognised with a National Award for Public Architecture was the Dandenong Mental Health Facility (VIC) by <a href="https://www.batessmart.com.au/">Bates Smart</a> (above), which “reinvents” the familiar institutional typology by recasting it in domestic scale around care and therapeutics.
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Winner of the National Award for Residential Architecture – Oxlade Drive House by James Russell Architect. AIA/ Toby Scott
The Oxlade Drive House in Queensland by <a href="https://jrarch.com.au/">James Russell Architect</a>, which won the National Award for Residential Architecture, creates a new “prototype for the suburban typology”.
The Commons by <a href="https://www.breathe.com.au/">Breathe Architecture</a> in Melbourne, which “revolutionises apartment living in Australia”, was awarded the Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture, and congratulated for “eliminating what the ‘market’ insists is necessary in multi-residential design”.
Celebration
The most recurrent term casts architecture in quasi-religious light: the key word is “celebration”.
Hence a building “celebrates its spectacular waterfront location”, “celebrates the horizon”, “celebrates beach culture”, “celebrates the hedonism of Bondi life”, “celebrates the use of the verandah in vernacular Queensland architecture”, “celebrates a building’s former life”, “celebrates the terrace and wonderful view”, “glows in celebratory fashion like a lantern on the beach".
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The Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture was awarded to The Commons by Breathe Architecture. AIA/ Urban Angles
Architecture’s defining fact is that it “celebrates … the whole theatre of it all". Yet celebration originates with the Latin mass and means “to assemble (in great numbers) to honour or sing the praises of”.
This turn of phrase, “celebration”, serves as an indicative subtext for an architecture of restraint and self-effacement.
An architecture that functions as a neutral setting, enabling what lies properly outside of it – that is, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifeworld">lifeworld</a> – to be noticed, solicited and experienced.
Michael Tawa is professor of architecture at University of Sydney<a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney"></a>.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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What the National Architecture Awards tell us about architects

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GUEST OBSERVATION
A small group of people is gathered around a campfire in a Victorian State Forest. Members of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TinyHousesAustralia" target="_blank">Tiny Houses Australia community</a>, they’re attending a spring camp to talk about how to build a tiny house, and compare notes on how to address common barriers, like local government planning schemes.
The group is diverse, from students to professionals and retirees. One has been living temporarily in caravans. Others were forced to move into shared accommodation or board with family. Most have given up on the idea of buying their own home, put off by the high price tag or the size of the mortgage, or the downside of living far from family or employment.
Most of the group are also fierce promoters of a more sustainable, minimalist way of life who want their new houses to reflect this. You won’t find many en suites or walk-in wardrobes in their floor plans.
Is bigger really better?
Something is wrong when <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/25372224/170k-family-priced-out-of-perth/" target="_blank">a professional earning A$170,000</a> cannot afford to live close to work; or <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/property/firsthome-crisis-triggers-call-for-action-20131115-2xmcv" target="_blank">a doctor needs a parental loan</a> to buy a house. All 25 major urban housing markets in Australia are ranked as <a href="https://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf" target="_blank">severely unaffordable</a>; and Australia has the <a href="https://www.imf.org/external/research/housing/index.htm" target="_blank">second most unaffordable</a> housing market among member nations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Australian houses are also <a href="https://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf" target="_blank">among the largest</a> in the OECD. In 2008, the average new house was 214 square metres, double the size of an average 1950s house. Very large houses are not only more expensive, but environmentally unsustainable. For example, the major factors that determine a house’s greenhouse gas emissions are its size and location; the bigger and more isolated the house, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10901-011-9212-2#page-1" target="_blank">the larger its emissions</a>.
For many, particularly young people entering the market and older people leaving the workforce, the “great Australian dream” of a big house on a quarter-acre block is a distant fantasy. And even for those who are living the dream, a sudden interest-rate rise, job loss or chronic illness could rapidly turn it into a nightmare.
Regardless of the debate over whether we’re in a <a href="https://theconversation.com/memo-to-the-imf-there-is-no-housing-bubble-27925" target="_blank">housing bubble</a>, the affordability problem is much broader than property prices. The most serious issue is the lack of affordable <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8462.2008.00502.x/full" target="_blank">rental accommodation</a>.
Finding sanctuary in a tiny house
From this backdrop has emerged a trend towards <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-09/tiny-houses-big-with-u-s-owners-seeking-economic-freedom" target="_blank">building much smaller houses</a>. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_house_movement" target="_blank">tiny house movement</a> originated in the United States in the late 1990s, largely in response to problems with housing affordability, although it has also been spurred on by the <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/global-financial-crisis" target="_blank">global financial crisis</a> and a widespread desire to live more sustainably. The movement has now spread to New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
Tiny houses are generally smaller than 40 square metres, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/beautiful-tiny-homes-2014-8#this-60-square-foot-home-is-the-smallest-house-in-the-uk-16" target="_blank">can take many forms</a>, from granny flats, to repurposed shipping containers, to <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/03/21/tiny-house-on-wheels-abbotsford_n_5003376" target="_blank">complete houses built on trailers</a>.
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Room to manoeuvre: some tiny houses have wheels - just don’t call them caravans. The Tiny Abode Co., Author provided
The benefits of tiny houses include <a href="https://tinyhousebuild.com/tiny-houses-infographic">overall sustainability</a>, reduced energy and water use (tiny houses are often “off the grid”) and, of course, affordability. Some tiny houses can cost less than A$10,000. Moreover, they <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1162/1088198054084680/abstract">use significantly less resources</a> to build, and are often constructed from salvaged materials or sustainably sourced products.
Mobile tiny houses could even help their inhabitants adapt to climate change; a house on wheels can be moved out of danger from floods or storm surges. They can allow adult children or aged parents to live independently, yet maintain access to family, employment and public transport.
Tiny houses can even address aspects of homelessness. In the United States, some local governments are donating land for <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/27/greensboro-north-carolina-tiny-homes_n_6054590?ir=Impact" target="_blank">homeless people to build their own tiny homes</a>.
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The biggest issues with a tiny house
Although <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TinyHouseBlog" target="_blank">information is plentiful</a> on building techniques, plans and design, it is not very easy to build a tiny house. However, as attendees at the Spring Camp agreed, perhaps the biggest problem with building a tiny house is finding a place to put it.
Tiny houses do not conform to many <a href="https://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/01/07/a-city-looks-for-big-solutions-in-a-little-very-little-house" target="_blank">local government planning schemes</a> or building codes, which mandate minimum house sizes, maximum number of houses per plot, connection to utilities, parking provisions, and restrictions on temporary occupation.
It might also be argued that allowing tiny houses will reduce land values and lead to health and safety concerns, such as overcrowding. But people currently live in crowded conditions or illegally in sheds or caravans.
Some states, such as New South Wales, allow property owners to build <a href="https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Portals/0/plansforaction/affordablehousing/docs/Affordable%20Housing_Fact_Granny%20Flats.pdf" target="_blank">granny flats</a>. In other states, the regulations differ between and within each local government, although almost almost all have restrictions on the duration of temporary occupation.
For non property-owners, particularly those who don’t want to take any legal risks, the options are fewer. And of course, local governments can and should impose planning restrictions on tiny houses, and ensure that they comply with building codes and standards.
Tiny houses are not for everyone. They will probably <a href="https://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&amp;recordOId=4196241&amp;fileOId=4196242">always remain a niche market</a>, more suited to people with no children, or retirees.
Niche, yes, but for some people tiny houses could be a lifeline. Being unable to afford to buy property, fulfil mortgage commitments, or even rent a home can lead to <a href="https://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&amp;aid=1046376&amp;fileId=S0033291706009767" target="_blank">mental and physical illness</a>. In a sustainable city, everyone should be able to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0811114032000147430#.VFB38vmUd8E">access affordable housing</a>, and a tiny house is certainly better than no house at all.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/32225/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Heather Shearer is research fellow, urban research program at <a href="https://www.griffith.edu.au/" target="_blank">Griffith University</a>.
Heather is a member of the Greens Party, 350 Org and the Tiny Houses Australia Facebook Group. 
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
Feature picture courtesy of the author.
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Move over, McMansions – the tiny house movement is here

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Melbourne is one of the top cities chosen in Australia by property investors from overseas, in particular the Chinese investor. 
Last year, nearly $6 billion was spent on Australian real estate by Chinese investors and Credit Suisse predicts that Chinese nationals will spend around $44 billion on Australian residential real estate over the next seven years. 
Therefore, as more and more Chinese investors cast their eyes towards investing in Melbourne, it will pay to ensure that the real estate agent who is selling your property has a good understanding of, and is well networked with this lucrative buyer market.
Helping to attract wealthy Chinese to Australian shores is the Australian government’s new visa system – the significant investor visa.  Over 90% of the people who have <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-29611137" target="_blank">successfully applied for this visa are Chinese</a>. 
Melbourne already has a large Chinese population. In fact, <a href="https://chinatownmelbourne.com.au/about-chinatown/" target="_blank">Melbourne has the oldest Chinatown in the world</a>, outside of China, and its Chinese population continues to grow steadily and gravitate towards specific areas, with one example <a href="/news">Bentleigh</a>, in Melbourne’s south-east. Over the past three years the Chinese population in Bentleigh has flourished and grown exponentially.  
Chinese buyers heading to Australian shores value the cost of our properties (Australia is still relatively cheap compared to a lot of cities around the world), our good education system, quality of life, public security and clean air. Bentleigh’s attraction to the Chinese buyer lies primarily in its good schools, but also in the attractive large and modern houses it has to offer.
The suburb features a number of excellent primary schools, and is in the catchment area for one of the best public schools in the area, McKinnon Secondary College. Additionally, Bentleigh is attractive to the Chinese investor for its proximity to Melbourne’s CBD (just 12 kilometres away), its good transport links and its access to the Bayside beaches.
For real estate agents operating in areas that are culturally diverse, it is important to have a team that understands the local market and therefore has the ability to effectively target prospective buyers.  Hodges works tirelessly to ensure clients get the best possible outcome for the sale of their property and this means targeting all prospective buyer groups in the local area.
Ultimately, getting the best price for a property is about maximising the number of interested buyers, so therefore given we know what we do about the Chinese investor; it would be negligent not to include them as an important stakeholder group.
It is for this reason that every Hodges Bentleigh property listing is translated into Mandarin and listed on the Gifang.com site. This means our clients are able to tap into a huge market of potential Chinese-speaking buyers that we know are actively looking to buy in Melbourne. Hodges also offers a translation service so that we can communicate with Chinese buyers in Chinese.
There is no shortage of Chinese investors in the Melbourne property market and this is great news for those selling properties in areas that are attractive to Chinese investors. As a vendor it pays to select an agent with a sound knowledge of the Chinese investor market. After all, extending the reach of a campaign to include another layer of buyers will only help to ensure the best price come auction day.
Frank Ruffo is director of <a href="https://www.hodges.com.au/hodgesbentleigh" target="_blank">Hodges Bentleigh</a>.
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Tapping into Melbourne's Chinese investor interest

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<div id="article-content">
GUEST OBSERVATION
Property investment is still the most popular and major vehicle for wealth creation in Australia.
Many Australians have most of their wealth within their family home. As many retirees have seen their superannuation fund plummet during the global financial crisis many have expressed the desire to diversify their portfolio to include direct property once again because of it's general stability and predictability.
Although it has long been the darling of the Australian investment scene, property investment is not as easy as it might first appear. It would be glib to suggest that an investor with sufficient equity in his or her own property can simply purchase an investment house, sit back and wait for the riches to pour in.
It takes a much more measured and professional approach to develop a suitable property investment strategy that reflects not just the likely financial gains, but also one that is tailored to your individual circumstances.
Many people simply jump on the web or look around their local neighborhood for another property with the idea of 'I can keep an eye on it'.
Whilst this gives emotional comfort and familiarity, it is not a scientific or business drive approach and can be an inferior decision. Each investor should consider whether they have repeatable methodology and what impact the property they are choosing will have on additional purchases.
Here are some of the elements you should consider when developing a strategy:
<ul>
<li>Asset growth projections This involves a detailed analysis of the value of investment properties in most regions of Australia and then choosing a property profile that suits your personalised budget and cash flow projections. You should not limit yourself to an area simply because you think you know it well enough. There are plenty of opportunities in all areas of Australia and only a specialist analysis can reveal these. </li>
<li>Aligning your capacity Essentially, your plan should incorporate a steady pattern of acquisition in line with your personal capacity. This means monitoring your cash flow position at every stage of your life and making adjustments so that you can continue to acquire property in line with your investment goals. There are times when you may have only one income due to family planning. </li>
<li>Arranging proper finance structures The financial market is awash with a raft of products that can be massaged and tailored to suit your individual needs. Investment loans and other products like deposit bonds can be coupled together to provide you with adequate cash to proceed with a purchase whenever your plan allows. When working with a specialist property service, finance preapprovals can be obtained to give you the peace of mind you need. </li>
<li>Administrative processing Every astute property investor knows that as your portfolio grows there is an increasing amount of troublesome paperwork that needs to be processed, not to mention tax returns and other financial reports that you need to keep a track of your investments. That's why aligning yourself with a specialist property service can take these worries out of your hands so you can get on with the tasks for which you are better equipped. </li>
<li>Tax effectiveness In line with the above points, making sure you take advantage of the taxation regime that applies to your individual financial circumstances is a vital part of any investment strategy. Property research and sourcing services are in the best position to provide you with a full suite of support options that make property investing a professional and streamlined process.</li>
</ul>
Take advantage of a specialist and professional property management service is the only way to go when it comes to managing your property investment plan.
<div>
Sam Khalil is director - marketing and development with <a href="https://www.dpn.com.au/" target="_blank">Direct Property Network</a>.
</div>
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
Direct Property Network provides clients with an end-to-end property investment solutions from selecting the right property, all the way through to settlement and beyond. We help clients establish affordable and profitable investments by researching and sourcing wholesale property.
</div>
This article first appeared on <a href="https://EzineArticles.com" target="_blank">Ezine Articles</a>.
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Developing a property investment strategy that works for you

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RBA Governor Glenn Stevens' November statement:
At its meeting today, the Board decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 2.5 per cent.
Growth in the global economy is continuing at a moderate pace. China's growth has generally been in line with policymakers' objectives, though weakening property markets there present a challenge in the near term. Commodity prices in historical terms remain high, but some of those important to Australia have declined further in recent months.
Volatility in some financial markets has picked up over the past couple of months. Overall, however, financial conditions remain very accommodative. Long-term interest rates and risk spreads remain very low. Markets still appear to be attaching a low probability to any rise in global interest rates or other adverse event over the period ahead.
In Australia, most data are consistent with moderate growth in the economy. Resources sector investment spending is starting to decline significantly, while some other areas of private demand are seeing expansion, at varying rates. Public spending is scheduled to be subdued. Overall, the Bank still expects growth to be a little below trend for the next several quarters.
Recent data on prices confirmed that inflation is running between 2 and 3 per cent, as expected, and this is likely to continue. Although some forward indicators of employment have been firming this year, the labour market has a degree of spare capacity and it will probably be some time yet before unemployment declines consistently. Hence, growth in wages is expected to remain relatively modest over the period ahead, which should keep inflation consistent with the target even with lower levels of the exchange rate.
Monetary policy remains accommodative. Interest rates are very low and have continued to edge lower over the past year or so as competition to lend has increased. Investors continue to look for higher returns in response to low rates on safe instruments. Credit growth is moderate overall, but with a further pick-up in recent months in lending to investors in housing assets. Dwelling prices have continued to rise.
The exchange rate has traded at lower levels recently, in large part reflecting the strengthening US dollar. But the Australian dollar remains above most estimates of its fundamental value, particularly given the further declines in key commodity prices in recent months. It is offering less assistance than would normally be expected in achieving balanced growth in the economy.
Looking ahead, continued accommodative monetary policy should provide support to demand and help growth to strengthen over time. Inflation is expected to be consistent with the 2–3 per cent target over the next two years.
In the Board's judgement, monetary policy is appropriately configured to foster sustainable growth in demand and inflation outcomes consistent with the target. On present indications, the most prudent course is likely to be a period of stability in interest rates.
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Dwelling prices continue to climb: Governor Glenn Stevens' November statement

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Spring is in bloom which means that many Australians are looking to buy property, but what happens if you fall in love with a home and then discover the bank won’t lend to you?  Even worse, what happens if the bank turns you down and it’s your fault?  
Here are five tips to make sure you are properly set up for that home loan.
<ol>
<li>
Check your credit file Some of my clients were recently declined by a mid-tier bank because they had a couple of gas payment defaults on their credit file.  Trouble is, this was the first that my clients knew about it because the defaults related to their old home. Thankfully, we got them approval with a Big Four lender – but it took a lot of work.    All the stress could have been avoided if they had checked their credit file before they applied for a loan. The good news is, it’s free to check your credit file, check out the details on <a href="https://www.mycreditfile.com.au/" target="_blank" title="My Credit File" style="line-height: 1.3em;">mycreditfile</a>. 
</li>
<li>
Get your savings in order Lenders like to lend to people who can show they are responsible with money.  So, they like to see money in an account for at least three months without the account holder having succumbed to the temptation of spending some of it. If say, a relative is going to help out with the deposit, then holding the cash in your account for some time before you apply for a home loan makes it so much easier. I once had a client whose family came from a developing country which was subject to quite a few UN sanctions.  His family were gifting him some money, but getting money out of this country was very difficult, so the money was appearing as odd random cash deposits made all over Australia.  It took me ages to prove to the bank that the applicant wasn’t a drug runner or an arms dealer. Had the cash been ready and waiting in his Australian account for some time then again, it would have been much easier. 
</li>
<li>
Pay your bills as soon as possible When you apply for a home loan, the first thing a bank does is check your credit file. Once upon a time, the credit file just showed if you were in default or had made too many credit inquiries. Now, under a new law, credit files can show who is a prompt payer.  So from now on, it’s in your interest to pay any bill as soon as you can. 
</li>
<li>
Reduce your credit card limit It might boost your ego to have a platinum credit card with a $50,000 limit, but do you need all that money?  When the banks are assessing how much they will lend to you, they will take that credit card limit as money already lent (even if you pay it off every month).  As a result, they may well reduce how much they will lend you based on that limit.  You may want to reduce your credit card limit if you don’t need all that money.  Banks have been known to first request clients to reduce their credit card limit, before giving a final loan approval. 
</li>
<li>
Know your limit Not all banks are the same. For example, if you were a brand new customer and you walked into an ANZ branch then the most they would lend you is 90% of the value of the property (others may go up to 95%) – even if you are a multi-millionaire (it’s just their policy).  You could be a good home loan candidate. But if you just go to your own bank because you think that all banks are the same, you could be in for a shock.  Good brokers know what each bank’s lending policy is and now where you are most likely get home loan approval. 
</li>
</ol>
Graeme Salt is national client finance manager of <a href="https://www.chan-naylor.com.au" target="_blank">Chan &amp; Naylor Finance Australia</a>.
For further information on how Chan &amp; Naylor can help you with your home loan, you can <a href="https://www.chan-naylor.com.au/chan-naylor-finance/" target="_blank">visit their website</a>. 
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Five tips to set you up for your home loan

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GUEST OBSERVATION
When it comes to selling your property, you want to ensure the agent you have entrusted is able to successfully fulfil the job at hand.
A real estate agent’s definitive role is to get the best possible result at sale for their client. However how each agent undertakes this process can vary from agency to agency. Selecting the right agent plays a crucial role in driving the result and who you chose to sell your most expensive asset could alter the outcome dramatically.
<ul>
<li>Successfully selling - To gain optimum results an agent needs to go over and above the basics and demonstrate exceptional sales and interpersonal skills. After all, the client’s interaction with the agency is not just about the sale but about the overall experience. </li>
<li>An ethical approach - It goes without saying that a real estate agent should act ethically at all times. Buyers are very astute and know when an agent is misleading them. Acting unethically will see potential buyers lose interest in the property and refrain from putting their best offer forward. Not an ideal scenario for the vendor looking to bring as many buyers to the table as possible. </li>
<li>Knowledge is power – For an agent to be able to secure the best result for the vendor they should posses a great deal of expertise in the local area, by knowing what has sold and what is on the market. This product knowledge will help in quoting a realistic reserve for the property which will attract the most prospective buyers. A good agent will manage the vendor’s expectations of what is a realistic result and then endeavour to achieve this. </li>
<li>Experience – An experienced real estate agent should be able to read buyers and know what to say and do to get them attracted in the property. As different situations arise, the agent should have the skill set to act upon issues and ensure both buyers and sellers are happy and confident to work with the agency. </li>
<li>Finding a buyer - Ultimately the vendor wants to sell their property for the best possible price and for this to happen the agent must bring as many enthusiastic and voracious buyers to the fore. To do this, an agent should not only have a bespoke marketing campaign in place but also create competition by proactively targeting interested parties from the company’s database who fit the brief and demographic. This will in due course create competition for a property and secure the highest price.</li>
</ul>
By sourcing a competent and trustworthy agent, vendors can feel confident that their agent is working hard to drive the end result. 
Paul Bond is a lifelong resident of the Bayside suburbs and director of <a href="https://www.hodges.com.au/hodgessandringham" target="_blank">Hodges Sandringham</a>.
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An agent's five key skills that help secure the best result

&nbsp;

Developer GURNER™ Group has revealed $1.65 billion in residential sales nationally across the 12 months to December 2025, driven largely by the continued momentum of its Docklands wellness-focused precinct, Elysium Fields.

The sales result was generated across seven projects in Victoria and New South Wales, headlined by Elysium Fields, GURNER™’s $2.75 billion mixed-use precinct planned for Harbour Esplanade in Docklands.

The project has recorded more than $500 million in sales across the first three towers, equating to around 580 apartments sold.

The first tower, Helios, has now sold out of its 240 private residences, with GURNER™ preparing to release a premium penthouse collection comprising 15 three-bedroom penthouses in coming weeks.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370975]

Elysium Fields is being developed on the long-held 20,000 sqm Docklands site at 208-226 Harbour Esplanade, which had remained undeveloped for more than two decades prior to GURNER™ taking over the project around four years ago.

Construction has now commenced across four towers ranging between 18 and 30 storeys, with Hamilton Marino and Maxcon appointed as builders.

Once complete, the precinct is expected to comprise around 1,100 residences, alongside retail, hospitality and public realm uses integrated throughout the site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370981]

Designed by Fraser &amp; Partners in collaboration with GURNER™ Design House, the project has been positioned around the developer’s broader focus on wellness-led residential living.

“We don’t sell apartments. We create a true luxury lifestyle that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere in the market today,” Founder and Executive Chairman Tim Gurner said.

“To deliver that requires an extraordinary level of detail, coordination and discipline across multiple verticals, from design and hospitality through to wellness and service.”

“We’ve always believed that living extends far beyond the physical residence. It’s about how you feel the moment you arrive, how you live day-to-day, and the ecosystem that supports that.” 
[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370977]

The project’s design places a heavy focus on landscaping, wellness amenities and biophilic design principles.

Plans include around 3,700 sqm of landscaped gardens and open space throughout the precinct, alongside a retail and dining offering spanning approximately 5,000 sqm.

The broader public realm strategy centres around what GURNER™ describes as the “Path of Life”, an urban forest and landscaped pedestrian environment intended to connect the various buildings and wellness spaces across the precinct.

The apartments themselves will incorporate a range of wellness-focused inclusions, including purified air and water systems, circadian lighting, antimicrobial surfaces, and optional in-home wellness upgrades.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370980]

Gurner said the company’s experience through its Saint Haven wellness clubs had directly informed the residential offering now being incorporated into Elysium Fields.

“We’re seeing a clear global shift toward longevity, performance and proactive health,” Gurner said.

“Our role is to deliver that in a way that feels seamless, highly private and beautifully resolved within the environments we create.”

A large component of the wellness offering is planned through the resident amenity and health facilities proposed within the precinct.

That includes plans for bathing and recovery facilities spread throughout the towers, incorporating mineral pools, saunas, steam rooms, flotation therapy, red light therapy and wellness lounges.

The developer is also seeking approvals for what it describes as a “reverse ageing medical clinic” within the precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370978]

According to project information released by the group, the proposed facility would include cryotherapy, IV infusion therapy, infrared and dry saunas, PEMF beds, MRIs, DEXA scans, brain scans and blood analysis services.

Within the first tower, Helios, residents will also have access to a dedicated amenity offering known as the Sky Private Club.

The upper 15 levels of the building will include private lounges, dining spaces, rooftop amenities and optional private wellness studios integrated within residences.

The Helios tower itself comprises 260 apartments ranging between 60 sqm and 300 sqm, including a collection of penthouses.

That includes a planned two-storey penthouse spanning around 600 sqm with uninterrupted bay views.

The Elysium Fields precinct is being delivered in partnership with Digital Harbour Holdings, a consortium that includes the Liberman family, which controls the development rights across the Docklands site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370979]

The sales result comes as GURNER™ continues expanding its national development pipeline beyond Victoria.

“We have a strong pipeline across Australia and are now focused on scaling into key markets including New South Wales and Queensland, while continuing to build on our Melbourne base,” Gurner said.

“We currently have more than $3 billion in the market, growing to over $5 billion by October, and expect to materially outperform last year in the 2026 calendar year.”

The result also reflects the continued strength of the upper-end apartment market in Melbourne, particularly for owner-occupier-focused product with large-scale amenity and lifestyle offerings.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144441]

Record result anchored by the Group’s “utopian” Elysium Fields precinct – defying market headwinds in Docklands.

Joel Robinson

Elysium Fields drive Gurner to $1.65 billion in apartment sales over 2025

National Australia Bank (NAB) will fund <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera</a>, a $1 billion, 52-level luxury residential tower being developed by Central Equity in one of the Gold Coast’s most tightly held coastal locations at Northcliffe.

The project, launched recently by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a>, one of Victoria’s largest private residential developers, comes at a time when construction funding for large residential developments has become increasingly competitive as lenders tighten exposure to the sector.

Multiplex has been appointed the builder, and construction is now underway.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365784]

Since its first project, Central Equity has delivered more than 85 residential developments with a combined end value exceeding $8 billion.

Palmera reflects Central Equity’s growing focus on the Gold Coast luxury apartment market and continues a relationship between Central Equity and NAB that dates back to the late 1980s, when the bank funded one of Melbourne’s earliest inner-city residential towers at a time when high-rise apartment living in the CBD was largely unproven.

“NAB’s funding of Central Equity’s $36 million CBD development in the late 1980’s to the financing of the billion-dollar tower today highlights the long-term relationship between the two organisations in delivering major residential projects” said Central Equity Founder and Chairman Eddie Kutner.

He said NAB’s early support was instrumental in helping establish the company’s development model.

“When we commenced our first residential tower in the late 1980s the concept of funding off-the-plan apartments was still largely untested in Australia,” Kutner said.

“NAB recognised the opportunity early and supported the project when others were uncertain. That relationship has now continued for more than 37 years across many developments.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Central Equity was established in 1987 when Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank precinct were still dominated by warehouses and commercial buildings. Fewer than 100 residents lived in Southbank at the time, and large-scale residential development in the inner city was not widely considered.

Recognising changing demographics and lifestyle preferences, the company began developing high-rise residential projects designed to bring permanent residents into the city centre.

Central Equity has provided accommodation for approximately 40,000 residents across Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank, while also incorporating supporting infrastructure including essential lifestyle facilities like retail spaces, childcare facilities and neighbourhood activity centres.

Central Equity has spent many years assembling the Palmera development site on the corner of Garfield Terrace and Frederick Street in Northcliffe, creating a supersite of around 3,300 sqm.

The developer said the Palmera apartment tower reflects its long-term view of the Gold Coast as a growing and increasingly diversified economy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365768]

Supported by infrastructure including the light rail network, major road upgrades expanded education, hospital and medical facilities and continued expansion at the Gold Coast Airport with more internation and domestic flights.

Positioned in the tightly held Northcliffe precinct, the 52-level tower will deliver 347 apartments, targeting buyers seeking a high-end coastal lifestyle, from downsizers to interstate investors.

Designed by Marchese Partners with interiors by DBI, Palmera has been conceived as a next-generation residential offering, featuring a collection of oversized apartments, with premium three-bedroom residences offering sweeping northern views stretching from Surfers Paradise through to Burleigh Heads.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

NAB funds $1 billion Surfers Paradise apartment development, Palmera

Two years after completing one of the newest developments in North Sydney, developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a> is turning its attention to the rapidly evolving St Leonards apartment market.

The developer, which completed AURA by Aqualand on North Sydney's Walker Street, has lodged plans for a 5,918 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/33-37-herbert-street-st-leonards-nsw-2065">33-37 Herbert Street, St Leonards,</a> seeking approval for a pair of residential towers rising above a shared podium opposite Royal North Shore Hospital.

The proposal forms part of the broader transformation underway across the St Leonards-Crows Nest precinct, where former industrial and commercial sites are increasingly being redeveloped into high-density mixed-use projects tied to major transport infrastructure.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2cc428cf-fe70-4cac-9cd5-264ad53af62c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=otKSnHtbjAvAddOnovyXQMgcAwE6DMe1" />

According to the planning documents, the site sits “within the St Leonards–Crows Nest Strategic Centre, identified by the NSW Government as a key area for accommodating future jobs and housing across Sydney.”

The proposal has been designed by fjcstudio, formerly FJMT Studio, and is being progressed through the State Significant Development pathway due to its scale and affordable housing provision.

The scheme would comprise 413 apartments, including 46 affordable housing units, alongside retail and commercial uses fronting Herbert Street. The project would also include communal open space, landscaping, a swimming pool, gymnasium, children’s play areas and podium-level resident amenities.

Planning documents show the development would consist of a part-13, part-39 storey tower form positioned above a four-storey podium.

“The development comprises a unified podium that activates the street interface, and two setback towers to accommodate new housing supply while maintaining an appropriate human scale at ground level,” fjcstudio noted in its Design Report.

The northern and southern towers have been shaped to respond to the surrounding skyline while also limiting overshadowing impacts to nearby public open space, particularly Talus Reserve.

The design report said the differing tower heights were intended to “contribute to a varied skyline while responding to the surrounding built form context and solar access considerations.”

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36da62dc-ff9e-41f2-a7e3-7be38373751c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.45%E2%80%AFAM_0.png?VersionId=Mo6Rp2r.XRLTzIfg_PEEpw8NepDH8UBs" />

The site sits directly opposite Royal North Shore Hospital and within walking distance of both St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

While the site itself sits just outside the formal Crows Nest Transport Oriented Development boundary, the planning documents repeatedly reference its alignment with the broader TOD objectives reshaping the Lower North Shore.

“The site is located adjacent to St Leonards Station and in close proximity to Crows Nest Metro which is within the Crows Nest Transit Orientated Development Accelerated Precinct which has been identified by the NSW Government to support housing delivery,” the Design Verification Statement noted.

According to fjcstudio, the project has been designed to respond to the broader transition occurring across St Leonards, where increasing residential density is being concentrated around transport infrastructure and employment hubs.

“The broader precinct is undergoing significant change, with a mix of existing mid-rise buildings and newer high-density developments,” the report stated.

“Recent and approved projects indicate a consistent shift toward taller built form, typically organised as tower-and-podium typologies with more active ground levels.”

The proposal includes close to 6,000 sqm of retail and commercial space across the ground floor and podium levels, designed to create a more activated street edge along Herbert Street.

Aqualand’s plans would also introduce a landscaped podium shared between the two towers, with communal open space in the form of a podium rooftop designed to support resident interaction and improve urban greening outcomes. The scheme would also introduce pocket parks at the northern and southern ends of the site, including a landscaped area at the corner of Herbert and Ella streets designed to improve pedestrian amenity and soften the streetscape.

&nbsp;

The proposal is being progressed through the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway, which was introduced to accelerate housing supply across the state. The application was declared State Significant Development in April 2025 following an expression of interest process.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="faf6d97d-2671-454f-b85a-fe1c6a7be608" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=diVd28OBVr5.YV.7prrOz.uAanwwwm7a" />

St Leonards has been particularly active with new developments in recent weeks. Developer SP Setia’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-sp-setia-targets-st-leonards-skyline-with-40-storey-tod-tower">plans for a new 42-storey tower</a> recently went on exhibition through the same pathway, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">Stockland’s 52-storey tower proposal</a> was also recently unveiled.

Aside from the St Leonards project, which is expected to take around nine months to move through the approvals process ahead of a potential 2027 launch, Aqualand is also preparing to launch Boronia, a new apartment project in Roseville comprising around 111 apartments on Larkin Street.

The developer also has approvals in place for the next stage of the Barangaroo precinct, which will feature new residential, retail, hospitality and community uses, alongside a new metro entry across the five-hectare site.

More than 50 new retail destinations are planned for Central Barangaroo, alongside a 270-metre-long boulevard connecting Hickson Park to Nawi Cove. Together with Harbour Park, more than 50 per cent of the precinct will comprise public open space and parkland.

First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-5" data-turn="user" data-turn-id="e65dbe94-e3b6-47f7-b62a-9cbb30c9bf79" data-turn-id-container="e65dbe94-e3b6-47f7-b62a-9cbb30c9bf79" dir="auto">Time &amp; Place’s plans to transform the former David Jones factory building in Surry Hills into a mixed-use residential precinct have gone on exhibition through the NSW Government’s In-fill Affordable Housing pathway.</section>

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-6" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:f4d533b7-64a5-413d-86fd-5c99649c2b73-2" data-turn-id-container="request-WEB:f4d533b7-64a5-413d-86fd-5c99649c2b73-2" dir="auto">
The Marlborough House proposal, lodged for the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marlborough-house-47-97-marlborough-street-surry-hills-nsw-2010">47-97 Marlborough Street</a> site, would see the adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed warehouse building alongside the construction of new residential additions and a separate apartment building on the northern portion of the site.

The proposal seeks approval for 172 apartments across three buildings, including 15 per cent affordable housing managed by a community housing provider for at least 15 years from occupation.

<img alt="Marlborough" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5d1d3c2a-bf13-47d6-a335-7c01102cdee1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=cjMYrbR.BLUlWH4dar0RVDDo0bG.u2YT" />

Interior view from the Northern Building Penthouse overlooking the park

&nbsp;

The redevelopment is planned for the prominent 3,413 sqm site bounded by Marlborough Street, Goodlet Street and Lansdowne Street, directly opposite Eddie Ward Park and around 200 metres from the Surry Hills light rail stop.

Time &amp; Place acquired the former David Jones building in 2024, marking the first time the property had changed hands in around 50 years.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal centres around the adaptive reuse of the former David Jones factory, originally constructed between 1913 and 1935 in the Inter-War Chicagoesque architectural style.

Wardle noted in its Architectural Design Report that the building “occupies a significant place in the industrial and cultural history of Surry Hills” and at its peak was “the largest department store manufacturing facility in Australia, employing over 800 people and fuelling the growth of Sydney’s fashion and retail industries.”

The practice said the project positions itself “not as an isolated intervention, but as a contributor to the civic, social, and architectural grain of the precinct.”

The proposal would deliver 75 apartments within the retained southern heritage building, 59 apartments within the central addition, and a further 38 apartments within the new northern building fronting Lansdowne Street.

Planning documents show the scheme would comprise a mix of heritage apartments, new-build apartments, townhouses and penthouses.

<img alt="Marlborough" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="57758518-40a3-4b83-958c-d06e96a2cffa" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.42%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=VerlX9ST5xgBi8.1_YRsqdWTJeT6ygjs" />Interior View of the Heritage Building Apartment

The development would also include a ground-floor retail tenancy on the corner of Marlborough and Lansdowne streets, rooftop communal open space, a landscaped pedestrian link along the western edge of the site, and basement parking accessed from Lansdowne Street via a car stacker system.

&nbsp;

The scheme emerged from a competitive design process run by Urbis, with Wardle ultimately selected as the winning architect ahead of FJC Studio, TZG, Architectus and Wilkinson Eyre.

The Design Integrity Panel later described several aspects of the Wardle scheme as fundamental to the project, including “the stepped character of the new addition to the north of the site”, the landscaped western pedestrian link, and the “garden arrival” experience separating the original Marlborough House from the heritage addition.

Wardle’s design heavily references the site’s industrial and heritage history, while also responding to the surrounding Surry Hills streetscape.

The Architectural Design Report describes Surry Hills as “a finely grained neighbourhood with beautiful and expressive brickworks throughout the suburb,” with the proposal introducing a material palette intended to sit comfortably alongside the existing warehouse fabric and neighbouring terraces.

The report also outlines the project’s relationship with Eddie Ward Park and the broader landscape context of the area.

“Marlborough House occupies a site of deep cultural memory and the neighbouring Eddie Ward Park is of local ecological significance, where natural systems, topography, and stories have long shaped human experience,” Wardle noted in the report.

The architects said the proposal sought to “rebind built form to Country” through landscape, materiality and the adaptive reuse of the heritage structure.

<img alt="Marlborough House" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9ae3f2f9-c85f-477a-a6f8-b43f6cb97c41" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.53%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=B.qUCLqRvJOR.n9CvYcTpaknIX9LuqKZ" />

The project is also being progressed under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing provisions, allowing developments that include affordable housing to access additional height and floor space incentives.

Under the plans, 2,593 sqm of the project’s floor space would be dedicated to affordable housing, slightly exceeding the required 15 per cent threshold.

In its Design Excellence Strategy, Urbis said the project aimed to “sensitively adapt and enhance the heritage-listed building on site through alterations and additions that preserve its historical significance” while delivering “high-quality market and infill affordable housing development in Surry Hills.”

Time &amp; Place has been one of the most active developers nationally in the last 12 to 24 months. Late last year they completed&nbsp;The Queensbridge in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>, a mixed-use tower with 353 apartments and a hotel. They are currently selling Park Modern, 246 apartments near the famous Botanic Gardens in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/south-melbourne-vic-3205">South Melbourne</a>, and have future projects, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-wilmot-173-burke-road-28-hope-street-glen-iris-vic-3146">The Wilmot</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/glen-iris-vic-3146">Glen Iris</a>, the redevelopment of the Northcote Plaza, and another tower in South Melbourne.

The developer broke into Sydney just a few years ago with Two Tides in Manly. They have another project nearby, which is at the ultra-luxury end of the market on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/shoreline-manly-beach-89-90-north-steyne-manly">North Steyne</a>, fronting the beach.

It is also continuing to work through the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-time-place-settles-on-design-for-the-chimes-potts-point-redevelopment">redevelopment of The Chimes building</a> on Macleay Street in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/potts-point-nsw-2011">Potts Point</a>, as well as a project on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/time-place-to-take-on-mosman-apartment-market">Mosman's Redan Street</a>.
</section>

First look: Time & Place unveils Marlborough House redevelopment designs for former David Jones warehouse in Surry Hills

The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

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