Modco completes house-sized 30 Bourke residences in North Wollongong

Modco Developments has completed its boutique 30 Bourke development in North Wollongong, combining the lower-maintenance nature of apartment living with the space and functionality typically associated with a larger home.

30 Bourke brings together 12 apartments and a penthouse in one of North Wollongong's established coastal pockets, with every home offering three bedrooms and internal areas ranging from 138 sqm to 171 sqm and total areas, including private outdoor space, spanning 156 sqm to 279 sqm.

The project marketer said the majority of genuine buyer interest, around 60 to 70 per cent, has come from local downsizers. Many are moving from freestanding homes across North Wollongong and surrounding suburbs, but the transition to apartment living has not necessarily meant looking for a significantly smaller home.

With construction now complete, those proportions can be assessed in the finished apartments rather than from plans, with buyers able to inspect the layouts, finishes and outlooks before purchasing and move in immediately.

"The most consistent reaction is surprise at the scale and level of finish," the project marketer said.

"Buyers often walk in expecting a conventional apartment and find something far more generous."

Designed by PRD Architects, the residences offer two or 2.5 bathrooms and between one and three car spaces, with layouts designed to provide separation between living and bedroom zones.

Ground-floor apartments have private garden terraces of up to 92 sqm, while every residence has basement parking and storage. Direct secure lift access connects the basement with each residential level.

Residences are also equipped with VRV air-conditioning systems, providing individual room-by-room climate control throughout the home.

"They want the convenience of apartment living without giving up the things they value in a house," the project marketer said.

"Three bedrooms, single-level living, a proper laundry, genuine storage, secure parking and outdoor space they will actually use. For downsizers especially, the priority is usually less maintenance, not necessarily less space or quality."

The interiors feature Fisher & Paykel appliances and Bianco Carrara marble kitchen islands, with the same natural stone carried through bathroom vanity tops and feature walls. Brushed bronze tapware, timber veneer joinery and timber flooring complete the broader material palette.

The penthouse takes the material palette further, with statement Super Ceder marble in the kitchen, a bespoke walk-in pantry with custom joinery and marble, a mosaic marble shower, Italian Bianco Carrara marble vanity and custom built-in living-room joinery incorporating marble and an integrated fireplace.

At 171 sqm internally, the three-bedroom penthouse also has a 105 sqm wraparound terrace, triple-aspect outlook and three car spaces. It is priced at $4.25 million.

Modco said its brief to PRD Architects was to create residences that felt more like individual homes than conventional apartments.

"We wanted the residences to feel like individual homes rather than conventional apartments, with generous three-bedroom layouts, strong connections between indoor and outdoor living, privacy, natural light and landscaping considered from the outset," Modco said.

"The architecture was to feel soft, sculptural and residential rather than hard or overly commercial."

PRD Architects also looked to North Wollongong's architectural history when developing the building's design.

The architecture takes cues from the former Normandie Hotel, reinterpreting its horizontal elements, rounded corner treatments and coastal material palette in a contemporary form.

Particular emphasis was given to the building's expression at the Bourke Street and Bessell Avenue intersection, referencing the way the former hotel addressed the corner. Balconies, privacy screening, changes in material and landscaped street frontages further break down the building's form.

Landscape architect DSB designed two distinct communal outdoor retreats, including a rooftop entertaining terrace with sweeping coastal views, built-in seating and an integrated BBQ island bar, together with a secluded landscaped garden terrace at ground level.

The development is within walking distance of North Wollongong Beach, Stuart Park, the Blue Mile, North Beach cafés and restaurants and North Wollongong Station. The CBD, Wollongong Central, the hospital precinct and University of Wollongong are also within a short drive.

30 Bourke continues Modco's growing concentration of development in North Wollongong.

Established in 2013, Modco is an Illawarra-based, family-run property developer and builder that has delivered more than 300 residences across Sydney and the Illawarra. Its recent projects include AIRE, completed in 2022; Heritage in North Wollongong, completed in August 2024; and the newly completed 30 Bourke.

North Beach House at 10 Pleasant Avenue is now under construction for completion in mid to late 2027, continuing Modco's growing presence within the North Wollongong coastal precinct and its ongoing relationship with PRD Architects.

Nine residences remain available at 30 Bourke, priced from $1.98 million to $4.25 million, with private inspections of the completed residences now available.