The edge of Double Bay village is set for a new apartment building designed by one of Sydney's most sought-after architects.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/luigi-rosselli-architect">Luigi Rosselli </a>is behind the designs of the latest plans on the desk of the Woollahra Council for a new block of 20 apartments across two adjoining sites at 351 and 353 New South Head Road, on the slope down towards the village from the south.

Levels one and two of the new eight-storey building will be dedicated affordable housing.

<img alt="Rosselli" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="805cc105-6ad9-4536-92f0-3e43e2a25965" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-11-18%20at%203.17.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=DFNnNxe1BFFHq919FK.Q5tSXZPkWkAwO" />

The unit mix incorporates one-, two-, and three-bedroom configurations. Each apartment will be provided with private open space through balconies or terraces. A communal rooftop terrace is also planned.

Architecturally, the design is informed by a desire to bridge the transition between the commercial character of New South Head Road and the lower-scale residential areas behind. The proposal steps back from the street with landscaped setbacks and features a refined material palette.&nbsp;

“The architectural character of the building is contemporary in style and articulated to provide visual interest and respond to the surrounding context,” the Design Statement notes.

<img alt="Rosselli" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4316870c-4332-43e6-9424-2787fbba2cd4" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-11-18%20at%203.17.44%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=heNnpHYL1xAj7dtWLBDkSQBrx.noZQ3l" />

The project includes basement parking with 23 car spaces, including two accessible bays and dedicated spaces for affordable housing units.

The site sits near significant heritage items, including the State Heritage-listed Overthorpe building next door. Dating back to the early 1900s, Overthorpe was initially&nbsp;part of pastoralist and politician&nbsp;Sir John Hay's garden before being converted into apartments.

Double Bay Village is undergoing a transformation with several new developments, both commercial and residential, under construction and in the pipeline. The most notable is the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/1-billion-intercontinental-hotel-double-bay-approved-for-mixed-use-redevelopment">$1 billion redevelopment of the InterContinental Hotel</a> into a&nbsp;new&nbsp;mixed-use lifestyle destination on Cross Street.

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Staff Writer

First look: Luigi Roselli designs latest plans for Double Bay Village 

The well-trodden path to development on the Gold Coast typically involves taking an underutilised site, either a vacant block of land or an ageing low-rise apartment building, and turning it into something new and shiny.

Growing Gold Coast developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/polycell-group">Polycell</a> is taking a different approach. While they are indeed targeting underutilised assets, their focus is on redeveloping existing buildings, specifically ageing holiday resorts.

Polycell’s next project to launch will be the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-exclusive-polycell-files-sandpiper-redevelopment-plans-after-owner-buyout">redevelopment of Sandpiper on Old Burleigh Road</a>. The existing 12-level building will make way for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/sandpiper-broadbeach-155-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">new 52-level tower</a> comprising around 200 two- to five-bedroom apartments. The lower portion of the tower will feature six apartments per floor, while the upper levels will offer a selection of larger residences.

This comes on the heels of their recent approval for the redevelopment of The Voyager Resort, also on Old Burleigh Road, where the 1997 timeshare building will be replaced with a 59-level tower.

Polycell’s debut Gold Coast apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-rochester-broadbeach-143-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Rochester</a>, was a more conventional acquisition. They purchased the Vaucluse block, which was easier to redevelop due to the small scale of the original walk-up apartment complex.

Much like The Rochester, Sandpiper will demonstrate Polycell’s commitment to high-level resident amenity. The building will offer three levels of dedicated facilities. The podium level will include a lap pool with floating daybeds, a communal kitchen, dining and lounge areas, a gym with a yoga room, a games room with a golf simulator, and a wellness zone with a spa, hot and cold plunges, and a sauna and steam room.

Levels 33 and 34 will host a residents’ club featuring similar amenities alongside meeting rooms, a two-level club lounge with a spiral staircase, a wine room with adjoining private dining spaces, a library, and a cinema.

Polycell is continuing its strategy of repositioning ageing holiday resorts. Their latest play is on Queensland Avenue, where they’ve been quietly acquiring apartments in the Barbados Holiday Apartments. The early-1980s building sits opposite Federation Park, midway between the beach and the Gold Coast Exhibition Centre.

The developer will no doubt be planning something in line with its three other projects, which together would push Polycell’s total apartment count toward 1,000 since entering the local market in 2023.

Joel Robinson

Exclusive first look: Polycell ramps up Broadbeach holiday resort buy-up

Sherlock Construction Homes is advancing plans for another townhouse development in Caboolture’s emerging Goshawk Court precinct, lodging a proposal to deliver 50 dwellings over a 12,370 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/18-goshawk-court-caboolture-qld-4510">18 Goshawk Court</a>.

Located on the northern side of Goshawk Court and fronting Cottrill Road and Sims Street, the site is currently improved by a single dwelling and intersected by an existing drainage easement. Under the application, the land will be reconfigured into three lots to accommodate two residential parcels.

According to the Planning Report by Zone Planning QLD, the project comprises 50 two-storey townhouses designed by MODE Design Corp.

<img alt="18 Goshawk Court" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="59ae0e02-93ff-4f3d-bbb0-c1ec1c385746" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Caboolture%20master.png?VersionId=4v4cGDmtEceHzkJEcXajz5mAU2tk_N0K" />

Each townhouse will include a private open space of 15 sqm, a single lock-up garage, and additional driveway parking for 24 of the units. An internal driveway network will provide circulation across the bifurcated site, with access taken independently from both Goshawk Court and Sims Street.

“The proposal provides a well-considered and functional design outcome that responds to constraints and will complement and enhance the existing and emerging urban forms in the general locality,” Zone Planning QLD noted in their report.

Communal open space areas totalling 500 sqm will be split across the two lots, with landscaping designed to integrate larger canopy trees and native species reflective of the site’s riparian corridor.

<img alt="18 Goshawk Court" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="53671bb1-3262-4204-83a7-ffda628ad1e6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Caboolture%20north.png?VersionId=6WXgLFGXR9t3wlkpjaaD5osGdDXyC_nQ" />

The 50-townhouse application follows Sherlock Construction Homes' broader push into the precinct. Just to the south and east, the builder is also pursuing approval for a significantly larger development across five parcels spanning 65–74 Goshawk Court and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/108-pumicestone-road-caboolture-qld-4510">102–114 Pumicestone Road</a>. That application proposes 165 three-bedroom townhouses delivered over four distinct parcels, connected via a new road extension, Kestrel Road.

As noted in the larger application’s assessment report, the surrounding area is “in a state of transition, with the historic rural residential settlement pattern transitioning to a more urban environment.” The adjoining proposal includes communal open space, stormwater infrastructure designed as regional trunk infrastructure, and a density of 51.6 dwellings per hectare, consistent with the Next Generation Neighbourhood Precinct zoning objectives.

First look: Sherlock Construction joins Caboolture townhouse boom

Plans for a $341 million mixed-use precinct, including 482 new homes, have been filed for a former drive-in cinema site in Caddens, a new masterplanned residential neighbourhood around two hours west of Sydney.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/group-gsa">GroupGSA</a> for developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/holdmark-property-group">Holdmark Property Group</a>, the State Significant Development Application (SSDA) comprises 17 mid-rise buildings delivering apartments and shoptop housing, 3461 sqm of retail, new streets and community space, and an expanded public domain.

The 8.1-hectare site adjoins the existing Caddens Corner Shopping Centre and is organised around a new civic hub and ‘Six Seasons Walk’, linking a network of local and community parks that extend the existing Cumberland Plain ecology along the site’s northern edge. &nbsp;

The site, once home to Kingswood Drive-In, is located within walking distance of Western Sydney University’s expanding Kingswood campus and the Nepean Hospital health precinct, 50 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD.

Holdmark Planning and Development Manager Eliyah El-Khoury says the revised scheme features a varied housing mix of apartments and terrace typology, reflecting both local demand and the long-term vision for the Werrington Enterprise Living and Learning (WELL) Precinct.&nbsp;

“By offering a diversity of apartment types – including 15 percent essential worker housing – and integrating new parks and a strong civic centre, we’re vesting a welcoming, walkable neighbourhood that supports residents to live and study in Caddens, bringing to life this hidden gem, just 5km from Penrith CBD and a short 15-minute drive from the new Western Sydney Aerotropolis precinct,” El-Khoury says.

The development also aligns with Western Sydney’s ‘Western Growth’ strategy, which positions Caddens as “a model for sustainable urban development” linked to major transport infrastructure and tertiary institutions.

<img alt="60–80 O’Connell Street, Caddens" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="86aa6f25-53d2-4135-8247-bf3a2653748f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/s68-80%20O%27Connel%20St%20Caddens_Forest%20Park%20and%20Karra%20Commons%20buildings%20-%20GroupGSA_2.jpeg?VersionId=deSc.hrokqF1PNgz39yOwSRd6S8JN1Is" />

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A series of Indigenous co-design workshops with local Aboriginal stakeholders shaped the cultural framework for the precinct. The design embraces water, sky and Country as key connectors, restoring natural ecologies, expanding habitat and integrating endemic plantings, organic built forms, natural materials and water-sensitive landscapes.&nbsp;

GroupGSA architect and project lead Alberto Murgia says the masterplan is structured around a permeable, walkable street grid that expands the existing retail precinct and strengthens local amenity.

“Our landscape-first, Country-led approach focuses on a mix of high-quality and affordable homes, delivered within a generous public realm that builds on the precinct’s evolving character,” he says.

“Preservation, restoration and celebration of the Cumberland Plain Woodland ecologies and creating ample opportunities for the community to engage with nature were key focuses for the project."

A cultural trail to the north weaves oral histories and site narratives into everyday paths of travel, while the Six Seasons Walk forms a central pedestrian spine linking the Village Green to the nature reserve on the precinct’s eastern edge.

Public open space is structured around three major parks – the Village Green, Local Park and Community Park – supported by a network of shared zones, rooftop terraces and private communal courtyards. The landscape strategy extends and strengthens the adjoining Cumberland Plain Woodland, creating a continuous ecological corridor across the site. Increased canopy cover supports the unique micro-climate, enhances shade and comfort, and supports biodiversity and habitat creation.

<img alt="60–80 O’Connell Street, Caddens" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d00abb5-ef1d-4e61-8d43-5f9c4bf680e5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/s68-80%20O%27Connel%20St%20Caddens_Village%20QuarterGroupGSA_1.jpeg?VersionId=f_d1IYvxEshSCSwMLBKhiJka_OXNTlrZ" />

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The built form responds to the changing edge conditions of the site, with two-storey terraces presenting to O’Connell Street South and modulated apartment buildings stepping in height across the precinct in response to site topography. The material palette for the ‘Karra Commons’ buildings to the north-east of the site draws on the colours and textures of the Cumberland Plain Woodland through brickwork, metal cladding, screening and layered planting to create an architectural expression intended to “recede into the landscape”.

The terraces on the southern boundary adopt a finely scaled architectural language of articulated brickwork, deep reveals and expressed thresholds, balancing robustness with domesticity.

Meanwhile, Village Quarter, where density is intentionally located adjacent to amenity, becomes the mixed-use urban heart that frames the Village Green with active frontages. Materiality responds to the adjacent retail centre, with stepped built forms defining planted edges and supporting a vibrant, welcoming public realm.

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“Our proposal delivers a village-scale centre that supports social interaction and community identity while demonstrating a long-term vision for sustainable growth within the WELL Precinct,” Murgia added.

“By pairing mixed-tenure housing with flexible communal indoor and outdoor spaces, the precinct is designed to foster social diversity, wellbeing and a strong sense of community ownership.”

Holdmark seeks 17-building mixed-use precinct at former Caddens drive-in site

Dubai-based developer Arada is preparing to officially enter the Sydney apartment market, starting in Castle Hill.

Arada, who signalled its intent by announcing a development pipeline of $4 billion and then saving, and acquiring, tier-one commercial construction company Roberts Co, has filed a State Significant Development Application for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/wattle-green-2-fishburn-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Wattle Green</a>, a three-building development in the Hills Showground Station Precinct.

The buildings, which will be delivered on a 1.1-hectare site fronting Fishburn Crescent, Carrington Road and Middleton Avenue, will have 431 apartments. They have been designed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/turner-studio">Turner Studio</a> with landscaping by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>.&nbsp;

The buildings have been arranged around podium courtyards and open communal spaces, with Building A rising to 20 storeys, Building B stepping between 8 and 17, and Building C forming a U-shaped massing of 11 to 12 storeys.

According to the Design Report by Turner Studio, the development will deliver a "highly liveable, connected, and inclusive residential community,” incorporating rooftop terraces, shared indoor amenities, and pedestrian links through the site.&nbsp;

<img alt="Arada" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f00c8c47-8c25-4039-9d42-c4261906e286" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-11-15%20at%208.07.18%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=SRRxwfZcxygQuYxRn_AsHoh00vJ2_PMj" />

The project includes 25 affordable housing units, representing five per cent of total floor space, located within Building A. These comprise a mix of one and two-bedroom layouts.

The broader residential mix across the three towers includes one-bedroom (nine per cent), two-bedroom (57 per cent), three-bedroom (30 per cent), and four-bedroom (four per cent) apartments, with a strong emphasis on family-sized homes.

The landscape strategy, guided by Arcadia, integrates rooftop gardens, public open space, and a pedestrian connection between Fishburn Crescent and Sexton Avenue.&nbsp;

The design draws from the natural and cultural history of the site, including features of nearby Cattai Creek, and incorporates endemic planting and local materials.

<img alt="Arada" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c29a2ff1-3b45-4f51-851f-83b4b98148aa" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-11-15%20at%208.07.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=8G9S8LrCc8H.JtPWdzr9q0HAijLRXAk7" />

Arada’s submission under the Housing Delivery Authority pathway highlights the project’s alignment with Transport-Oriented Development principles, capitalising on the site’s 400-metre proximity to Hills Showground Metro Station.

Founded in 2017 in Sharjah, Arada has delivered over 10,000 homes internationally and is now advancing a $4 billion pipeline in Australia. The Castle Hill project is one of several Sydney ventures by the developer, with other sites progressing in Campsie and Canterbury. Arada opened its Sydney office in August 2024 and acquired local construction firm Roberts Co to scale up delivery capabilities.

The site sits within the Showground Priority Precinct, a transport-oriented growth area targeted for 9,000 new homes. The broader neighbourhood is already seeing transformation, with Deicorp’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/showground-pavilions-castle-hill-3-andalusian-way-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Showground Pavilions</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/hills-showground-village-castle-hill-2-mandala-parade-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Hills Showground Village</a> introducing over 1,300 apartments alongside retail, open space, and transport upgrades.

Arada aims to launch the project to the market next year, and commence construction by mid-2027.

Arada pitches Castle Hill apartment plans ahead of 2026 launch

Well advanced in construction of its current East Brisbane tower <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/murcia-residences-east-brisbane-9-overend-street-east-brisbane-qld-4169">Murcia Residences</a>, developer Sarazin has filed plans for its next project in the booming inner-Brisbane area.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sarazin">Sarazin</a>&nbsp;has sought approval from Economic Development Queensland for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/stanley-quarter-825-stanley-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Stanley Quarter</a>, a major two-tower mixed-use project that promises to reshape a key site between Stanley and Trafalgar Streets in Woolloongabba, next door to the iconic stadium.

Occupying a 4,332 sqm site within the Woolloongabba Priority Development Area, Stanley Quarter would comprise two slender towers, 53 and 36 storeys, rising above a shared six-level podium. The project marks the next phase in Sarazin’s transformation of the area following the adjacent Silk One development.

The towers will deliver 447 apartments, split across the two stages: 235 dwellings in the West Tower (36 levels) and 212 in the East Tower (53 levels). A rooftop recreation deck will crown each building. The East Tower, reaching approximately 190 metres, would become one of Brisbane’s tallest buildings outside the CBD, standing just shy of the 195-metre One One One Eagle Street.

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=151722 project_image_fid=356087]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/group-gsa">GroupGSA</a>’s architectural design integrates subtropical principles, including vertical fins, glass detailing, and extensive greenery. According to the Urban Design Report, the podium will support “active frontages and human-scale interfaces” and house retail, dining, and commercial spaces at ground level, while upper levels contain residential amenities and parking.

A highlight of the proposal is the 1,160 sqm public plaza linking Stanley and Trafalgar Streets. Designed as a landscaped urban courtyard with dining edges and shaded canopies, it offers a direct pedestrian connection through the site. Landscape design is by Wild Studio.

Also planned is a landmark cultural facility, the STEAMM Gallery and Garden, anchored to the East Tower podium. As outlined in the planning documents, this multi-storey facility will include exhibition and studio spaces, with the report stating it represents “a genuine community benefit and cultural anchor for the precinct”.

The basement and podium levels will accommodate 614 car spaces and 483 bicycle spaces across residential, visitor, and commercial use. Vehicle access is proposed via Trafalgar Street, with a flood-resilient basement design and discrete servicing zones.

Positioned close to The Gabba Stadium and the new Cross River Rail station, Stanley Quarter is framed as a catalyst project for Woolloongabba’s ongoing urban regeneration. It supports EDQ’s ambition to create a “walkable, transit-oriented and subtropical mixed-use centre”.

If approved, the project will be delivered in two stages, with the West Tower proceeding first.

Sarazin is currently delivering Murcia Residences, on the fringe of Woolloongabba in East Brisbane.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151722]

Sarazin unveils twin-tower Stanley Quarter in Woolloongabba

Boutique development and construction firm <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hsn-property-group">HSN Property Group</a> is the latest to seek a new apartment development through the NSW Government's&nbsp;Housing Delivery Authority.

They've filed a State Significant Development Application for a nine-storey building across nine consolidated lots on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-16-spencer-street-rose-bay-nsw-2029">Rose Bay's Spencer Street</a>, just 400m from the centre of the affluent suburb.

“The site’s location and context make it well suited to support a more diverse and sustainable residential offering in the area,” the developer stated in community consultation materials.

The plans are for 54 apartments, 14 of which will be dedicated to affordable housing. There will be a mix of two- and three-bedroom apartments.

The proposal aims to contribute to housing diversity in the Woollahra Local Government Area while taking advantage of recent Low and Mid-Rise Housing Reforms introduced under the NSW Housing SEPP, according to the Scoping Report prepared by Urbis.

The architecture, led by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/mhn-design-union">MHNDU</a>, reflects a "contemporary design approach sensitive to the character of Rose Bay." Communal amenities will include a wellness area with a pool and sauna, a gym, a wine lounge, and landscaped spaces with barbecue facilities.&nbsp;

“The proposed development will offer a suite of premium communal amenities designed to enhance resident wellbeing, foster social connection, and promote a healthy lifestyle,” the project team notes in its public materials.

Three levels of basement parking are planned, and EV charging facilities will be included, aligning with sustainability and transport objectives. A comprehensive traffic study is underway to assess and manage local impacts.

With 54 apartments, the proposal by HSN will be one of the largest developments in Rose Bay for decades. It tops the 50 apartments soon to launch by Orosi on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-avenue-rose-bay-1-the-avenue-nsw-2029">The Avenue</a>, near the Royal Sydney Golf Club.&nbsp;

First look: HSN plans Spencer St, Rose Bay apartment project

CBE Asia Pacific has lodged plans for a prominent corner site in Fitzroy North, with a proposal that integrates state-significant affordable housing alongside heritage adaptation and new retail.

The application covers a consolidated 2,024 sqm parcel at 201–215 Queens Parade and 6–12 Dummett Crescent. The site includes the heritage-listed Former Clifton Motor Hill Garage, fronting Queens Parade, and vacant land to the rear abutting Dummett Crescent.

According to planning documents prepared by proUrban, the proposal seeks approval for a 12-storey residential building comprising 98 apartments, including a component of affordable housing, over a ground floor retail podium integrated within the heritage structure. Approximately 780 sqm of retail space will occupy the ground floor, while residents will have access to over 850 sqm of communal amenity.

The built form presents as two connected volumes: a 12-storey tower addressing Dummett Crescent and a five-storey volume fronting Queens Parade, the latter consistent with a separate Heritage Victoria permit granted in 2023. The tower reaches a maximum height of 38.26 metres, with upper-level setbacks of 14 metres from the western boundary to reduce visual bulk. A 1.5-metre footpath widening is proposed to Dummett Crescent Lane.

Parking is provided across four basement levels, accessed via Dummett Crescent, with a total of 142 car spaces and 143 bicycle spaces.

The architectural response by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cht-architects">CHT Architects</a> is framed by a need to reconcile new density with a sensitive heritage overlay. The Former Clifton Motor Hill Garage, identified as a place of State heritage significance, will retain its key façades, with demolition and reconstruction limited to approved elements.

As noted in the Heritage Impact Assessment, the proposal remains consistent with the Heritage Victoria permit, which allows "partial demolition, reconstruction and new works, involving the construction of a five-storey multi-use development and three basement levels".

Affordable housing has been embedded into the proposal under Clause 53.23, with specific apartment allocations aimed at enhancing housing diversity within the Queens Parade Activity Centre.

"The proposal is generally consistent with the relevant policy objectives and the intent of the Yarra Planning Scheme," proUrban states in its planning assessment, citing its alignment with strategic documents including Plan Melbourne and Victoria’s Housing Statement.

CHT Architects' plans emphasise a tiered design that acknowledges the site's varied interfaces—from the elevated Heidelberg Road ramp reserve to the recently built Clifton Views aged care facility to the north-east.

CBE Asia Pacific has not been previously active in this precinct, but the project joins a wave of higher-density residential proposals along the Queens Parade corridor, spurred by Melbourne’s broader push to increase affordable housing in well-connected inner-urban areas.

The site benefits from direct access to the Queens Parade tram corridor and proximity to Clifton Hill Station (approximately 200 metres), as well as green open spaces including Mayors Park and Raines Reserve. Clifton Hill Primary School and the Queens Parade retail village lie within walking distance.

First look: CBE Asia Pacific plans 100-apartment Jenkin House on Queens Parade, Fitzroy North

&nbsp;Boutique development and construction firm Ryser has filed plans for its debut apartment building.

Ryser, founded by Jonthan Ryan and Wil Prosser, has sought to develop <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/sorelle-4a-fern-place-woollahra-nsw-2025">Sorelle</a>, 28 new apartments at 4a Fern Place, Woollahra.

The&nbsp;750 sqm site on the edge of Bondi Junction falls within the Grafton Precinct Heritage Conservation Area, though it is currently vacant and not identified as a contributory item.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> has been commissioned to design Sorelle, creating an eight and a nine-storey building with six apartments dedicated to affordable housing to support essential workers&nbsp;under the NSW Government’s low and mid-rise housing policy.

The dwelling mix includes 12 one-bedroom units, six one-bedroom affordable units, six two-bedroom units, and four three-bedroom residences.<img alt="4A Fern Place, Woollahra." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="86626941-772d-49c5-8d31-a8e42f44cdcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Fern%20bldg%20st.png?VersionId=tWIzXYX9gD60nP1L3..Z0BFbY5mafb36" />

According to the planning documents submitted to the Woollahra Council, the development responds to the complex interface of heritage fabric and urban infrastructure with two mid-rise residential buildings oriented to the north and designed to capitalise on sweeping views over Sydney Harbour and Bellevue Hill.&nbsp;

“The proposal aims to hero some of the brick detailing of Woollahra, celebrating the existing datums of Fern Place, whilst embracing the strong verticals of the Holy Cross Church and Bondi Junction with a nod to the historic iron works and iron rich soils of the area,” Woods Bagot noted in their Design Report.

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Only three car parking spaces are proposed, alongside 33 bicycle bays, in a move that leverages the site's proximity to Bondi Junction train station, just 400 metres away.

Architecturally, the material palette incorporates Corten steel and face brickwork to reference the site’s industrial past and local geological character. Landscaping features include a communal garden bridging the two buildings at ground level, landscaped setbacks to protect visual privacy, and a small corner park intended to soften the public interface.

<img alt="4A Fern Place, Woollahra." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f71766d6-aa14-44df-9bc5-42f91890fd4a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Fern%20bldg%20rear.png?VersionId=uh7u1rJ6NJF5OqyRs9iNJcy6R9ssgaXU" />

Ryser said Sorelle "brings together the best of both worlds, the intimacy of village life with the amenity and luxury of modern design."

The developer said the project marks the first of three developments they will be announcing shortly, a key step in their&nbsp;evolution as a builder-developer delivering meaningful, high quality urban outcomes across Sydney.

The expectation is the Woollahra LGA will become popular for developers with the signal from the NSW Government they will deliver&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/sydney-nsw" target="">Sydney</a>’s first new heavy rail station in more than a decade – enabling up to 10,000 new homes by rezoning land around&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/woollahra-nsw-2025" target="">Woollahra</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/edgecliff-nsw-2027" target="">Edgecliff</a>&nbsp;stations.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/next-stop-woollahra-train-station-delivering-up-to-10-000-new-homes-in-the-heart-of-sydney">Next stop Woollahra train station - delivering up to 10,000 new homes in the heart of Sydney&nbsp;</a>

First look: Ryser plans two apartment buildings on Woollahra, Bondi Junction border

Southport is set for one of its tallest new apartment developments in recent years with the approval of Malua, a 32-level tower just one row back from Broadwater.

The <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/malua-18-22-norman-street-southport-qld-4215">Norman St tower</a> will comprise 151 apartments within the Southport Priority Development Area. The three adjoining lots, totalling 1,215 sqm, are currently occupied by three two-storey buildings, one a house, and two duplexes.

The majority of the apartments will be two-bedders (126), with just five one-bedroom apartments and 20 three-bedrooms. There will be three basement levels, three podium levels, and a rooftop communal space with a pool, gym, private dining areas and business hub facilities.

<img alt="Malua" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="21ab3437-de39-432c-b991-f33227b606dd" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-11-06%20at%208.41.37%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=_dOcjcvmSMyn6utzzviBVCAgDp5ZCo_N" />

There had been prior approval for a 14-storey building, however those plans became financially unviable.

“The proposed development seeks to resolve financial viability issues of the existing development approval by providing a higher density development with a more favourable unit mix and streamlined design,” the planning report submitted to the Gold Coast City Council noted.

Plus Studio designed the tower which "aims to contribute positively to the evolving Southport skyline, with vertical relief elements, sculpted facades, and rooftop crowning features."

“When stepping into the lobby from Norman Street, pedestrians and residents pass through a sculpted podium of lush green foliage in an earthy entry experience,” Plus wrote in its design report, emphasising the landscape-led approach to the podium and ground plane.

<img alt="Malua" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="694202c2-be8f-4cde-be26-a494293058a6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-11-06%20at%208.42.15%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NOIFuolMkoE8vNerov63rnbFRk_TnYUy" />

There is renewed confidence in the development market in Southport. Buyers have jumped at the chance to buy at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/maris-southport-20-queen-street-southport-qld-4215">Maris</a>, the latest local Gold Coast development by MRCB. Over 75 per cent of the 192 apartments have been snapped up prior to launching to the market.&nbsp;

The last notable launch in the suburb was in late 2023 when <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/eden-garden-residences-20-bauer-street-southport">Eden Garden Residences</a> hit the market. The 54 apartments, on the corner of Bauer Street and Chester Terrace, are under construction and due to complete in mid-2026.

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