Prominent Sydney developer Urban Property Group have lodged a new development application for their coastal Little Bay apartment project.

After securing court approval for a concept development application at their 11,612 sqm Jennifer Street block, they've now recently filed the detailed development application to Randwick City Council that comprises of 76 apartments designed by Hill Thalis Architecture at 11 Jennifer Street.

The proposal adopts the courtyard apartment type, which Hill Thalis founding principal Philip Thalis says is puzzlingly rare in Australian cities, despite its suitability to the climate and long architectural traditions of sociability.

"The courtyard garden type has antecedents in many urban cultures around the world," Hill Thalis noted in the design statement submitted to the council.

"As is the case in many examples of this type, the courtyards organise the primary access and address to the various cores, and they are planted with endemic species and dotted with seats.

"The entry (northern) courtyard has framed vistas open to the landscape on the east side, and back to Reservoir Street to the west. The southern courtyard opens to the ESBS."

<img alt="Jennifer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6680aba7-d7d7-4fe7-accb-1fc47a2fe74a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202022-12-06%20at%202.01.08%20pm.png?VersionId=hvTxc4Al4.oYYgJTqLf9TyzwaxQqp_Vj" />

The proposal is for 76 dwellings in three separate buildings that frame two substantial landscape courtyards. While the pair of northern buildings that front Crown Road are linear, the larger southern building has a U-shaped configuration.

The apartments are distributed over three and part four residential levels above a single level basement car park.

There will be 10 one-bedroom apartments, 38 two-bedders, and 28 three-bed units. 15 of the ground floor garden apartments have direct street or garden access and private gardens. The top floor apartments on both levels two and three have larger floorplans and have extensive terraces.

"The proposed development provides a mix of accommodation to support the needs of a future population, including families given the sizes and mix of apartments," Hill Thalis added.

Urban Property Group went through the Land and Environment Court to obtain approval for 38 apartments and 8 townhouses back in 2019, but have since been back and forth with design proposals for the site.

The Little Bay area on the eastern side of Anzac Parade has seen new urban precincts created over the last two decades, including the redevelopment of the former Prince Henry Hospital site and the early stages of Little Bay Cove to its immediate north.

The Little Bay project is part of UPG's continually growing development pipeline.

In the past month they've submitted applications in Penrith, and a townhouse and apartment project at Edmondson Park both close to train station infrastructure. Those two projects alone add a further 1,100 dwellings to UPG's pipeline.

<a href="/news/nsw/exclusive-first-look-urban-property-group-prepare-over-1100-dwellings-in-penrith-and-edmondson-park-developments">Read more:&nbsp;Exclusive first look: Urban Property Group prepare over 1100 dwellings in Penrith and Edmondson Park developments</a>

The proposal adopts the courtyard apartment type, which Hill Thalis founding principal Philip Thalis says is puzzlingly rare in Australian cities


Joel Robinson

Exclusive first look: Urban Property Group reveal Little Bay apartments project

​​The burgeoning Siera Group is the latest apartment player to hit the Surfers Paradise beach.

Under the direction of its Founder and Director, Brent Thompson, Siera has spent the last eight years developing high-end townhomes in Brisbane before recently pivoting its skillset to the Gold Coast apartment market. They’ve submitted plans for a high-end tower just off the dress circle Northcliffe and Garfield Terrace.

They'll be developing <a href="/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise">Exhale Surfers Paradise</a>, just 54 apartments across the 25-level BDA Architecture-designed tower at 8 Enderley Avenue, offering a maximum of three apartments per floor.

Residents will enjoy extensive amenities in the project, which is becoming a signature of Siera's Gold Coast developments with their recent Tapestry development showcasing a rooftop amenity not yet seen before on Chevron Island.

There will be two levels of amenity, with the lower level hosting a communal mezzanine with a spa, gym and sauna, and the upper level with a lap pool with pool deck, barbecue alfresco and dining space, a private dining area with a bar and cellar room, a games room, and a space with work from home facilities.

<a href="/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise">To be alerted when the project hits sales, enquire here.</a>

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BDA say that inspiration was taken from the surrounding sand dunes, sails, and the built environment to inform a high-end luxury and contemporary architectural character.

Thompson, who also sits on the board of UDIA QLD, says a lot of effort has been put into the design of the project and how its future residents would live, a thought process which began even before securing the prime site.

"The way the tower has been designed, we've got two entry points from the two street frontages; one to Vista Street, for residents heading to the Northcliffe Light Rail Station just a short 150 metres away; the other for those heading to Surfers and the beach with a direct private beach access only 60m from the site," Thompson says.

Thompson believes the majority of buyers at Enderley will be local downsizers.

On the extensive resident amenity, which is becoming a staple in Siera's Gold Coast projects, Thompson says it is a considered effort by the team to aid in the transition for those moving from a house to an apartment.

"We want to really elevate the liveability factors of an apartment for a downsizer, and we think, on top of larger sized apartments with good design, we can do that with extensive amenity.

"Particularly for the downsizer demographic, now more than ever lifestyle is about health and wellness, and we want our residents to be able to achieve that all in the one place, from a swim in the pool, to a workout in the gym, or a steam, all within the confines of where you live."

<a href="/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise">To be alerted when the project hits sales, enquire here.</a>

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Thompson also expects plenty of interest to come from interstate, lock-and-leave buyers, looking for a beachside holiday home without paying the premium to be beachfront.

"The location puts residents right by the beach, and will offer the same lifestyle factors and quality of design as other beachfront projects, yet at a fraction of the cost.

"We expect when the project is finished, the light rail will be extended to run close to the airport, making it an easy, potentially car-less, commute to a weekender."

Focused on the owner-occupier, there will be just two and three-bedroom apartments, the two-bedrooms starting from a generous 99 sqm with a further 10 sqm of balcony.

From level 12 upwards there will be just three-bedroom apartments on offer, each occupying half a floor. They will have nearly 200 sqm of internal living space and a further 20 sqm of balcony.

Crowning the tower on level 22 will be a huge 368 sqm penthouse, uniquely designed for the central living space to open to a striking garden feature with a firepit and seating in private greenery. A fireplace separates the space from the main kitchen, living and dining area.

As well as the four bedrooms, there will be a home office, multi-purpose room, and a games room. There will be two balconies, one off the master and one off the living room, totalling around 50 sqm of outdoor space. The penthouse buyer will have the opportunity to customize the apartment, and a potential rooftop terrace which could become an entertaining space.

The project is located in a prime spot of Surfers, near the Northcliffe Light Rail Station and&nbsp; on the doorstep of the abundance of amenity the local area is known for.

<a href="/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise">To be alerted when the project hits sales, enquire here.</a>

<a href="/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise"><img alt="" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="571" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2022-04-27_at_3.11.18_pm.png" width="905" /></a>

BDA designed&nbsp; the unique building to splay inward from level 12, creating a tower form that diminishes toward its top.

"Its uppermost level bends inward through its centre, creating a dynamic built form and ensuring both ends of the penthouse apartment are able to take in prevailing views to the northern and southern beaches of the Gold Coast," BDA said.

The architecture firm said that, through considered analysis of the existing context of this area of Surfers Paradise and the envisaged potential for adjoining urban redevelopment, the design outcome will result in the addition of an elegant and visually interesting residential tower, which will provide considerable amenity for residents and visitors and become a complimentary and respectful addition to the Surfers Paradise skyline.

BDA was also in charge of designing Siera's first Gold Coast apartment development, Tapestry on Chevron Island, where their brief from Siera was to merge art with architecture.

The 22-level project, on the prized east-side of Chevron Island at 39 Darrambal Street will have 113 apartments, featuring a mixture of vertical blade walls and horizontal slab edges which respond to available views and natural light.

They'll be developing just 54 apartments across the 25-level BDA Architecture-designed tower at 8 Enderley Avenue, offering a maximum of three apartments per floor

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