First look: Carpe Group and ICON Developments team up again for new downsizer apartments in Hawthorn
Boutique Melbourne developer Carpe Group is teaming up for the fourth time with joint venture partner ICON Developments to enter the new apartment market in Hawthorn.
The duo is planning a low-rise block of 32 two- and three-bedroom apartments on a prime 3,680 sqm site on Robinson Road, just a short walk from Riversdale Road and located midway between the centres of both Hawthorn and Camberwell.
Designed by acclaimed architecture studio Powell & Glenn, the low-density development is expected to cater predominantly to owner-occupiers—Carpe's primary target market. The majority of the 32 apartments will feature three bedrooms.
The architectural design aims to reflect Hawthorn’s established residential character, integrating seamlessly with the surrounding streetscape in a modern apartment setting. The building will be set within landscaped gardens designed by renowned landscape architect Myles Baldwin.
Carpe founders Tim Campbell and Stuart Kacir hope to secure planning approval later this year, with plans to launch the project to market in early 2026. They are expecting to complete the building in mid-2028, pending approvals.
Carpe previously partnered with ICON Developments on Grandview in Brighton, a boutique development of just 10 apartments completed in 2023. They are currently delivering Ocean House in Hampton—18 apartments located just one street back from Hampton Street—which have proven particularly popular with local downsizers.
Carpe currently has Studley Park Residences, a collection of 31 apartments in the heart of Kew, on the market, as well as The Coterie, a 25-apartment development in Sandringham. They have another project in planning, Cambridge Collingwood, 27 apartments with ground-level retail, which is expected to secure approval later this year.
Joel Robinson
Joel Robinson is the Editor in Chief at Apartments.com.au, where he leads the editorial team and oversees the country’s most comprehensive news coverage dedicated to the off the plan property market. With more than a decade of experience in residential real estate journalism, Joel brings deep insight into Australia’s evolving development landscape.
He holds a degree in Business Management with a major in Journalism from Leeds Beckett University in the UK, and has developed a particular expertise in off the plan apartment space. Joel’s editorial lens spans the full lifecycle of a project—from site acquisition and planning approvals through to new launches, construction completions, and final sell-out—delivering trusted, buyer-focused content that supports informed decision-making across the property journey
