The final apartments in the most recently completed new development in Balwyn present some of the largest and most exclusive ever delivered in one of Melbourne’s most established and character-rich neighbourhoods.

Boutique developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/wulff-projects">Wulff Projects</a>,&nbsp;alongside partner <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pga-group">PGA Group</a>, has just finished <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/threadneedle-balwyn-1-5-threadneedle-street-balwyn-vic-3103">Threadneedle</a>, 17 home-sized residences designed completely for the owner-occupier.

Named after its location on Threadneedle Street, the new project has been shaped by the heritage fabric of Balwyn. It offers two low-rise buildings of eight and nine apartments respectively, designed to emulate traditional standalone homes.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27816 project_image_fid=355582]

John Scaramuzzino, Director at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bruce-henderson-architects">Bruce Henderson Architects</a>, explains the design intention.

“Given the quiet residential character of the street with many homes dating back to the 1930s and 1940s, we approached Threadneedle wanting to appear less as a collection of apartments and more as a traditional residence. This led to creating not one but two buildings that could “breathe” with larger garden-based apartments functioning more like small homes.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27816 project_image_fid=355605]

The north-facing residences are nestled among extensive landscaped gardens by Ben Scott Garden Design, with over one-third of the site dedicated to greenery. The resulting setting is one of calm seclusion, where architecture and landscape work in tandem to offer immediate liveability.

With construction now complete, the final apartments include a top-floor, single-level penthouse residence priced from $2.8 million. This home offers three bedrooms, a dedicated study, two bathrooms plus powder room, and three car spaces with an oversized storage room.&nbsp;

Interiors prioritise spatial comfort and natural light, with three-metre-high ceilings, oversized internal doors and a full-width terrace oriented to the north, east and west.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27816 project_image_fid=355604]

Floor-to-ceiling double-glazed windows ensure thermal performance across seasons, supported by automated external blinds, zoned heating and cooling, and a fireplace for added ambiance.

Each apartment has been individually designed to maximise privacy and garden outlooks. Kitchens combine refined finishes with practical considerations: stone benchtops, butler’s pantry, full-height joinery and concealed rangehoods.&nbsp;

The inclusion of dedicated home offices responds to contemporary living patterns, while bathrooms feature sculptural bathtubs and brushed nickel fixtures.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27816 project_image_fid=355590]

Threadneedle also integrates best-practice sustainability measures, achieving a 7 Star average NatHERS rating. Initiatives include solar PV systems, rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing and irrigation, and high-performing building insulation. These elements enhance daily comfort while reducing ongoing maintenance and energy demand.

"We believe Threadneedle sets a new standard of design excellence and building quality for Balwyn,"&nbsp;Scaramuzzino added.

"It’s an architectural response we’re particularly proud of, and one we’re sure residents will be equally proud to call home."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=27816]

Staff Writer

Final homes remaining as Threadneedle, Balwyn completes construction

Joel Robinson

Sydney's top 15 new apartments developments set to launch in 2026

Developer-builder <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/dasco-australia">DASCO</a> has pushed beyond the now-standard inclusions of rooftop pools and landscaped podiums at its recently launched new Epping project, Senso.

It has laid out over 4,000 sqm of resident-only amenity in a move designed to compete directly with low-density housing on livability, not just density. The result is a development that supports genuine daily use through purposeful spaces distributed across its five-building, 479-apartment precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134954 project_image_fid=4396]

Two rooftop pools form the anchor of Senso. One is a 27-metre lap pool adjoining a heated spa, designed for everyday fitness rather than just summer leisure. The second sits on a lower podium, allowing different buildings to share in vertical access and reducing crowding during peak times.

It is the secondary spaces that start to distinguish Senso from other large-scale suburban projects. A rooftop cinema is integrated into a landscaped terrace, offering open-air screenings with natural ventilation and passive cooling.&nbsp;

The inclusion of a “sensory walk”, an elevated boardwalk that threads through the site, suggests a rare investment in non-commercial, non-essential amenity: space for quiet movement that doesn’t double as access or traffic circulation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134954 project_image_fid=4402]

The gym and wellness centre, often relegated to a small ground-floor room in many builds, takes on more substance here. Residents have access to a fully equipped gym, as well as outdoor yoga areas and meditative zones that integrate greenery and natural light.&nbsp;

The Club Lounge is similarly designed to support multiple use cases, with a private dining terrace, kitchenette, workspace, and lockable wine storage. These aren’t superficial additions; their scale and spatial allocation indicate serious intent for frequent resident use.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134954 project_image_fid=4391]

Importantly, Senso’s amenities are embedded within a site that spans more than 10,000 sqm, allowing for better separation between spaces and reduced noise spillover, a critical but often overlooked factor in high-density developments. This spatial generosity also enables multiple alfresco kitchens and communal terraces without compromising individual privacy or usable space.

While many developments make claims about lifestyle, few back it with this level of built infrastructure. Senso’s mix of dedicated fitness, wellness, social and passive green spaces suggests a conscious response to the post-pandemic shift in housing expectations, especially among owner-occupiers.&nbsp;

DASCO is one of several leading developers who have taken out Resilience Insurance's Latent Defects Insurance policy, providing buyers with a 10-year structural and waterproofing warranty, and giving them the ultimate peace of mind.

Senso is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134954]

The outdoor amenities elevating life at Senso, Epping

Following the proposal by the Minns Labor Government to rezone Parramatta Road to create up to 8,000 new homes, prominent developer Ceerose has gone to the NSW Gov to increase the density of its new mixed-use residential building in Leichhardt.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/ceerose">Ceerose</a>, founded by Edward Doueihi nearly three decades ago, has filed plans for 154 apartments above ground-floor retail at 307-315 Parramatta Road, a key corner site near Norton Street, the main high street strip in Leichhardt.

It's an upsize from the previously approved scheme of 63 apartments across a seven-storey building.

<img alt="Ceerose" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ba1ae75b-5f08-43fb-b8d5-3de6d9f6ef71" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-04%20at%2010.31.39%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=yA3hBBLPH4ev7MsAE0_hieXeqiFqBUb7" />

The project is being advanced through the State Significant Development (SSD) pathway, with concurrent rezoning sought to facilitate the proposal. The 10-storey development would rise over a four-level basement and deliver two retail tenancies, one a larger-format offering and the other a smaller “hole in the wall” space, addressing the Parramatta Road frontage. 21 of the apartments are dedicated as affordable housing.

According to the Urban Design Report by Architecture AND, the scheme includes a podium and tower configuration, with a fine-grain, two-storey parapet street wall that references the traditional shopfront rhythm along the corridor. “An elegant tower form is proposed, combined with a characterful two storey frontage... articulating it as two related buildings, providing consistency with the rhythm and grain of Parramatta Road,” the report notes.

The residential component is split across two slender towers set back from the street edge, a design move aimed at preserving solar access and reducing perceived bulk. This massing strategy also seeks to improve residential amenity by focusing scale toward the quieter northern interface, away from Parramatta Road’s noise and pollution.

<img alt="Ceerose" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="347f2f8f-5d36-4388-b40a-2e77380b9c19" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-04%20at%2010.31.02%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=xvyUE2ujT1lzivXTo.mHBJFF4SmfgLtz" />

Architecture AND has worked with Ceerose on previous Inner West projects, and cites a deep familiarity with the local character. Their design draws heavily on context, heritage, and sunlight access considerations, and engages with the Inner West Council’s “Our Fairer Future” strategic planning framework.

The site spans 2,712 sqm and is located near key intersections with Catherine Street, Hay Street, and Redmond Street. It adjoins a public carpark to the north and is within walking distance of Stanmore and Petersham stations. It is also flagged in state and local planning strategies, including the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, as a suitable candidate for increased density.

Ceerose recently completed The Alex Collective on McEvoy Street in Alexandria, Abbie's Lane in Annandale, and the award-winning Munro House in Elizabeth Bay.

The Parramatta Road corridor is coming to life with the proposed rezoning which is serviced by a significant number of bus, light rail and train routes.

Deicorp is progressing with its $1.8 billion <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kings-bay-village-five-dock-53-75-queens-road-five-dock-nsw-2046">Kings Bay Village</a> precinct on Parramatta Road in Five Dock, as is <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/toga-to-push-on-with-five-dock-mixed-use-masterplan">TOGA further down the street</a>. Those two projects alone will bring nearly 2,000 new homes to Parramatta Road.

First look: Ceerose plots mixed-use Leichhardt development on Parramatta Road

North Sydney's landmark 'SBS Building' on Alfred Street is set to be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use residential tower in the booming North Sydney.

Commercial property group FiveX is behind the plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/275-alfred-street-north-north-sydney-nsw-2060">39-storey tower</a>, the latest project to advance under the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

They are proposing 184 apartments above retail spaces, which will replace the existing 20-storey commercial building. FiveX was set up more than five decades ago by Joshua and Marko Berger. It is currently led by Joshua's son Lesli.&nbsp;

<img alt="First look: Fivex plans 39-storey residential tower at 275 Alfred Street, North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2efa0980-53fa-4cca-9f9e-9c3c845d4746" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29%20%281%29_0.png?VersionId=y_YyPMq3NQLfYRs84pP4os9UgWiMLp75" />

According to the Architectural Design Report by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fjc-studio">FJC Studio</a>, the slender tower form has been deliberately designed to respect the site's transitional setting at the southern gateway to the North Sydney CBD, where high-rise towers give way to lower-scale residential precincts.

"The slender tower form and articulated podium establish a respectful relationship with nearby heritage and low rise buildings, including the Whaling Road Heritage Conservation Area,” the architecture firm noted, adding that the tower “completes a missing link in the urban fabric” while enhancing the Alfred Street streetscape.

The proposed building will include a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, with 15 percent of the gross residential floor area allocated as affordable housing. There is an agreement already in place that those apartments will be managed by Evolve Housing.

The project aligns with broader state housing objectives, including the National Housing Accord target of delivering 1.2 million new homes by 2029. The Scoping Report filed with the State Significant Development Application (SSDA) suggests the site "presents no impediments to rapid delivery,” with construction able to commence within 12 months of receiving consent.

North Sydney has been one of the most popular suburbs in Sydney for new and off the plan apartment development, but hasn't had the supply to keep up with demand, until recently.

AURA by Aqualand was, for a long time, the only off the plan apartment building on the market. That completed last year, and has sold the majority of its 386 luxury apartments. Recently ALAND launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-walden-173-179-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">The Walden</a> on the same street, selling over $100 million within just a few hours of its launch, while developer CASA also launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-mclaren-north-sydney-45-mclaren-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">The McLaren</a>&nbsp;in the same precinct.

First look: Fivex plans 39-storey residential tower in booming North Sydney

AILA National Awards 2018

<html><body>
<a href="http://aila.org.au/">The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects</a> (AILA) has announced the winners of the 2018 National Landscape Architecture Awards, recognising and celebrating the contributions of the 38 winners across 14 categories,to Australia’s regional and metropolitan landscapes. 

The annual awards program acknowledges the ability of landscape architects to shape cities and towns to tackle the major challenges facing Australian cities and their residents, including an ageing population, climbing obesity and diabetes rates, transport challenges and the increasing importance of positive mental health. 

The awards reflect the broad scale of projects designed by landscape architects with projects such as the Sunshine Coast’s Palmwoods Town Square awarded, through to smaller projects like the Ian Potter Children’s WILDPLAY Garden and the Darebin Yarra Trail Link.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/03-darebin-yarra-trail-link-emmacross.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Darebin Yarra Trail link by VicRoads. Image: Emma Cross"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/03-darebin-yarra-trail-link-emmacross.jpg?itok=B16sGtLb" title="Darebin Yarra Trail link by VicRoads. Image: Emma Cross" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Darebin Yarra Trail link by VicRoads. Image: Emma Cross</figcaption></figure>According to the Awards Jury, landscape architects are fundamental to the health and wellbeing of our communities, expanding their skillset to help the world deal with critical issues.

<blockquote>
The awarded projects are sensitive, thoughtful and ambitious responses to repairing and improving our Australian landscapes. This is of critical importance at a time of increasing urbanisation and climate change.

- Sara Kjaersgaard, AILA National Awards Jury Chair
</blockquote>

The awards coincided with the 2018 AILA International Festival of Landscape Architecture: The Expanding Field, which celebrates the great diversity within Landscape Architecture practice, promoting the critical role the profession has in confronting and contributing to the social and economic challenges of the coming century.

The Expanding Field Creative Directors, Taylor Cullity Lethlean (TCL), say the social and environmental challenges we face are large-scale and systemic, from climate change to growing wealth inequality and a politically volatile climate worldwide.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/01_optusstadium_peterbennetts.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Optus Stadium. Image: Peter Bennetts"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="370" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/01_optusstadium_peterbennetts.jpg?itok=9FO7yMub" title="Optus Stadium. Image: Peter Bennetts" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Optus Stadium HASSELL. Image: Peter Bennetts</figcaption></figure><h2>Winners are Grinners</h2>

Civic Landscape category

Award of Excellence

<ul>
<li>
	Newman Town Centre (WA) | UDLA
	</li>
</ul>
Landscape Architecture Award

<ul>
<li>
	Palmwoods New Town Square (QLD) | Sunshine Coast Council
	</li>
	<li>
	Railway Square (WA) | Place Laboratory
	</li>
	<li>
	Earth Sciences Garden (VIC) | Rush Wright Associates
	</li>
</ul>
Parks and Open Space category

Award of Excellence

<ul>
<li>Bungarribee at Doonside (NSW) | JMD Design</li>
</ul>
Landscape Architecture Award

<ul>
<li>Rockhampton Riverside (QLD) | Urbis</li>
	<li>
	Oaklands Park and Wetland (SA) | TCL
	</li>
	<li>
	Alpine Better Places Porepunkah (VIC) | MDG LAs
	</li>
</ul>
Play Spaces category

Award of Excellence

<ul>
<li>
	Optus Stadium Park (WA) | HASSELL
	</li>
</ul>
Landscape Architecture Award

<ul>
<li>
	Mukanthi Nature Playspace (SA) | PSLA Playspaces
	</li>
	<li>
	BallamBumps (VIC)| Playce
	</li>
	<li>
	Ian Potter Children’s WILDPLAY Garden (NSW) | Aspect
	</li>
</ul>
Infrastructure category

Award of Excellence

<ul>
<li>
	Darebin Yarra Trail Link (VIC) | Vic Roads
	</li>
</ul>
Landscape Architecture Award

<ul>
<li>Skeleton Creek Bridges (VIC) | Site Office</li>
</ul>
Cultural Heritage category

Award of Excellence

<ul>
<li>
	Plantbank (NSW) | 360 degrees LA
	</li>
</ul>
Landscape Architecture Award

<ul>
<li>
	Point Nepean National Park MP (VIC) | TCL
	</li>
	<li>
	Railway Square (WA) | Place Laboratory
	</li>
</ul>
Land Management category

Award of Excellence

<ul>
<li>The Living Knowledge Stream for Curtin University (WA) | Syrinx Environmental</li>
</ul>
Tourism category

Landscape Architecture Award

<ul>
<li>
	HOTA Outdoor Stage (QLD) | CUSP
	</li>
	<li>
	Maravista (QLD) | CUSP
	</li>
</ul>
Urban Design category

Award of Excellence

<ul>
<li>
	Optus Stadium Park (WA) | HASSELL
	</li>
</ul>
Landscape Architecture Award

<ul>
<li>
	Fish Lane (QLD) | RPS
	</li>
	<li>
	Victoria Square Kerang (VIC) | Hansen Partnership
	</li>
</ul>
Landscape Planning category

Award of Excellence

<ul>
<li>
	Chain of Ponds (VIC) | Site Office
	</li>
</ul>
Landscape Architecture Award

<ul>
<li>Southern Parklands Vision 2036 (NSW) | Turf Design and TDEP</li>
</ul>
Research, Policy and Communications category

Award of Excellence

<ul>
<li>
	Green Infrastructure Planning a National Green Network (WA) | Simon Kilbane
	</li>
</ul>
Landscape Architecture Award

<ul>
<li>
	Greener Places (NSW) | GANSW
	</li>
	<li>
	Monash University Civil Engineering Hydraulics Living Lab (VIC) | ASPECT Studios
	</li>
	<li>
	Interpretive Wonderings (NSW) | Interpretive Wonderings Landscape Architecture
	</li>
</ul>
Community Contribution category

Award of Excellence

<ul>
<li>
	Place of Healing (WA) | UDLA
	</li>
</ul>
Landscape Architecture Award

<ul>
<li>Palmwoods New Town Square (QLD) | Sunshine Coast Council</li>
</ul>
Small Projects category

Landscape Architecture Award

<ul>
<li>
	Immigration Museum Activation Project (VIC) | Rush Wright Associates
	</li>
	<li>
	Valley Lake (VIC) | McGregor Coxall
	</li>
</ul>
Gardens category

Landscape Architecture Award

<ul>
<li>
	Eve Apartments (NSW) | 360 degrees LA
	</li>
	<li>
	Vic Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VIC) | Rush Wright Associates
	</li>
</ul>
International category

Award of Excellence

<ul>
<li>
	Temaiku Land and Urban Planning, Kiribati | Jacobs
	</li>
</ul>
Landscape Architecture Award

<ul>
<li>
	Lingang Bird Airport | McGregor Coxall
	</li>
	<li>
	DaNang Railway Connectivity Improvement and Urban Redevelopment Study | Hansen Partnership
	</li>
</ul>
 

 
</body></html>

AILA National Awards 2018

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AILA National Awards 2018

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