<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sunland-group">Sunland Group</a> has officially lodged plans for its first Gold Coast apartment project since the departure of the Abedian family from the company three years ago, unveiling a new high-rise proposal for a prominent Broadbeach corner site on Old Burleigh Road.

The application was submitted by an entity directed by Tom Jamieson, stepson of longtime Sunland leader Soheil Abedian, and Riaz Rezvanipour, brother-in-law of Sahba Abedian, Soheil’s son.

Sunland acquired the 1,283 sqm site on the corner of Old Burleigh Road and Armrick Avenue for $9.5 million late last year and is now seeking approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/99-101-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">42-storey tower with 81 apartments</a>.

<img alt="First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fea2946d-90ee-4cfc-babe-2a8ad5db2cb6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers.png?VersionId=BV0fihJw31nDIQ8ozY_h3GbS8mxDyhnm" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/contreras-earl-architecture">Contreras Earl Architecture</a>, the proposed tower at 99-101 Old Burleigh Road would deliver a predominantly larger-format apartment mix aimed at the owner-occupier market. Plans include 17 two-bedroom apartments, 55 three-bedroom apartments, and nine four-bedroom residences across 35 residential levels.

The development also incorporates three basement levels, four podium parking levels, two levels of communal recreation facilities, and rooftop plant and equipment. A total of 189 car spaces are proposed, significantly exceeding the 90 spaces required under the planning scheme.

The architecture adopts a sculpted, curvilinear form, with deep wraparound balconies and integrated landscaping intended to soften the tower’s vertical expression. The planning report states the building’s “slender footprint/form provides a complimentary yet varied built form within the local streetscape” and contributes to “a varied, yet ordered skyline.”

Contreras Earl noted in its Architectural Statement that from the early stages, the project addressed a fundamental challenge: how to accommodate the required residential yield while avoiding the conventional model of a tower sitting on a rigid, fully resolved parking podium.

“The most direct response would have been to consolidate parking into a singular, flat podium and extrude a repetitive tower above,” the statement said. “While efficient, this approach would result in a consolidated built form with limited engagement with the surrounding landscape and public realm.”

Instead, the conventional podium model was “deliberately rejected”. The architects described the base of the building as “a landscaped architectural condition where structure, planting and circulation are integrated”.

“Rather than presenting a continuous built mass, the base of the building is articulated through a series of concrete planter elements that organise the podium into a fragmented system,” the statement said. “This approach reduces the perceived bulk of the lower levels while establishing a more permeable interface with the streetscape and adjacent open space.”

<img alt="Sunland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="923fad8d-c960-4527-8fbe-975cf1ddf88d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%2010.32.03%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=pngwb0hYOIUpq9vDw6F2EsOiVuHF3DiX" />

&nbsp;

The site sits within the High Density Residential Zone and inside the City of Gold Coast’s unrestricted “HX” building height area, where the planning framework anticipates intensified residential development tied to the expanding light rail corridor. The planning report notes the area is undergoing “transition toward more intense development forms” given its proximity to Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, and high-frequency public transport infrastructure.

Positioned directly opposite Broadbeach Park and within walking distance of Florida Gardens light rail station, the development would sit among a rapidly evolving stretch of Old Burleigh Road that has become one of the Gold Coast’s most active apartment development corridors.

The application joins a growing pipeline of luxury residential projects reshaping Broadbeach, including nearby developments by 5Point Projects, Polycell, and Graya.

The planning report argues the project contributes toward the Gold Coast’s long-term housing targets under the South East Queensland Regional Plan, which forecasts the need for more than 100,000 additional high-rise dwellings across the city by 2046.

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The Abedian family departed Sunland Group in late 2023, ending a four-decade association with the company, and subsequently established the private development firm Abedian &amp; Co. The group is currently delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/greenmount-residences-cnr-hill-street-and-marine-parade-coolangatta-qld-4225">Greenmount Residences</a> at Rainbow Bay and recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/18-mary-avenue-14-18-mary-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">18 Mary Avenue</a> in Broadbeach.
</section>

Joel Robinson

First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach new apartment market with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans

The Minns Labor Government has established the new Bays West Delivery Authority to lead the development&nbsp;of the Bays West Precinct and Blackwattle Bay Precinct.&nbsp;

The Authority is charged with creating Sydney’s newest precinct, a thriving, connected, sustainable hub with White Bay Power Station as its cultural heart. Its vision is to build on the area’s natural, cultural and industrial history to shape a vibrant new neighbourhood.

The precinct will deliver up to 8,500 well-located homes, including a minimum of 10 per cent affordable and essential worker homes. Combine new housing with public open space, opening public access to the waterfront for the first time in more than 100 years, while retaining important deep-water facilities to support Sydney’s working harbour.

Located just minutes from the Sydney CBD and connected to a world-class metro, ferry, walking and cycling links, the Bays West precinct will rebalance housing growth towards well-serviced inner-city locations and help tackle the state’s housing crisis.

The Bays West Delivery Authority,&nbsp;an agency of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, will report to the NSW Minister for Lands and Property who already has oversight of major precinct renewal projects including at Blackwattle Bay and Barangaroo.

As part of the broader Bays West transformation, the Minns Government recently announced that a proposal from Lendlease to redevelop part of the Bays West Precinct has progressed to Stage 2 of the NSW Government’s unsolicited proposals process.

<img alt="Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2ed71eb9-d8e8-4fa7-b9d1-de4531dcf2f3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%209.42.31%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=IDryFIbped9SNDg72LEN_EecvhUsOPvp" />

The Minns Labor Government has also confirmed the Bays West precinct will have a new suburb name. This will be the first major suburb built in close proximity to Sydney’s CBD in decades and will encompass the area currently being referred to as Bays West, including Glebe Island and the White Bay Power Station. Served by a new Metro station just five minutes from the CBD, it will become one of the most populous suburbs in the Inner West and one of Sydney’s premier cultural destinations.

An early works program is taking shape, which&nbsp;includes the first stages of an international design competition.&nbsp;

The aim of the Bays West&nbsp;International&nbsp;Design Competition is to&nbsp;ensure design excellence is embedded in the project from the start. The competition will deliver an&nbsp;urban framework that defines the character, ambition and long-term identity of&nbsp;this&nbsp;former industrial precinct as it transitions to a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable residential&nbsp;neighbourhood.

The competition will be led by the Bays West Delivery Authority in partnership with Government Architect NSW.&nbsp;

It will launch with an invitation for a global Expressions of Interest, before moving to an invitation-only stage that will be assessed by a panel that&nbsp;will provide advice to Cabinet who will select a winner.

Premier of NSW, Chris Minns said the establishment of the new Authority is the first step in transforming the Bays West precinct into a vibrant, livable suburb minutes from the Sydney CBD and two stops from Hunter St Station on the Metro West line.

“The Authority will deliver well-located homes close to the heart of the city and integrate the new precinct with Blackwattle Bay and the new Sydney Fish Market.

“This is a generational opportunity to build a new suburb on the city’s edge and open the harbour foreshore to the public for the first time in a century.”&nbsp;

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said the new Bays West Delivery Authority established by the Minns Government will turbocharge the development of Sydney’s newest suburb.

“The Authority is working at a record pace to deliver an international design competition, planning pathways and a financial model so that this development benefits Sydney with well-designed homes in a central location, close to public transport, jobs, entertainment and essential services.

“If we want Sydney to stay liveable and affordable, we need to be bold about using underutilised government-owned land to deliver homes for the future while making sure essential working harbour functions can be accommodated.”

Bays West Delivery Authority established to "turbocharge" Sydney’s newest suburb

Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.

A recently approved code amendment would allow apartment towers of up to 14 storeys in some areas of Renewal SA’s redevelopment of the former West End Brewery.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard said he welcomed the code amendment, with the increase in heights and homes making a positive impact on the supply of high-quality, well-connected housing close to the city.

“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Mr Wingard said.

Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.

“The very strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities,” he said.

The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.

It proposed increasing maximum building heights from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site, with minimum building heights ranging from two to four storeys.

The code amendment was implemented through an Early Commencement policy in late January, allowing developers to quickly explore the viability of increased height and housing yield while other planning processes continue.

One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.

Samaras’ development adjacent to the future Colonel Light Park is now planning to deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly greater than original plans of around 50 apartments across four storeys.

The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.

Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a master-planned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering around two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.

Wingard said detailed precinct planning over the coming months may identify further opportunities to increase yield further that could see total apartment numbers at Southwark Grounds, exceed this number.

Affordable homes at Southwark Grounds will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Civil works have begun across the site, with construction under way on the first new roads surrounding a townhouse precinct in the south‑west corner of Southwark Grounds. This includes Renewal SA’s 17 Founder’s Row homes, which are on track for completion by Christmas.

“We expect to have people living at Southwark Grounds by the end of the year, so delivering roads and public spaces for those residents is among our highest priorities.”

Construction of 40 townhouses off Anderson Street, known as West Village and being delivered by Contour, is forecast to begin in mid‑2026. Kolabb’s Anderson Lane development will follow shortly after, delivering a further 26 townhouses.

Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.

Homes will be supported by a supermarket, a range of retail and hospitality offerings anchored by a revitalised Walkerville Brew Tower, a childcare centre, car parking and well‑connected public spaces.

400 new homes planned for Adelaide's former West End Brewery site

Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cavcorp">Cavcorp</a> has lodged plans for a new mixed-use residential development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/55-wyandra-street-teneriffe-qld-4005">55 Wyandra Street</a>, Teneriffe, anchored by an 85-metre public laneway designed to reconnect the suburb’s riverfront with the Gasworks precinct.

The buildings, known as Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane, would replace the existing Queensland Cotton head office site with a 15-storey residential tower transitioning to eight storeys toward Helen Street. The project has been designed by Plazibat Architects and lodged as a code assessable development application for 93 apartments across a 3,401 sqm mixed-use site within the Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront neighbourhood plan.

Central to the scheme is the transformation of an existing service easement into a publicly accessible cross-block connection linking Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the new laneway will act as both a pedestrian shortcut and a landscaped civic space between the Teneriffe Riverwalk, ferry terminal, and Gasworks precinct.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="26e7f058-b065-4de8-b13d-a2b8cb64dfcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bldg.png?VersionId=sELS0ZKYi361oYipUa1BIKfe_.DLZoFV" />

“The revised proposal delivers a legacy public-realm cross-block link, permanently secured for community use, transforming an existing private easement into a safe, high-quality pedestrian connection between the Teneriffe heritage riverwalk and the Gasworks–Long Island precinct,” the planning report states.

The laneway will sit beneath a large subtropical loggia integrated into the podium levels of the development. The design incorporates deep landscaping, water gardens, lobby spaces, business lounges, and ground-floor apartments to create what Cavcorp describes as a climate-responsive “urban verandah.”

The tower itself has been designed as a slender form with recessed floorplates and curved translucent corners inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture. The building height aligns with the Commercial Road precinct controls, which permit towers up to 15 storeys within proximity to Longland Street.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8a17d40-43b6-4718-b3fd-67676fcbb485" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers%202_1.png?VersionId=i3VwDtp5AmL_8InW7w4qRbDFEpb744Jt" />

The project will comprise a mix of larger-format apartments aimed at owner-occupiers, downsizers, and families. The proposed apartment mix includes 11 loggia apartments across the lower levels, 50 four-bedroom Sky-Terrace apartments from levels three to seven, and 32 Sky-Pool Homes occupying the upper tower levels. The Sky-Pool Homes will feature private thermal plunge pools integrated into oversized balconies.

According to the application, the apartments are intended to reinterpret the scale and character of Teneriffe’s woolstore conversions and Queensland homes within a vertical residential format.

“The sky-pool homes build on Cavcorp’s previous projects and introduce a distinct apartment typology to Teneriffe, informed by both local and international precedent and responding to an identified market demand for enhanced safety, space and amenity,” the planning submission notes.

A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.

Amenities proposed include a rooftop Swim &amp; Racquet Club with a 25-metre Olympic lap pool and tennis court, coworking spaces and libraries, golf simulators, wine storage, concierge facilities, business lounges, pet wash areas, and rooftop longevity-focused wellness spaces with spas, outdoor fitness zones, and landscaped terraces.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="944b352c-49b9-4247-a4c6-5967b4b69fda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/amenity.png?VersionId=Ed_qKjAtMwFT.5gfl3jiA9QwdWxSMsaX" />

All parking will be concealed within basement levels accessed from Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the deep-basement engineering approach allows the entire ground plane to prioritise landscaping, pedestrian movement, and active frontage rather than vehicle infrastructure.

The development continues Cavcorp’s concentration in Newstead and Teneriffe, where the Brisbane developer has delivered a number of apartment projects including Lucent, Le Bain, and Luminare, as well as the Long Island Wellness Precinct nearby. Several of those projects have received national design and architecture awards, including recognition under Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” program.

Cavcorp unveils wellness-focused Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane apartment buildings

Focus Group Investments has lodged plans for a new apartment development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-70-hanover-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">64–70 Hanover Street</a> in Fitzroy, seeking to utilise the Victorian Government’s recently introduced Great Design Fast Track pathway to accelerate approvals for the project.

The proposal is among the latest developments to emerge through the state-led initiative, which was established to fast-track well-designed residential projects in activity centres and transport-connected inner-city locations. The pathway allows qualifying developments that meet elevated design and housing benchmarks to bypass traditional council planning timeframes and instead be assessed directly by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Designed by SJB, the development will comprise a mix of apartments above activated lower levels, with a strong focus on architectural articulation, landscaping, and communal amenity. The design response seeks to balance the industrial character of Richmond’s former warehouse precincts with a more contemporary residential form.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abea51cc-d85b-479e-9aef-a589f3b37ca7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ground.png?VersionId=e1Kf8EyPWwyiVumtqQ4rM5S4GpOR3CCz" />

Proposed are 63 new dwellings, a wide ranging mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses and duplexes. They will be spread across a part-three, part-eight storey building.

The Planning and Urban Context Report by Tract says the development is of an "exemplary architectural standard" and has been carefully crafted by SJB Architects.

"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.

The architectural material highlights the project’s integration of landscaped elements and communal spaces throughout the building. The proposal also incorporates sustainability initiatives aligned with the Victorian Government’s push for higher-performing apartment developments under the fast-track program.

The Great Design Fast Track was unveiled by the Victorian Government in 2024 as part of a broader housing supply strategy aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Projects assessed through the pathway must demonstrate high-quality architecture, sustainability outcomes, and housing diversity while being located close to public transport and existing infrastructure.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afdbe834-8dc4-4a77-a943-ba07bc927348" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/site_11.png?VersionId=0J657j.TaChAZfp93wqJYBTqSsnREJx2" />

Focus Group, founder and led by Paul De Lutiis, is increasingly active across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, targeting well-connected urban renewal locations suited to medium and higher-density residential development. The Fitzroy proposal continues that strategy, leveraging the area’s strong transport links, established retail amenity, and proximity to the CBD.

Fitzroy has been one of the most popular spots for developers and buyers in recent years. The likes of PACE Development Group, SMA Projects, Crema Group and Chapter Group, currently selling projects in the suburb.

First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Fitzroy apartments

Design

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The winners of the 2014 Houses Awards, organised by Architecture Media, publisher of Houses magazine, have been a hot topic of discussion for architecture aficionados - including our property contrarians, Jonathan Chancellor and Margie Blok - since the recent announcement.
Last week <a href="/news/invisible-angel-with-wings-in-harsh-hampton-hamlet-he-said-she-said">Jonathan and Margie reviewed Invisible House</a>, a Peter Stutchbury designed residence which took out two awards, “2014 Australian House of the Year” and “New House over 200 square metres”.
Now in contrast to last week’s bushland location at Hampton, a harsh hamlet west of the Blue Mountains near Jenolan Caves, it is a designer shack at <a href="/news">Congo</a>, on the NSW South Coast, that captures their attention.
Off the beaten track and best known among surfers for its wave break called “The Suck”, Congo is located eight kilometres south of <a href="/news">Moruya</a> in the Eurobodalla Shire. A tiny village community with about 100 modest dwellings, Congo is about four hours drive from Sydney, and two hours drive from Canberra. 
Built on a hillside outside the village, the unusual holiday house took out the award for “New House under 200 square metres”. 
Known as Dogtrot House, it was designed for a family of committed campers. Their request to the architects was for a building capturing everything they loved about camping without the end of a holiday pack up. They wanted a permanent and civilised campsite.
Designed by Botany based architects, Dunn &amp; Hillam, Dogtrot House was completed late last year. Constructed by Smith and Primmer, builders of Moruya, it is a combination of two modest pavilions (one public, one private) joined by a covered open breezeway or ‘dog trot’ corridor. 
The form of Dogtrot House can be traced back to the early one room cabins that were built by farmers and fishermen. As a family grew, another cabin would be built and connected with a common roof. 
During the evolution of the design for Dogtrot House, one of the architects was re-reading author Lee Harper’s To Kill a Mockingbird which made reference to the vernacular ‘dog trot’ houses of America’s south eastern states. The name comes from when the “old dog was too hot to trot” – and a covered breezeway provided the perfect escape from the heat of the day. 
A dogtrot house historically consisted of two log cabins connected by a breezeway or "dog trot", all under a common roof. Typically one cabin was used for cooking and dining, while the other was used as a private living space, such as a bedroom. 
Architects continue to build dogtrot houses using modern materials but maintaining the original design.
Complimenting the intrinsic Australian flavor of Dunn &amp; Hillam’s design, the jury commented: “Although in an obvious lineage of Australian shed architecture, this simple shelter is convincingly a permanent camp site, where the experience and delight of being in the place are more important (and rejuvenating) than conventional comforts. Yes, you will occasionally get wet and cold, but genuine immersion in a special place has clearly underpinned the development of this scheme”.
“Careful consideration of the plan reveals that the major room at the north is essentially a covered outdoor room – the caravan annexe or tent fly. It is the space for community, from which daily activities are planned, launched and celebrated. Truly interior spaces are the all-weather places that permanent camp sites require – for sleeping, ablutions and cooking.”
“Considerable effort has been made throughout this house in plan, section and materiality, all of which contribute to the sense of care and privilege. Although base camps can be made in multiple (and often destructive) ways, Dogtrot House is rendered in an articulate and rigorous manner by architect and builder while never presuming that buildings are more significant than landscape.” 
HE SAID:<img src="/images/2014/03/28/jc-silhouette-7.jpg" style="float: right;">
I love the roofline, but am left a little underwhelmed by its modest exterior.
It makes up inside with its unexpectedly high quality, comfortable and practical interior.
As a fan of the South Coast, I appreciate, of course, it simply doesn't need to have all the North Coast Boomerang Beach pretensions.
And nor is it typically suburban, as Margie points out below. So it's a thumbs up from me.
<img src="/images/2014/03/28/mb-silhouette-6.jpg" style="float: left;">SHE SAID:
Dogtrot House is perfect for someone like me who loves unwinding at old-style coastal holiday shacks with a few creature comforts. And it is perfect for someone like Jonathan who was born in a tent. 
I love its simplicity and also its direct connection with the great outdoors. This uncomplicated holiday shack style is much more prevalent in the bachs of New Zealand than the NSW coastline where enormous designer holiday houses and hideously suburban homes have mushroomed during the past two decades. 
I think it would be a joy to spend time at Dogtrot House with family and friends - cooking up a storm in the kitchen with its tranquil lagoon views; chilling out in the Japanese bath; and reading and relaxing in the big indoor/outdoor room with its built-in banquette seating. 
I’m all for getting back to the simple life, so Dogtrot House gets the thumbs up from me.
Photos courtesy of <a href="https://dunnhillam.com.au" target="_blank">Dunn &amp; Hillam Architects</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Dogtrot House, camping out in Congo on NSW far south coast: He Said/She Said

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The Peter Stutchbury designed retreat, Invisible House, at Hampton near Lithgow in the western foothills of the NSW Blue Mountains, was crowned 2014 House of the Year, the awards presented by Houses magazine, affiliated with the Australian Institute of Architects.
It was designed several years ago as a bush retreat for a filmmaker and painter in rugged bushland overlooking the Megalong Valley, some four hours west of Sydney. 
The jury gave the top prize saying it was “absolutely Australian”.
“The form, materials and details are mastered in this house, running from inside to out and then into the landscape as one,” said the jury.
“From both inside and out, changes in nature are apparent, in wet and dry, hot and cold and through the seasons of the year.”
It said it came with “modesty, clarity, resourcefulness and consequential delight”.
<a href="https://www.peterstutchbury.com.au/invisible-house_f" target="_blank">New house over 200 square metres: Invisible House, near Lithgow, NSW</a>
Judges’ comments: There is something absolutely Australian about this project, pictured above, not just its connection to an undeniably spectacular setting but also its modesty, clarity, resourcefulness and consequential delight. Its magic is created through balance, such as the griddled rigour of the plan balanced with the bloated curve of the long section, or the transparency of the simple exterior balanced with the solid, albeit sliced, nature of the interior rooms. This elegant building, looking out from its position nestled into the hilltop, has left us drawn to see more.
HE SAID:<img src="/images/2014/03/28/jc-silhouette-7.jpg" style="float: right;">
It appears to be made largely of concrete just below the brow of the escarpment on the 75 hectare estate, apparently all but invisible on approach hence its name. Of course those rusting Ned Kelly helmut-like rooms are the first hint of its construction. Could almost be an abandoned rusty John Deere grader left in the former sheep paddock.
 One critic Joe Rollo rightly likened the home to Hugh Buhrich’s 1972 Castlecrag, Sydney home with its waving sinusoidal roof of copper sitting lightly over a band of glass over a concrete beam.
The curved ceiling looks stunning, but not sure about the overall internal harshness, but I guess it reflects the texture.
I love that it can be rented, known as Angel Wing on the <a href="https://www.contemporaryhotels.com.au/blue-mountains/angel" target="_blank">contemporaryhotels.com.au</a> website, though its $1,000 a night minimum so you'd need deep pockets or as many friends as Margie Blok has.
<img src="/images/2014/03/28/mb-silhouette-6.jpg" style="float: left;">
SHE SAID:
As an unabashed fan of the creative genius of architect Peter Stutchbury, I am mad about this house.
For starters I love its unmistakably Australian stamp with a raw palette of materials – stone, wood, concrete – working in connection with the landscape. 
Also, I love its balance, its elongated form stretching across the site, its curved internal ceilings reflecting shapes of neighbouring hills, and its vast expanses of glass capturing magnificent views of rugged bushland across the vast expanse of Megalong Valley.
Having spent much time in the Blue Mountains during each of the four seasons, I think this house has an interesting collection of spaces providing a calming and peaceful retreat at any time of the year – and not only inside. 
The outdoor areas are well designed for rest and relaxation too. I particularly like the central outdoor firepit, with its exposure to the sky and sawn log stools - an ideal spot to perch with a sundowner and watch the distant cliffs change colour in evening light. 
I see the house is named Angel Wing – presumably after the 9-metre limestone formation shawl dominating the Temple of Baal Cave discovered in 1904 at nearby Jenolan Caves.
Listed as a holiday house on the Contemporary Hotels website, the house, if you have eight staying, could work out at $175 a night each or $125 per night with discounted summer rates.
It is listed at $1,400 per night for two to four nights (with a minimum stay of two nights) or $1,200 per night for stays of five or more nights – and discounted summer rates (December to February) of $1,100 per night for two to four nights and $1,000 per night for stays of five or more nights.
Perched high on a hillside in the isolated hamlet of Hampton on Jenolean Caves Road, this house is a wonderful piece of architecture.
In my view, it is a well deserved winner of the Australian House of the Year in this year’s Houses Awards, organised by Architecture Media, publisher of Houses magazine. 
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Invisible Angel with wings in harsh Hampton hamlet : He Said/She Said

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The former Templestowe home of Victorian architect, Phillip Mannerheim has been listed for 9 August auction with $2.4 million hopes.
It is not entirely original as the current owners have extended and renovated the original residence to create an oriental inspired, feng shui home.
They are the third owners of the home purchased 11 years ago. 
They doubled the internal size, keeping in style with Phillip’s original vision for <a href="https://raywhitemanningham.com.au/vic/templestowe/1163486/" target="_blank">4 Winifred Court, Templestowe</a>.
Phillip Mannerheim has <a href="https://www.phillipmannerheim.com/" target="_blank">a website of his recent works</a>.
Carmen Stenta at Ray White Manningham says the four bedroom, five bathroom house on 3,986 square metres offered country living with easy access to the city.
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Architect Phillip Mannerheim's former Templestowe house listed

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An amazing collection of modernist furniture by Melbourne designer O. Noel Coulson goes to auction tomorrow.
The auctioneer describes it as Hollywood neo-classicism - inspired by ancient Greek design but with a space-age Jetsons feel.
The furniture was commissioned in 1958 for the Toorak home of the late fashion doyenne Mary Lipshut.
The furniture was custom-made by S. Andrewartha of Richmond.
The Geelong-born <a href="https://www.builtheritage.com.au/dua_coulson" target="_blank">Oswald Noel Coulson</a> was born in 1905 working as an architect, interior designer and landscape designer.
He undertook the gardens for the 1956 Olympic Games village of Heidelberg.
He's been dubbed the Australian version of the designer T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings who did the furniture for Conrad Hilton in the '40s, '50s and '60s, said the auctioneer Andrew Shapiro.
Shapiro says furniture pieces by Coulson rarely appear at auction. In 2009 he sold table lamps for more than $3,000 and a limed oak pedestal table for $5000.
This time there's an eccentric telephone table and chair, made of limed oak with brass sabot feet with an estimate of $1,000 to $1,500.
The most expensive offering is a streamlined low cabinet for $2,000 to $3,000.
The late Mary Lipshut amassed an estimated 6,000 clothing pieces many by Versace, Pucci, Missoni, Courreges and YSL when she was a buyer from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Many of the pieces of the glamorous octogenarian have made their way into museums including The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, New York, the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Victoria.
Her furniture goes up at the <a href="https://shapiro.com.au/auctions/catalogues/sh100-2021c-art-and-design/?page=8" target="_blank">modern Art and Design sale</a> in Sydney on 30 July, having passed away from cancer, aged 89, in February,
The 211 Kooyong Road, Toorak home of the fashionista was sold in 1988 for $875,000. It had been bought in 1949.
Mary Lipshut's owned the Tempo and Sportempo boutiques in the 1970s and was the creator of the Meredith label.
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Fashion doyenne Mary Lipshut's 1950s Toorak home furniture sale

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Do you remember the last time you took a good look at your own ceiling?
It was probably through bleary eyes, while you struggled to get out of bed this morning. Unfortunately, most of us don't have good reason to stop and look at our own ceilings.
But not everyone lives under white paint and down lights - some houses really have ceilings to celebrate. Here are five.
<ol>
<li>
<a href="https://%20http:/www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-queenscliff-115014703" target="_blank">79 Hesse Street, Queenscliff, Victoria</a> <img src="/images/2014/07/25/1.jpg" alt=""> The beautiful kauri pine barrel vaulted ceiling of this converted church in Queenscliff is the central feature of the home, contrasting against the stark white minimalist interiors. Now a four bedroom, four bathroom house, the building was originally built as a church in 1888, designed by architect TJ Crouch. It was deconsecrated in 1981 and was then used as an art gallery, tea rooms and a bric-a-brac shop. The current owners purchased the building in 2007, converting it into a home in 2011. It's currently on the market for $1.9 million to $2.1 million. <img src="/images/2014/07/25/1a.jpg" alt=""> 
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-bondi-115464395" target="_blank">330 Birrell Street, Bondi, New South Wales</a> <img src="/images/2014/07/25/2.jpg" alt=""> There's no eggshell white or dove grey tones to be seen in this Bondi building. Operating with a more-is-more ethos, owner Kevin Du Val has furnished the property with art nouveau curiosities, which extend upwards to the ceiling. He currently operates a massage clinic out of the property, which is soon to be auctioned. <img src="/images/2014/07/25/2a.jpg" alt=""> 
</li>
<li>
Moorecrest, California <img src="/images/2014/07/25/6.jpg.jpg" alt=""> Du Val's Bondi offering rather reminds us of the new Hollywood <a href="/news/from-incredibad-to-chaplins-pad-andy-samberg-and-joanna-newsom-buy-legendary-hollywood-home">home of Brooklyn 99 star Andy Samberg and musician Joanna Newsom</a>. The renovated 1921 home, once rented by Charlie Chaplin, features elaborate interior details, from the carved cornices and decorated columns to intricate oriental designs on the ceilings. <img src="/images/2014/07/25/7.jpg.jpg" alt=""> 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/expert-insights/buying/nicholas-dattners-collingwood-warehouse-passed-in">16/21 Wellington Street, Collingwood, Victoria</a> <img src="/images/2014/07/25/8.jpg" alt=""> "The Kiln" is a rather more rustic offering, a warehouse apartment which was once part of the former Carlton United Breweries between Collingwood's Victoria Parade and Gipps Street. Built in 1862 and fitted out in 1999, the apartment recently passed in at $1.35 million when <a href="/news/furniture-maker-nicholas-dattner-lists-collingwood-kiln-apartment">put to auction by furniture maker Nicholas Dattner</a>. <img src="/images/2014/07/25/9.jpg" alt=""> 
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-cape+tribulation-117495083" target="_blank">3762 Cape Tribulation Road, Cape Tribulation, Queensland</a> <img src="/images/2014/07/25/5.jpg" alt=""> The futuristic Alkira is unique in every way, and its ceilings are no exception. Designed by architect Charles Wright, the living space of this concrete trophy home features a scatter of concrete "beams", highlighted by long LED strips. Surrounded by 73 acres of rainforest, Alkira sits in a man made lake, with a helipad located 100 metres from the house. The trophy home, which owners hope will catch the attention of a local billionaire or perhaps "Silicon Valley and Asian entrepreneurs and Hollywood stars", is on the market for $14 million. <img src="/images/2014/07/25/5a.jpg" alt="">
</li>
</ol>
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jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Things are looking up: Five trophy homes with fantastic ceilings

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Chris Howe, from Bossley Howe Architects, and his tax lawyer wife, Betsy-Ann, have finally sold their Vaucluse residence.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-vaucluse-108528346">The Hopetoun Avenue offering</a> with four bedrooms plus office house, comes with soaring ceilings.
It also came with $8 million hopes back in 2010, with the first of its eventual seven agents who have had the listing.
It was up for upcoming July 25 auction with hopes of $6.9 million.
There's plenty of glass, wood, sandstone, and travertine throughout its large open-plan interiors.
Its grounds come with pool, ponds, decks, balconies and garden. 
Covering 420 square metre, the house was built in 2008 on 787 square metre of land.
Howe suggested this was the first high-end, contemporary house in Australasia that was fully carbon neutral on energy use.
Property Observer ccolumnist Margie Blok wrote of its innovative design and cutting-edge sustainability when she viewed the house.
“It’s greener than a tree house," Blok was told. She was particularly impressed with the passive heating and cooling systems using double glazing, stack ventilation, evaporative cooling, thermal mass and external automated louvres.
The block traded at $2.95 million in September 2006.
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Architect Chris Howe sells Vaucluse trophy home, finally

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Wheeler House, part of the Lonely Planet history in Richmond, has been sold for $2.11 million.
Falling short of its reported $2.5 million plus hopes of late last year's RT Edgar expressions of interest campaign, it had $1.8 million expectations when more recently listed through Hocking Stuart. 
It sold to the Woods family.
Wheeler House was listed by vendor Phil Anderson, proprietor of Northcote lounge bar The Purple Emerald, who bought 39-41 Rowena Parade from Natasha Oberoi, of the noted Indian hotel family for $1,225,000 in 2003 when she moved to the Yarra Valley.
Designed by the architectural firm, Robinson Chen with a cutting edge design, it was initially the home of Lonely Planet founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler having been before that the site of the company's offices.
Architect Kai Chen gave the house pink and teal green exteriors, something of a test case against heritage color schemes, when built in 1989.
The 35-square residence first sold at $971,000 when in 2001 the Wheelers were off to their new house by the river in Hawthorn. They had paid just the $92,000 in 1986 for the Richmond property, with its 2001 auction price rated as the then highest residential price for a single dwelling in Richmond.
Their first publication, shortly after they arrived in Paddington in the early 1970s, was a $1.80 travel offering printed in Glebe.
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Robinson Chen-designed Wheeler House, Richmond sells

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Australian architecture practices have a strong presence on the shortlists for the 2014 World Architecture Festival and INSIDE Festival.
According to BVN Donovan Hill national director James Grose, who has projects nominated for both festivals, there are 15 Australian architects, many with more than one project, shortlisted in the World Architecture Festival programme this year.
“Having multiple Australian projects being shortlisted in the World Architecture Festival awards is a tremendous confidence booster for Australian architects,” said Grose.
The Australian PlantBank at the Mount Annan Botanic Gardens in Sydney is shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival's Higher Education and Research category. The PlantBank (pictured below), designed by BVN Donovan Hill, is the largest seed bank in the Asia Pacific.
<img src="/images/2014/07/08/Australian-PlantBank-july-8-one.jpg" alt="">
<img src="/images/2014/07/08/Australian-PlantBank-july-8-two.jpg" alt="">
Photographer: John Gollings. Source: Supplied.
Auckland’s ASB North Wharf (pictured below), by BVN Donovan Hill in association with Jasmax, will be presented to the <a href="https://www.worldarchitecturefestival.com/" target="_blank">World Architecture Festival</a> and <a href="https://www.insidefestival.com/" target="_blank">INSIDE</a> juries in Singapore in early October. The project was recently awarded the New Zealand Architecture Medal, prompting the jury to comment: “In ASB North Wharf we may be seeing the future shape of work.”
<img src="/images/2014/07/08/abs-wharf-july-8--one.jpg" alt="">
<img src="/images/2014/07/08/abs-wharf-july-8--two.jpg" alt="">
<img src="/images/2014/07/08/abs-wharf-july-8--three.jpg" alt="">
Photographer: John Gollings. Source: Supplied.
The practice’s Regional Terminal at Christchurch Airport (pictured below) will also be showcased at the awards in Singapore. The project received the New Zealand Architecture Award for Commercial Architecture and Interior Architecture earlier this year.
<img src="/images/2014/07/08/Regional-Terminal-Christchurch-Airport--july-8-one.jpg" alt="">
<img src="/images/2014/07/08/Regional-Terminal-Christchurch-Airport--july-8-two.jpg" alt="">
<img src="/images/2014/07/08/Regional-Terminal-Christchurch-Airport--july-8-threee.jpg" alt="">
Photographer: John Gollings. Source: Supplied.
Other Australian architects which will be presenting projects for the World Architecture Festival and INSIDE festival juries include Bond University’s Abedian School of Architecture’s <a href="https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/bond-light-installation-wows-the-crowds-at-viv-2" target="_blank">Cellular Tessellation light installation</a>, presented at Sydney’s 2014 Vivid Festival. 
Fender Katsalidis Mirams Architects’ Garangula Gallery is also shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival, as is the Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp. Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp's Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery is shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival's New and Old category, and for the concurrent INSIDE Festival for its interior design.
The World Architecture Festival spans 30 categories and includes architects from more than 40 countries. INSIDE Festival occurs concurrently at the same venue, and recognises achievements in interior design and architecture. Festival attendees are able to view presentations from every shortlisted architect. 
For the full list of Australian projects nominated for the 2014 World Architecture Festival, see the next page.
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
The Australian projects nominated for the 2014: World Architecture Festival
<ul>
<li>AGL Lakeside Pavilion / Anthony Nolan, Kennedy Associates (Mt Annan, Australia)</li>
<li>Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre / Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (Sydney, Australia)</li>
<li>Three Chimneys House / Allen Jack+Cottier Architects (Country NSW, Australia)</li>
<li>Garangula Gallery / Fender Katsalidis Mirams Architects (Harden, NSW Australia)</li>
<li>Cellular Tessellation / Abedian School of Architecture, Bond University (Sydney,Australia)</li>
<li>Whyalla Regional Cancer Centre Redevelopment / Hames Sharley (South Australia, Australia)</li>
<li>Dandenong Mental Health Facility / Bates Smart Architects (in association with The Irwin Alsop Group) (Melbourne, Australia)</li>
<li>Australian PlantBank / BVN Donovan Hill (Sydney, Australia)</li>
<li>Medical Science 2, University of Tasmania / Lyons (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia)</li>
<li>Deakin University, Burwood Highway Frontage Building / Woods Bagot (Melbourne, Australia)</li>
<li>Sustainable Industries Education Centre – Tonsley Tafe / MPH Architects (Adelaide, Australia)</li>
<li>Abedian School of Architecture, Bond University / Cook Robotham Architectural Bureau LTD (Gold Coast, Australia)</li>
<li>Griffith University: Rescuing the Declining Campus/ Cox Rayner Architects (Brisbane, Australia)</li>
<li>Crown Mahogany Room / Bates Smart (Melbourne, Australia)</li>
<li>Pittwater House / Andrew Burges Architects (Sydney, Australia)</li>
<li>Aperture House / Cox Rayner Architects &amp; Twofold Studio (Brisbane, Australia)</li>
<li>Stamp House / Charles Wright Architects (Cape Tribulation, Australia)</li>
<li>Constance Street Public Housing / Cox Rayner Architects (Brisbane, Australia)</li>
<li>SILT / Liam Proberts (Brisbane, Australia)</li>
<li>Tasmanian Museum &amp; Art Gallery / Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (Tasmania, Australia)</li>
<li>Sustainable Industries Education Centre – Tonsley Tafe / MPH Architects (Adelaide, Australia)</li>
<li>National Australia Bank, 700 Bourke St, Melbourne / Woods Bagot (Melbourne, Australia)</li>
<li>41X, Australian Institute of Architects Lyons (Melbourne, Australia)</li>
<li>Liberty Place / Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (Sydney, Australia)</li>
<li>Sir Samuel Griffith Centre / Cox Rayner Architects (Brisbane, Australia)</li>
<li>Lune de Sang Sheds / CHROFI (Byron Hinterland, Australia)</li>
<li>Weddell’s First Neighbourhoods – Urban Design Concept / Troppo Architects with Taylor Cullity Lethlean (Darwin, Australia)</li>
<li>The Olive Grove / Ian Moore Architects (Wollombi, Australia)</li>
<li>Wentworth Park Competition / Fox Johnston-Nettleton Tribe (Sydney, Australia)</li>
<li>National Arboretum Canberra / Taylor Cullity Lethlean and Tonkin Zulaikha Greer (Canberra, Australia)</li>
</ul>
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Australian architects showcased on international stage

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The unusual Hollander House, the Antonio Gaudi-style home at Newport on Sydney’s northern beaches, has been listed for sale.
The hand-formed ferro-cement house is without question one of the finest examples of true organic architecture in Australia. 
"Hollander House is free form and highly contemporary and will appeal to those who think different," <a href="https://www.modernhouse.co/listings/hollander-house/" target="_blank">the marketing from </a><a href="https://www.modernhouse.co/listings/hollander-house/" target="_blank">Modern House</a>, a specialist estate agency for architect-designed residences, suggests. No formal price guidance has been issued, but an ambitious $1.5 million has been mooted in both the local papers.
The current owner is Californian-born interior designer Nancy Renzi of Renzi Design.
The property at 81 Grandview Drive was designed by David Hollander and built between 1969 to 1971 following the contours of the land like a giant rock formation.
"It evokes memories of Antonio Gaudi’s Barcelona architecture with the optimism of the future, think Zaha Hadid but with texture," the marketing suggested.
It first featured in Australian House and Garden, September, 1971, then voted one of the top five houses of the year, Australian House and Garden, 1973. Vogue Australia featured it in 1975.
Hollander developed a floor plan enveloping three levels beginning at the entrance hall and office, continuing through the living area to the kitchen/dining area, and ultimately ascending to the casual recreation room at the highest elevation.
His elliptical walls have curves which he thought were correct aesthetically, having found a heavily treed allotment just below the crest with a restrained excavation of the site for his new home. 
Recent additions to the design include an outdoor bath in the private deck from the main bedroom and a large entertaining deck off the kitchen with an outdoor fireplace as a centrepiece. There is 180 square metre internal space for the house engineered by E Perry and built by B A Moore on the 904 square metre block.
Hollander designed it for his own use and lived there for 14 years. Stephen and Meredith D'alton sold the house in 1990 for $230,000. It last traded at $860,000 in 2011.
<img src="https://www.modernhouse.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/FLOOR-PLAN_Portrait_HOLLANDER-HOUSE-728x1030.jpg" alt="FLOOR PLAN_Portrait_HOLLANDER HOUSE" width="728" height="1030" data-original="https://www.modernhouse.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/FLOOR-PLAN_Portrait_HOLLANDER-HOUSE-1273x1800.jpg">
David Hollander trained at the University of Sydney in the mid-1960s, later joining the Canberra office of Towel Rippon and Associates before accepting a position with the Sydney practice Devine Erby Mazlin (today DEM) in 1974. 
Some of Australia’s most celebrated circular-plan buildings include Roy Grounds’ Australian Academy of Science building at the Australian National University, Canberra (1956) and on a domestic scale, Peter Muller’s dome-roofed Kumale, in nearby Barrenjoey Road, Palm Beach (1955).
<a href="/news">Newport</a>, which sits between the Pacific Ocean to the east and Pittwater to the west, is a 20 minute drive to <a href="/news">Palm Beach</a> or <a href="/news">Manly</a>.
Newport is situated 31 kilometres north of Sydney’s CBD. 
Photography: © Jennifer Soo (Photos: 1, 2, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14) © Sharyn Cairns Photography (Photos: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13)
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Organic 1970s Hollander House, the Gaudi-style home at Newport, listed

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Brighton's 1888 Spurling House, the only known Victorian property designed by the Sydney architect John Horbury Hunt, has been sold.
The American-style property at 38 Black Street fetched $2.4 million. It last traded at $180,000 in 1981.
It is in the heart of Middle <a href="/news">Brighton </a>on a 1,000 square metre block, originally known as Purno when built in 1888 by the Canadian-born architect who was commissioned by Miss Spurling.
The three-bedroom plus study property features distinctive brickwork and shingle-cladding characteristic of Hunt's work.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-brighton-116458111" target="_blank">Peter Kennett of hockingstuart</a> had expected $2.4 million plus.
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