<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.

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-4" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:84a2af5e-d7cf-4ddf-922a-f4d44d6c6caa-1" data-turn-id-container="request-WEB:84a2af5e-d7cf-4ddf-922a-f4d44d6c6caa-1" dir="auto">
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 William Smart-designed semi, Ilari in Potts Point, listed at $5.5 million-plus, has been sold for $4.6 million to the Ainsworth family.
<a href="https://www.randw.com.au/1490419/" target="_blank">Ilari was listed</a> though Jason Boon and Geoff Cox of Richardson &amp; Wrench Elizabeth Bay.
The settlement documents show its buyer was Harold Ainsworth.
The three storey Federation house was sold by designer Johnson Chan, who paid $1.9 million in 2007 buying the property with a humble Tudor facade from barrister-cum-buyers agent Chris Curtis.
Inspectees were told a further $3.5 million had been spent on its substantial rebuild by Smart, of Smart Design Studio, who won <a href="https://smartdesignstudio.com/projects/residential/tusculum/" target="_blank">some 15 awards and commendations </a>for the work, including the 2012 AIA Architecture Award for heritage and interior design.
The four-bedroom home with a steel and bronze cantilevered staircase as its centrepiece was marketed as a mix of concrete, steel, glass, stone, timber and technology.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Ainsworth family buy $4.6 million William Smart-designed Potts Point semi

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Bringing together knowledge and innovation has become an increasingly important consideration for urban planners as they grapple with the expansion of a knowledge economy and its implications for economic competitiveness.
Inspired by Silicon Valley, <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2012.11.005" target="_blank">knowledge-based urban development</a> has become a widespread goal since the 1970s. Fostering precincts that concentrate on “<a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2013.814621">knowledge generation and innovation</a>” has become a priority for many cities all across the globe.
Beyond Silicon Valley, other global successful examples of urban knowledge precincts include Silicon Alley in New York, Silicon Roundabout in London, Orestad in Copenhagen, Brainport in Eindhoven, and one-north in Singapore.
In Australia, the Australian Technology Park in Sydney, Parkville Knowledge Precinct in Melbourne, and Kelvin Grove Urban Village in Brisbane are certainly emerging urban knowledge precincts.
<img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/48819/width668/hnwryr8h-1400466498.jpg" alt="">
Sydney’s Australian Technology Park is spread across 14 hectares. Threthny/Flickr, <a class="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">CC BY-NC-SA</a>
Some Australian cities <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2014.03.032">perform well compared to global knowledge cities</a>. Where Sydney and Melbourne enjoy the top-tier position with Boston, San Francisco, Helsinki, Toronto, and Vancouver, Brisbane follows them behind in the second-tier group with Birmingham and Manchester.
Nonetheless, even Sydney as a “global city”, <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2008.01.001">Melbourne as a “knowledge city”</a>, and <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02690940802197358">Brisbane as an emerging “world city”</a> have not yet fully utilised their potential to build successful urban knowledge precincts.
And besides <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2010.512163">Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane</a>, there is limited knowledge-based urban development practice in other Australian cities.
<img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/48831/width668/4qmtz74p-1400470629.jpg" alt="">
The Orestad precinct in Copenhagen includes housing. Wojtek Gurak/Flickr, <a class="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">CC BY-NC</a>
Why confine innovation to a precinct?
<a href="https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=356227700529143;res=IELHSS">A recent study</a> that explores overseas and Australian urban knowledge precincts argues knowledge generated from these centres of excellence or islands of innovation should diffuse to the rest of the city.
<img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/48820/width668/9pyxfvph-1400466562.jpg" alt="">
Precincts like London’s Silicon Roundabout bring people together in multiple venues. Alper Cugan/Flickr, <a class="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">CC BY</a>
Cafes, restaurants, cultural, sports and entertainment venues, and outdoor activities also bring together like-minded knowledge workers and provide an opportunity for exchange of their tacit knowledge.
In other words, the proximity of knowledge industries to each other means they don’t act only in isolation, but are at the centre of the whole network of innovation that runs through the city.
“<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13673270810902902">Urban knowledge precincts</a>” often have two general objectives. The first is to play an incubator role nurturing the development and growth of new, small, high-technology firms, facilitating the transfer of university know-how to tenant companies, encouraging faculty-based spin-offs, and stimulating innovative products and processes.
The second objective is to act as a catalyst for regional economic development that promotes economic growth and contributes to the development of the city as a “<a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2014.02.005">knowledge city</a>”.
<img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/48822/width237/7rgnwq5t-1400466648.jpg" alt="">
Singapore’s one-north is a 200 hectare research and business park. We_like_it/Flickr, <a class="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">CC BY-NC-ND</a>
While world-class infrastructure and networks provide the pull factor for investment, urban vibrancy does the same for talent. These precincts are formed either organically like Silicon Valley or planned such as <a href="https://www.edb.gov.sg/content/edb/en/why-singapore/ready-to-invest/setting-up/business-location/one-north">Singapore One-North</a>.
In either case, the most successful precincts generate a spill over effect to the rest of the city or region. A good example for this is the<a href="https://www.22barcelona.com/index.php?lang=en">22@Barcelona</a> precinct, which brought together the rich cultural heritage of Barcelona and local and international talent and investment to form a knowledge generation atmosphere at the redeveloped old industrial area located adjacent to the Olympic Village.
More work required
<img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/48824/width237/fyhp267b-1400467231.jpg" alt="">
22@Barcelona is one of Europe’s largest urban regeneration projects. kodakhrome/Flickr, <a class="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">CC BY-NC-ND</a>
For over three decades, Australian governments have been half-hearted in attempts to diversify the economy by aiming for a move towards knowledge economy. Partnerships that bring together public, private and academic sectors are required.
<a href="https://www.kgurbanvillage.com.au">Kelvin Grove Urban Village</a> is one such partnership involving the Queensland University of Technology, Queensland Department of Housing, and Creative Enterprise Australia. The idea is to have a vibrant village atmosphere where living, working, playing and learning are integrated, with “creativity” at the centre.
Although these three-way partnerships are an ideal method for developing knowledge precincts, in most cases public sector leadership and initiatives are needed to encourage the private sector.
Policymakers need to consider the increasing competition from other cities to attract investment and talent. A sustainable competitive strategy will require the private sector, academia and public to work together.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/24290/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Tan Yigitcanlar is associate professor of urban and regional planning at Queensland University of Technology
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>.
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po-LsXgBTHBmX

Valleys, alleys and roundabouts: Innovating beyond a precinct

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Bibury, the 1929 Leslie Wilkinson-designed Burradoo residence, was bought by the late health care industry entrepreneur Paul Ramsay for $3.5 million just before his recent May death.
The property, which has also been recently known as Burlington, was sold by Marianna O'Sullivan, wife of corporate adviser, Tony O'Sullivan, last December with its settlement in April.
It had previously traded when barrister David Arnott and his wife, Paddington retailer Rekha secured $2.8 million in 2008.
The Burradoo Road house, standing on 1.13 hectares, sits adjacent to Paul Ramsay's longtime Southern Highlands retreat, Yarrawin which Title Tattle estimates as two hectares plus.
Paul Ramsay grew up in the Highlands. He founded Ramsay Health Care, but was just as involved in regional television and property development.
Paul Ramsay, the son of a land surveyor, loved his properties, sometimes popping a letter to me which reflected his passion for property..and life. The first was around the early 1990s sale of his Point Piper apartment.
There were the past purchases and sales of Moonrising at Palm Beach, another called Seagull on the beach at Mollymook and Noorinya on Sapphire Beach at Coffs Harbour. He kept, but rarely visited the double block amalgamated property on the Belongil at Byron Bay.
His long held Burradoo property dated back to its 1980s purchase, but it was actually a case of him buying back his childhood home, as was mentioned at the memorial service held at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney. His father Oscar had bought part of the property in 1939, when Paul was aged 3, selling it in 1973.
No surprise that he fancied Bibury as it has typical wonderful Wilkinson features, merging Mediterranean and Georgian influences with stuccoed brickwork, loggias, timber shutters and a vine-covered terrace. It traded at $785,000 in 1988 when sold by the Audsley family, who paid $98,000 in 1975.
<img src="/images/2014/06/27/Burradoo%20june%2027%20one.jpg" alt="">
When built for the solicitor Alex MacGregor in 1929 at a cost of £3,745, the house was known as Shadowood.
The McGregors lived there for six years before selling to Maud Dangar for £6,000 pounds in 1935.
It was Wilkinson's sixth residential commission and the first of his Southern Highlands projects.
The five-bedroom, two-bathroom house, which is approached by a flagged driveway through a porte-cochere into a central courtyard, has maid's quarters.
The single garage has chauffeur's accommodation.
The bore-serviced grounds have a stable and tack room, workshop and two croquet lawns.
The house was restored by Lucas, Stapleton, winning the Royal Australian Institute of Architects Greenway Award for heritage restoration. 
Just what Paul Ramsay's plans were following the acquisition aren't evident.
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Prof Wilkinson-designed 1929 Bibury, Burradoo sells at $3.5 million

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Warehouse conversions are increasing in popularity across Australia, offering space and character when renovated.
Property Observer picked out five, currently listed, warehouse apartments that offer something slightly different for a sharp-eyed buyer.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-vic-collingwood-115320547%20" target="_blank">16/26 Wellington Street, Collingwood, Victoria</a>
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/collingwood-june-25-one.jpg" alt="">
This apartment, in “The Kiln” building from circa 1862, includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and a solid brick vaulted ceiling.
It’s an unusual offering to the market, with redgum floors and huge open spaces. It includes a library and two undercover car spaces, and there is a roof deck with views over the city.
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/collingwood%20june%2025%20two.jpg" alt="">
The three bedroom apartment had been tipped to fetch $1.35 million to $1.45 million at its<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-vic-collingwood-115320547" target="_blank"> hockingstuart auction</a> last weekend.
It was passed in at $1.35 million.
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/collingwood%20june%2025%20three.jpg" alt="">
 
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/collingwood%20june%2025%20four.jpg" alt="">
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-fortitude+valley-116874863%20" target="_blank">24 Church Street, Fortitude Valley, Queensland</a>
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/fortitude%20valley%20june%2025%20two.jpg" alt="">
A “New York style” converted warehouse, this offering comes with three-bedroom plus study and three-bathrooms, and has timber floors and sky lights.
It has a private entry courtyard with “award winning gardens” that had been featured in the magazine Trends and had also appeared on Better Homes and Gardens.
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/fortitude%20valley%20june%2025%20one.jpg" alt="">
A fire place is included and the listing notes that there is the potential for a wine cellar. It also has air conditioning, an indoor aquarium, intercom security and a spa.
It sits on 223 square metres of land, with 396 square metres of building floor area. Rates are quoted at $3,222.44 per annum with a current renter in the property for $1,300 per week ending on the 19 December this year.
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/fortitude%20valley%20june%2025%20three.jpg" alt="">
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-camperdown-117266343" target="_blank">8/2 Cardigan Lane, Camperdown, New South Wales</a>
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/camperdown%20june%2025%20one.jpg" alt="">
Looking for over $750,000, this property is in an old upholstery factory. With a north-west aspect, the two-bedroom, two-bathroom property includes high ceilings, timber floors and exposed beams.
It has intercom, and comes with $1,267 per quarter levies.
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/camperdown%20june%2025%20two.jpg" alt="">
It has been rustically styled, including the debatable dead-animal skull on the wall.
Property Observer particularly likes the bare brick walls.
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/camperdown%20june%2025%20three.jpg" alt="">
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/camperdown%20june%2025%20four.jpg" alt="">
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-wa-perth-113980631" target="_blank">32/82 King Street, Perth, Western Australia</a>
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/perth%20june%2025%20one.jpg" alt="">
This property takes up the entire fifth floor, and 548 square metres, of the Wills Building, which was initially used to warehouse the G&amp;R Wills Company in 1866.
The Edwardian-style building is located close to Louis Vuitton and Tiffany’s outlets, and includes wrought iron entry gates.
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/perth%20june%2025%20three.jpg" alt="">
A timber panelled elevator takes the occupant to a private lobby to enter the property, which has timber floorboards and glass/steel atriums.
It has five bedrooms, four with ensuites, and one which opens onto an atrium entertaining area.
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/perth%20june%2025%20two.jpg" alt="">
Currently it is zoned residential, although there is the potential for commercial zoning – and the listing notes that the vendors are prepared to rezone as part of the contract. This may please investors who can live in part and rent out the rest or convert the entire property.
Other tenants in the building include a law firm at present.
It last sold for $850,000 in 2003.
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/perth%20june%2025%20four.jpg" alt="">
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-vic-collingwood-117297435" target="_blank">10/170 Oxford Street, Collingwood, Victoria</a>
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/collingwood%20%20two%20june%2026%20one.jpg" alt="">
This apartment, asking for $950,000, is a three-bedroom two-bathroom offering that is in the Foy &amp; Gibson development and is in ‘penthouse-style’.
It includes two large terraces, a walk-in pantry, heating and cooling and life access to lobby. It has a lower-level parking space.
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/collingwood%20%20two%20june%2026%20two.jpg" alt="">
It currently rents for $3,737 per calendar month until mid-March 2015.
The contrast between the modern interior and the older exterior has helped this listing achieve a place in the top five.
<img src="/images/2014/06/25/collingwood%20%20two%20june%2026%20three.jpg" alt="">
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Five unusual converted warehouse apartments

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The residential towers at Sydney's One Central Park were voted the fifth best new skyscraper in the world by Emporis, a Hamburg-based building and construction data company.
The “international jury of architecture experts” selected buildings which had been completed in the last 12 months and were at least 100 metres tall, judging them according to “aesthetic and functional design criteria,” according to Emporis. A total of 300 high rise buildings were considered. 
First place went to London’s The Shard, the 87 storey tower which opened in February last year. The tallest building in the European Union, the Shard was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano with Adamson Associates.
One Central Park was completed in December 2013. Designed by French architecture practice Jean Nouvel with Australian firm PTW, the skyscraper’s standout feature is its plant covered walls, which are set to reach full growth potential at the end of the year. 
PTW director Matt Dobbs said One Central Park was a “dream project to work on.”
“Collaborating with the likes of world renowned architect Jean Nouvel is a once-in-a-career opportunity,” he said.
The other major feature of the skyscraper is Nouvel’s signature cantilever – a suspended beam or structure jutting out from the main building, anchored at only one end. At One Central Park, the cantilever is the tower’s Sky Garden, which extends from level 29 of the East tower.
The Emporis Skyscraper award is now in its fourteenth year. Previous winners include London's 30 St Mary Axe ("the Gherkin" to some), the Kingdom Centre in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh and the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower in Tokyo.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mode_Gakuen_Cocoon_Tower" title="Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower"> </a>
The top 10 skyscrapers of the last year, according to <a href="https://www.emporis.com/" target="_blank">Emporis</a>:
<ol>
<li>The Shard, UK <img src="/images/2014/05/22/The_Shard_during_its_opening_laser_light_show_2.jpg" alt=""> Source: Wikimedia Commons 
</li>
<li>DC Tower #1, Austria <img src="/images/2014/06/25/DC_Tower_1_September_2013.png" alt=""> Source: Wikimedia. 
</li>
<li>Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort, China <img src="/images/2014/06/25/Sheraton_Huzhou_Hot_Spring_Resort_exterior_night_view.jpg" alt=""> Source: Wikimedia. 
</li>
<li>Cayan Tower, United Arab Emirates <img src="/images/2014/06/25/infinity-ex-10.jpg" alt=""> Source: Supplied. 
</li>
<li>One Central Park, Australia <img src="/images/2014/05/22/Fraser05.jpg" alt=""> Source: Supplied. 
</li>
<li>Flame Towers, Azerbaijan <img src="/images/2014/06/25/Baku_Towers_43.jpg" alt=""> Source: wikiarquitectura. 
</li>
<li>Mercury City, Russia <img src="/images/2014/06/25/mercury-city-ine.jpg" alt=""> Source: Supplied. 
</li>
<li>Ardmore Residence, Singapore <img src="/images/2014/06/25/gallery_home_01.jpg" alt=""> Source: Supplied. 
</li>
<li>AZ Tower, Czech Republic <img src="/images/2014/06/25/Brno_tice_Prakova_AZ_Tower_2013-05-21_03.jpg" alt=""> Source: Wikimedia. 
</li>
<li>EQUAL: Nanfung Commercial, Hospitality and Exhibition Complex, China &amp; Tour Carpe Diem, France <img src="/images/2014/06/25/guangzhou-june25-one.jpg" alt=""> Nanfung Commercial, Hospitality and Exhibition Complex, China. Source: Hong Kong Institute of Architects <img src="/images/2014/06/25/Cot_esplanade.jpg" alt=""> Tour Carpe Diem, France. Source: Vincent4617/<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a>.
</li>
</ol>
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Sydney’s One Central Park named one of the world’s best new skyscrapers

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Wendy Moore has nominated her top five favourite items from this season’s renovations.
The House Rules judge and Home Beautiful magazine editor told The West Australian which design objects caught her eye.
<ol>
<li>
The Rita print from Candy and Ryan’s house. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2014/06/23/Rita-Vintage-Style-Canvas-189x139cm-Selected-Stores-Only.jpg" alt=""> The vintage style print from <a href="https://www.freedom.com.au/homewares/decorator-accents/wall-art/23397224/rita-vintage-style-canvas-189x139cm-selected-stores-only/" target="_blank">Freedom </a>was chosen by Carole and Russell, matching the yellow light shades over their kitchen. “It suited the house rules perfectly,” Moore told The West Australian. Carole and Russell won the highest score for their zone in Candy and Ryan’s house. 
</li>
<li>
The ant-cap lights from Bomber and Mel’s house. Brooke and Grant grabbed some ant-caps from Bomber’s shed to create new lamp shades in their lounge room. Moore called the ant-cap lights “a really clever concept.” 
</li>
<li>
The bedhead from Adam and Lisa’s house. <img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2014/06/23/Capture.JPG" alt=""> The <a href="https://www.heatherlydesign.com.au/product/waldorf/" target="_blank">Warldorf bedhead by Heatherly Design</a> that Maddi and Lloyd was summed up in two words: “luxury and style” 
</li>
<li>
The blackwood bench from Brooke and Grant’s house. Halston Joinery made the custom blackwood bench in Brooke and Grant’s entrance, which had a pigeon hole for each of their seven children. 
</li>
<li>
The bath from Brooke and Grant’s house. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2014/06/23/bath-june-23-one.jpg" alt=""> Brooke and Grant were also given a freestanding bath. "The <a href="https://www.reece.com.au/bathrooms/products/kado-lure-1760-freestanding-oval-bath-white-9502377" target="_blank">Kado Classic freestanding bath</a> from Reece fits perfectly within a 100-year-old farmhouse," said Moore. "A great modern version of a classic look."</li>
</ol>
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Wendy Moore’s top five finds from House Rules

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It almost got a little chilly this week, even with the winter sun. The cold came from a frosty exchange between our property contrarians, Jonathan Chancellor and Margie Blok, concerning the use of the term "winter garden", its definition and best application.

They reached agreement that a winter garden must have floor-to-ceiling external glass walls, with adjustable glass louvre panels. The space must be long and wide – not a box-like enclosed balcony. Ideally, a winter garden should also have an internal glass wall which can fold back to allow seamless flow with adjacent living areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27728]

Of course over recent years, urban real estate agents have hijacked the term "winter garden" in an attempt to glamorize glass-enclosed balconies within apartments. 

The term was used during the early 19th century for grandly proportioned conservatory-style glass pavilions designed for growing plants in grand houses.

The history of winter gardens is <a href="https://melbourneblogger.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/what-wasis-winter-garden" target="_blank">well documented by a Melbourne blogger</a> who notes “the winter garden dates back to the early modern era where European nobility liked to build a large conservatory...and it had two functions: to house luscious plants that wouldn’t normally grow in that climate and to become an extension of the sociable living space.” 

The blogger further noted:

By the late 19th century, winter gardens had three defining factors:

<ol>
<li>They continued to grow warm-climate plants in a cool country; </li>
	<li>They had space for music, pleasure and strolling inside the building; and </li>
	<li>They were made of vast areas of glass to maximise the natural light and the natural views.  </li>
</ol>
Our columnists recalled the landmark Wintergarden apartments, at 57 Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross.

It was designed in the 1920s to be sympathetic to its environment with its foyer then boasting indoor conservatory-style gardens.

Winter gardens were a signature of the architect John Burcham Clamp who'd also incorporated them into the 1912 Farmer’s CBD store. 

The designs used attributes of the then new “Daylight Principle”. 

The Kings Cross Wintergarden, which has lost much of its finest details, was one of Sydney's first Chicago-style apartment buildings, using steel frames to give added strength and height.

Almost a century on, our columnists now cast their eye over some recent loose usage of the term and suggest their favourite apartments worthy of the glamourous winter gardens description.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=2881]

HE SAID:

I'm not a huge fan of winter gardens. Especially those that let in the draft and traffic noise. So sadly that rules out some apartments in the Renzo Paino Macquarie Apartments block, given its Macquarie Street position above the Cahill Express entry. The one's above the Royal Botanic Gardens work better. Conservatories in family homes don't do it for me either. I don't mind the old fashioned sunroom, but that's for another day. I've been impressed by the winter gardens in the newly completed <a href="https://www.metroresidences.com.au/interior" target="_blank">Metro</a> project in Chatswood. Ditto the Central Park project at Broadway where they were marketed as ‘loggias’ - weatherproofed with high-tech vertically-sliding glass panels, allowing the residents of blocks, such <a href="https://www.centralparksydney.com/live/the-mark" target="_blank">The Mark</a> to open the space to the elements as a balcony, or close the windows and enjoy bonus indoor space. With no change internal apartment floor level, the loggia seamlessly connects to the living space, and can be used as a dining room, study, extra living space or just an urban garden. 

One knockout winter garden I've spotted is at <a href="/news">Newcastle</a>, NSW, not the UK. Occupying a coveted spacious north east corner position on the sixth floor of The York luxury apartments, there's a winter garden with electronic louvres offering both views of Nobbys Headland and Fort Scratchley and the rolling sound of the surf from Newcastle Beach.

Pictured below, the 601/61 Shortland Esplanade sold at $1.075 million early last year <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-newcastle-112905739" target="_blank">through PRD agent Mark Kentwell</a>. I'd have liked a little more furnishings with better than the one pot plant in the corner.

<img alt="" src="/images/2014/06/19/newcastle%20june%2019%20one.jpg">

In Melbourne's Eureka Tower I see they have actually been taking some of the winter gardens out. Not unsurprising, as they always looked too clunky, with their framework in tight odd shaped spaces, for my liking. I see 2101/7 Riverside Quay has been listed through MICM agent Brent Schapel sans winter garden in the 120 square metre abode. Looks like the black granite kitchen, pull-out pantry, and laundry were preferred. 

Harry Triguboff's high-rise, Miramar on Pitt Street, Sydney didn't market the block as having winter gardens when offered in 1993. But it didn't stop Lisa Wang and Yvonne Wong from the Cubic estate agency recently marketing, then selling their Miramar apartment offering supposedly with a winter garden. The apartment at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-sydney-116027911" target="_blank">170/398 Pitt Street</a> fetched $700,000 earlier this year, despite having sliding windows rather than the requisite louvres – though it was correctly marketed as low maintenance, with $730 weekly market rental potential (pictured below). I recall the 38-floor block with 267 apartments was one of the first with very strong Chinese ownership, with the then president of the Real Estate Institute of NSW, John Nicoll noting at the time that the trend in demand for inner-city apartments had been fuelled by uncertainty over the Hong Kong changeover in 1997.

 

 <img alt="" src="/images/2014/06/19/newcastle%20june%2019%20two.jpg">

Margie Blok weighs in on winter gardens on the next page.

SHE SAID:

Winter gardens have been bandied around the Sydney real estate scene since the Renzo Piano designed Macquarie Apartments building was sold off the plan during the late 1990s.

Estate agents and their copywriters often use the word erroneously when describing a glass-enclosed verandah.

While Jonathan worries about winter gardens being drafty, I argue winter gardens can work well if designed appropriately. In Sydney, glass louvres, a sunny aspect and generous proportions are paramount.  

[smartcode_project:default project_id=22699]

During my real estate travels, the best winter gardens I have seen are in Macquarie Apartments, as evidenced in Apartment 28 which sold last November for $3.75 million <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-sydney-114788639" target="_blank">through Wilson Property Agents</a> (pictured below). The landmark CBD building designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano saw all 62 apartments sell off-the-plan for an average $2.1 million. The typical internal space was 200 square metres to 220 square metres with 16 square metre to 25 square metre winter garden.

When I inspected this apartment, the winter garden impressed me because it works well with the other living areas, and it makes the most of natural light and the magnificent harbour views. Also, its wide glass frontage is fitted with electronically controlled glass crystal louvres which can be adjusted easily to control wind and rain. 

<img alt="" src="/images/2014/06/19/sydney%20june%2019%20one.jpg">

2) An example of the exaggerated use of the term “winter garden” is a Melbourne apartment <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-vic-melbourne-114155231" target="_blank">listed through Buxton Albert Park agents James Hatchman and Darren Male</a> (pictured below).

In a modern Karl Fender designed building situated on St Kilda Road, this one-bedder has a 26 square metre living area with sliding metal and glass doors opening to a glass-enclosed balcony with two half-height louvre panels – it could be described as a winter garden at a stretch. And the sad singular pot plant doesn't assist.  

<img alt="" src="/images/2014/06/19/melbourne%20june%2019%20two.jpg">

3)  An advertisement for a one-bedder, at Zetland in Sydney, inappropriately uses the word 'winter garden'. <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-zetland-117141391" target="_blank">Listed through Compass Realty agent, David Ho</a>, the apartment (pictured below) is described as a “Stunning Near New One Bedroom with enclosed winter garden”. 

With a masonry wall and sliding glass windows, this “winter garden” space is no more than an enclosed verandah measuring nine square metres.

<img alt="" src="/images/2014/06/19/zetland%20june%2019%20one.jpg">
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Apartments with winter gardens: He Said/She Said

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Choosing an apartment that is best suited to your personal lifestyle or investment goals is now about much more than just price.
Apartments today deliver an ever more urbane choice, where buyer demand has lead to a revolution in quality and design. As discussed in my last post, <a href="/expert-insights/buying/how-mixed-use-developments-will-continue-to-benefit-a-wide-range-of-mixed-users">the shift in user demographics plays a major role</a> and for many people apartments clearly tick the box for quality, design excellence and innovation. But this has not been achieved overnight.
Apartments from the 1970s may well reflect what is sometimes described as ‘the decade that taste forgot’. The 1970s brought us open plan living, colour – think orange and lime green – terracotta tiles, shag pile wall to wall carpets, big windows, indoor plants and one trend in particular, the use of exposed brick that still dominates some areas of our near city suburbs.
In the mid 1970’s apartment prices in Sydney hovered near $22,000 a decade later $66,000 and then in 1993 apartment prices started to rise and demand also increased for what was starting to become a more all-embracing product. Today the median price for a two bedroom apartment is around $850,000 but these bear no relation to any 1970s ancestor.
But even though some apartments can typically still cost less than a similar-grade house (although that gap is fast closing), in 2014 price alone is not the main consideration driving demand. While the decision to buy a particular type of dwelling is tied to demographics, shrinking household sizes, our ongoing housing shortage and a growing population are all factors.
The reality is that today, apartments are the home of choice for many people and first-class design, I think, is one key reason that can over-reach issues of affordability.
In February 2000 the then New South Wales Premier Bob Carr criticised the quality of the design of residential flat buildings. He challenged architects, the development industry and Local and State governments to do better.
“Australians can lead the world on how to balance urban densities with environmental comfort … The government, with councils, developers and architects, must work together on how to lift our game and create better, more liveable and sustainable suburbs.” (Premier Bob Carr, Sydney Morning Herald, 16 Feb 2000.)
Now almost 15 years after Bob Carr made those remarks has the industry faced up to his model and has the challenge been met?
I think we are well on our way to meeting, and in fact going past the ambitions. There will always be pressures to deliver enough housing in a high-growth future. But we also need to ensure that developments are well located and history shows that the arrival of new projects in some areas is not always welcomed.
However, this should not be allowed to frustrate or diminish the quality of medium or high-density residential buildings. In fact just the opposite. Because as design and quality improve new developments can add value to an area, boosting local demand and delivering sought after homes.
New apartments in our sought after suburbs are in high demand but there is only a limited supply of land, as for example, former commercial and industrial sites are regularly transformed. Understanding that sites are increasingly rare developers are now more than ever aiming to deliver exceptional projects to the market, from a marketing perspective I know that buyers now have ever higher expectations, and rightly so.
Picture of Woolooware Bay development: Supplied.
You can read Peter's discussion with Woolooware Bay architects, Kevin Driver and Angus Henderson from Turner Architects at Peter's blog, <a href="https://www.projectagenda.com.au/" target="_blank">Project Agenda</a>.
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The design dividend: First-class designs make apartments the home of choice for many buyers

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A modernist house designed by architect Peter Hirst at Pymble on Sydney's upper north shore has finally been sold.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-pymble-116529043" target="_blank">No price indication</a>, but it was listed with reduced $2.95 million plus hopes several months after having a $3.25 million asking price after failing to sell at its early-2013 auction.
The Peter Hirst-designed house, built in 1969 for the Blunt family, sold through the<a href="https://www.domain.com.au/property/for-sale/house/nsw/pymble/?adid=2011083969&amp;autoplayvideo=1" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;"> </a>Modern House agency.
"Gere and Anne Blunt commissioned the architect Peter Hirst to design a house in Pymble located next to PLC on a battleaxe block that affords extreme privacy," their marketing advised.
It is the home of George Pethard, owner of steel-manufacturing business Nevco Engineering, and his wife, Karen, who bought the property for $2.8 million in 2007 from the Heath family.
Set a 2,384 square metre block with a heated swimming pool, level lawns and established gardens, the Pymble Avenue property was renovated in 2006.
The renovation was undertaken by the lawyer Derek Heath and his wife, Elizabeth, by Lesiuk Architects. 
<a href="https://www.modernhouse.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Floor+Site-Plan_31-Pymble-Av_BLUNT-HOUSE_vf.pdf" target="_blank">The five bedroom, two bathroom house</a> comes with a Carrara marble kitchen, plus large formal and informal living areas that flow onto the garden.
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Peter Hirst-designed modernist Blunt House, Pymble finally sells

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The most exciting design feature in your home is the contrast between that white and neon chevron throw and your tasteful dove grey couch.
When you step into your house, you’re greeted by a sea of neutral tones. You’re sick of pretending to care about scented candles.
Perhaps you, like Manhattan resident Chris Kooluris, could do with a trip down memory lane. This used to be his bedroom:
<img src="/images/2014/06/13/nFtxZ07.jpg" alt="">
Some US$48,000 later, this is his bedroom:
<img src="/images/2014/06/13/NPPiq6k.jpg" alt="">
Chris and his home <a href="/expert-insights/building/fantasy-renovation-manhattan-gamer-turns-his-apartment-into-a-video-game-arcade">made headlines last week</a> when he revealed his home, which he transformed into a home arcade – complete with pinball machines, arcade games, and action figures. 
If you’re feeling a little jealous of Chris’s apartment, never fear. You too could one day live in your own video game arcade.
First, you’ll need to get rid of all that timber. Timber floorboards, desk, cabinet, bedhead – there’s no room for organic materials in a 1980s style video game arcade. Out it goes.
Next, paint those sandy beige walls over to dove grey, and move in your first arcade game. This one’s pretty special: it’s a Donkey Kong: Kong Off game.
Chris tells Property Observer that this game used to belong to Donkey Kong champion Steve Weibe himself, and is signed by Weibe and his supposed nemesis (and hot sauce purveyor), Billy Mitchell. For those who aren’t as well versed in their Donkey Kong battle mythology as they should be, it might be time to take a break from the renovations to sit down and watch <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0923752/" target="_blank">King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters</a>.
<img src="/images/2014/06/13/sn17cfn.jpg" alt="">
<ul>
<li>Cost: US $3,000 (AU $3,184)</li>
</ul>
The next arcade game in Chris’s collection is the Punch Out!! (fully restored, of course)
<img src="/images/2014/06/13/3.jpg" alt="">
<ul>
<li>Cost: US $2,100 (AUD $2,229)</li>
</ul>
Then comes the flooring. Chris chose colourful carpet floor tiles for his home arcade.
<img src="/images/2014/06/13/PKPNQwl%20-%20Imgur.png" alt="">
<ul>
<li>Cost: US $1,200 (AU $1,274)</li>
</ul>
Time for some more games, courtesy of Disney. There’s Tron, which Chris tells us is an original, “in very good condition with new side art, control panel and plastics”.
Then there’s Fix It Felix Junior, which some might recognise from the movie Wreck It Ralph. According to Chris, as few as 30 Fix It Felix original units exist, with less than 10 in private homes. He also got a Ms Pac Man unit, which plays 60 different games.
<img src="/images/2014/06/13/fIvlU5W%20-%20Imgur.png" alt="">
<ul>
<li>
Cost: Tron – US $2,500 (AU $2,652). Fix It Felix Junior – US $6,500 (AU $6,897). Ms Pac Man 60-1 – US $2,000 (AU $2,122)
</li>
</ul>
But of course, you don’t want to let your hobby make you anti-social. You’ll need a multi-player unit, like this Street Fighter II themed Dream Home Arcade Pedestal, which plays 25,000 different games.
And, of course, a television to go with it. And don’t forget the décor. It will look best surrounded by video game marquees.
<img src="/images/2014/06/13/eIm3hhl%20-%20Imgur.jpg" alt="">
<ul>
<li>Cost: Dream Home Arcade Pedestal – US $3,000 (AU $3,184). Sony 55 inch television – US $1,700 (AU $1,804). Video game marquees – US $500 (AU $531).</li>
</ul>
Even the most enthusiastic gamer has basic human needs. For that, there’s a vending machine. Look, it even has fruit.
<img src="/images/2014/06/13/pgif5x5%20-%20Imgur%201.png" alt="">
<ul>
<li>Cost: Rhino vending machine – US $350 (AU $371)</li>
</ul>
You tossed that bed, but you have to sleep on something. Chris went for a leather fold out futon, so there was plenty of room for game play in waking hours.  And, of course, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles quilt.
<ul>
<li>Cost: Fold out bed - US $750 (AU $796). Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles quilt - US $45 (AU $48).</li>
</ul>
<img src="/images/2014/06/13/xQwnhqo.png" alt="">
Any renovation show will tell you that details are everything. There’s Transformers artwork by Tom Whalen, stools, Twin Galaxies logo decal (apparently drawn up by Chris’s then fiancée) and Street Fighter action figures.
<ul>
<li>
Cost: Transformers artwork by Tom Whalen (framed) - US $350 (AU $371). Stools - US $300 (AU $318). Twin Galaxies Fat Head - US $120 (AU $127). Street Fighter SOTA Action Figures - US $600 (AU $637)
</li>
</ul>
But if you think that’s those constitute the finishing touches, you’re wrong. First, you’re going to have to lay down US $15,000 (AU $15,917) on a collection of Transformers. Property Observer, having a few Transformers collector contacts of our own, guesses that this collection (partially pictured below) took quite a few years for Chris to amass.
 <img src="/images/2014/06/13/nB8tKmo%20-%20Imgur.png" alt="">
<ul>
<li>Cost: Transformers collection - US $15,000 (AU $15,917).</li>
</ul>
Finally, there’s the pinball machine. While <a href="https://www.wired.com/2014/05/arcadia/" target="_blank">Chris told Wired </a>that he once promised to contain his hobby to a single room of his apartment, it seems that it’s spilled over into his living room, with this Lord Of The Rings themed pinball machine. 
<ul>
<li>Cost: Lord of the Rings pinball machine - US $7,000 (AU $7,428)</li>
</ul>
“Arcades are a gateway drug for a pinball collection,” Chris told Wired. While it looks like he'll press "A" to continue, the average person might put have put the controller down a long time ago.
All photos supplied by Chris Kooluris.
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