Repeat buyers are one of the strongest measures of confidence in any apartment development.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/era-newcastle-west-124-126-bull-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">ERA</a> in Newcastle West, some purchasers are returning to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> after living at the developer's One Apartments. Their decision to purchase again was driven by the quality of life they found after moving into their first GWH home.

Keith Wilton had spent years living in a house in East Maitland before deciding it was time for a change. Apartment living had always been on his radar, but he was selective about what he wanted.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FH_1EzB-1vs?si=XScVlP1ERsTDJoME" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

"I had some boxes I wanted to tick," he says.

Keith points to the open-plan design, generous outdoor areas and considered inclusions as key reasons One Apartments worked for him.

“One of those things was a nice indoor open plan area, but also I wanted a nice outdoor open area that I could entertain on in summer or Christmases or birthdays,” he says.

He also found value in the smaller details, from integrated appliances to shared resident spaces including the pool, cinema and rooftop areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356818]

After comparing several developments, he chose One Apartments because of GWH's longstanding local reputation and his own experience working with the developer on a commercial project more than a decade earlier.

"I knew that they were local, that the quality of the build was going to be up there. I'd looked at other apartment complexes around and close by, and I just knew that here was a better decision location wise."

Today, Keith says the move has completely changed how he experiences Newcastle.

"I enjoy living in this location because it's more of a lifestyle change. That Newcastle city living where you can walk to restaurants and bars and even beaches and parks and even shopping across the road."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356828]

Beyond the location, he says it's the sense of community that has surprised him most.

"Everyone loves living here because they chose to live here, but everyone looks out for each other. It's a real great community feel here."

For Aimee and Lyle Goodman, the journey started almost by chance.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tsioMLcnjas?si=zq-ys3JuWpfa5hFv" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

The couple happened to be having coffee in Newcastle when they noticed the site where One Apartments was about to begin construction.

"We were aware GWH was planning a development," Aimee says. "We made one phone call and things moved pretty quickly after that."

As busy business owners, they initially thought apartment living would simply reduce the maintenance that came with larger homes. Instead, it fundamentally changed how they spent time together.

"We actually catch up more as a family now," Aimee says.

"We've had homes with big yards and lots of space, but everyone ended up in different rooms. Here we'll have dinner together, the kids can play, and we spend far more quality time together."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356829]

Lyle says their confidence came from GWH's reputation within Newcastle's building industry.

"I know people who've worked across different apartment projects, and whenever GWH came up the feedback was always the same. They're rock solid. They're quality."

That confidence only grew throughout the buying process.

"One of the things that really impressed us with GWH was the whole process, was the communication," Lyle says. "It was consistent, it was regular, there was no problem if we had some weird questions, there was no problems in getting answers."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351104]

Aimee says one moment stood out.

"The project actually finished on time. We realised we needed to hurry up and sell our house because everything was happening exactly when they said it would."

The positive experience at One Apartments ultimately gave all three buyers the confidence to purchase again with GWH, this time at ERA.

Their confidence reflects what many buyers are seeking in today's apartment market. Location remains important, but so too does certainty around delivery, quality and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356822]

ERA builds on those foundations with 280 one, two and three-bedroom apartments across two landmark towers in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Newcastle West</a>.&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fk-australia">Fender Katsalidis</a>, the project will include more than 2,000 square metres of resident amenities, including a resort-style pool, gym, sauna, private cinema and rooftop entertaining spaces overlooking the harbour and coastline.&nbsp;

The development is also within walking distance of the Newcastle Interchange, Honeysuckle, Darby Street, the harbour foreshore, restaurants, retail and the city’s beaches, continuing the walkable lifestyle that existing GWH buyers say has transformed how they live.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356826]

For Keith, the appeal remains straightforward.

"You feel at home even before you've moved into your home."

For Aimee, the change is measured in time.

“I just felt like I had more time,” she says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351102]

Construction at ERA is now underway, with more than half of the residences already sold and limited two and three-bedroom apartments remaining in the East Tower release. Priced from $980,000 for two-bedroom residences and $1.46 million for three-bedroom residences, buyers can secure an apartment with a 10 per cent deposit, with premium homes offering ocean views from Level 8 and harbour views from Level 10.

ERA is also backed by Resilience Insurance's 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy, providing protection against structural or waterproofing defects for 10 years after completion. The project is anticipated to be completed in early 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135096]

Joel Robinson

From ONE to ERA: Why buyers are choosing GWH again in Newcastle West

Virgate Property Group is preparing to commence construction of Verdé, its new apartment development in Melbourne's Arts Precinct at Southbank, following a strong run of sales that has seen more than half of the project's 173 apartments secured.

Verdé has attracted a broad mix of first home buyers, owner-occupiers upgrading from nearby inner-city suburbs and investors, with younger owner-occupier couples aged between 28 and 45 accounting for the strongest enquiry. Many are already living in Southbank, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, South Yarra and the CBD.

"Verdé is located in one of the most desirable pockets of southern Melbourne," Blair Property Group Director Darren Blair, who is managing sales at Verdé, said.

"It's within walking distance of the Arts Centre, Royal Botanic Gardens, Albert Park Lake, and Southbank's restaurants and retail. It's a great lifestyle location with strong amenity and liveability, which made it a very attractive choice for the project."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372549]

Virgate was already familiar with the precinct, having previously delivered the successful Domain House development in neighbouring South Melbourne. That experience gave the developer confidence to acquire the Coventry Street site and continue expanding its presence in Melbourne's inner south.

"We had been keeping an eye on the site and the broader precinct for a few months before deciding to move forward with the acquisition," Virgate said.

The project was ultimately secured in 2020 following feasibility studies, planning assessments and due diligence, with the brief centred on delivering "a high-quality, considered design that feels both refined and fit for purpose."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=314259]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bruce-henderson-architects">Bruce Henderson Architects</a>, Verdé comprises 173 one, two and three-bedroom apartments priced from $599,000. The architecture is distinguished by a faceted glass façade that responds to both the site's outlook and Melbourne's changing light conditions.

According to Bruce Henderson Architects, the coloured glazing gives the building a distinctive identity while also providing privacy and solar shading, with residences oriented to capture views across the bay, city skyline and surrounding parklands.

Inside, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/designoffice">DesignOffice</a> has created interiors focused on natural light, efficient planning and enduring materials. Apartments feature engineered oak flooring, natural stone benchtops, floor-to-ceiling glazing and SMEG appliances, while a restrained material palette aims to complement the expansive outlooks rather than compete with them.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372550]

Resident amenity has also been designed around everyday functionality rather than occasional use. Facilities include a concierge-serviced lobby, residents' lounge with fireplace, library and co-working space, gym, terrace garden with barbecue facilities, ground-floor café, and package delivery management.

The project's location continues to be one of its strongest drawcards. Positioned on Coventry Street, Verdé sits within walking distance of the National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens and Albert Park Lake, while Southbank's dining precinct, Sturt Street trams and the new ANZAC Station are all nearby. The surrounding education catchment also includes Melbourne Grammar, Melbourne Girls Grammar, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School and several major university campuses.

The sales team says buyers have responded particularly well to the combination of location, design quality and long-term liveability.

"They're responding really positively to the quality of the design, premium resident amenities and the uninterrupted views. Many also appreciate the location and how connected it is to everything they need."

The ability to secure stamp duty savings before completion has also been a key factor for purchasers, alongside the opportunity to personalise finishes ahead of settlement.

With construction set to commence soon and more than half the apartments already sold, Verdé enters its next phase as one of the Arts Precinct's more established apartment developments, offering remaining buyers an opportunity to secure a residence before construction advances further. Expected completion is scheduled for late 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=4661]

Virgate's Verdé Southbank moves toward construction as sales fly past halfway stage

Downsizer-focused apartment development Kooyongkoot in Hawthorn has been recognised at the 2026 Better Future Melbourne Design Awards, taking home Gold and Silver awards in two categories.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kooyongkoot-hawthorn-1-kooyongkoot-road-hawthorn-vic-3122">Kooyongkoot</a>, currently being delivered by developer PQD and designed by Cera Stribley, received Gold in the Interior Design – Proposed category and Silver in the Architecture – Proposed category.

The dual recognition reflects the design approach behind the boutique development on prestigious Kooyongkoot Road, where the focus has been on creating homes for downsizers seeking the space, quality and functionality of a detached house within a low-rise apartment building.

Rather than maximising apartment numbers, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pqd">PQD</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cera-stribley-architects">Cera Stribley</a> limited the development to just 18 residences, allowing for larger floorplans, greater privacy, generous landscaping and expansive communal spaces.&nbsp;The majority of the apartments also benefit from corner aspects, allowing for dual sources of natural light.

Now around 70 per cent complete and on track for completion in November 2026, Kooyongkoot will comprise a mix of garden residences, ter​race apartments, sub-penthouses, and is crowned by two half-floor penthouses with direct lift access and private rooftop terraces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355297]

The Silver Award for Architecture recognised the way the building responds to its prominent corner position at the ent​rance to Hawthorn's Scotch Hill precinct, one of Melbourne's most established residential neighbourhoods.

Rather than competing with the grand homes that line Kooyongkoot Road, the architectural approach focused on restraint and longevity, using curved brickwork, generous landscaping and carefully considered proportions to integrate with the existing streetscape.

"The form feels fluid and timeless, as though shaped by the landscape itself – architecture that belongs, rather than competes," said Chris Stribley, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Cera Stribley.

The judging submission also highlighted practical innovations throughout the building, including lift cores servicing only nine homes each, a central landscaped lightcourt designed to bring daylight and ventilation into the building, and fully enclosed private storage rooms with lighting, power and shelving to better accommodate residents transitioning from larger family homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355293]

The Gold Award for Interior Design recognised the project's focus on long-term liveability rather than display-home aesthetics.

According to the awards submission, the interiors were designed from the inside out, prioritising how homes would function over decades of daily use through generous proportions, practical storage, durable natural materials and flexible layouts.

The specification includes natural stone throughout, upgraded acoustic glazing, V-ZUG appliances and fully enclosed storage rooms, alongside an amenity offering focused on wellness, entertainment and everyday convenience.&nbsp;

Residents will have access to a gym and yoga studio, a wellness centre featuring traditional and infrared saunas, a cold therapy shower and treatment room, as well as a residents' lounge and golf simulator/cinema room for entertainment.&nbsp;Kooyongkoot has also considered the everyday convenience of its residents by offering a private carwash and pet wash facilities on site as well as dedicated parcel lockers and oversized fully enclosed storage rooms.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355303]

The project's attention to detail has already resonated with buyers. Earlier this year, Kooyongkoot recorded one of Boroondara's highest apartment sales when an $8 million penthouse was purchased by a Melbourne CEO downsizing from a nearby family home.

"Every detail feels deliberate, from the overall design down to the smallest touches," the purchaser said.

"The level of quality and refinement is exceptional, but what really sold it was how liveable it felt... It felt like a place where everything had been considered, not just a luxury building."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355304]

Sustainability also formed a key part of both award submissions. Kooyongkoot is targeting a minimum 7.5-star NatHERS rating across all residences, supported by passive design principles, high-performance glazing, EV charging infrastructure, water reuse systems and a wellness model focused on lower-energy dry facilities rather than pools and large wet areas.

Located within walking distance of Scotch College, Methodist Ladies' College, Koo​yong Lawn Tennis Club, Aubur​n Village and Camberwell Junction, Kooyongkoot continues to target owner-occupiers looking to remain in Melbourne's inner east without compromising on space or quality. A limited selection of two, three and four-bedroom residences remains available, with prices starting from $1.9 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=102717]

Kooyongkoot wins Gold and Silver at Better Future Melbourne Design Awards

New apartment supply has become increasingly constrained across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parramatta-nsw-2150">Parramatta</a> in recent years, with fewer projects progressing through to completion as development conditions have become more challenging.

It makes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/novm">NOVM</a>'s 2021-completed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/the-lennox-parramatta-12-phillip-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">The Lennox</a> one of the most recently completed residential towers on the Parramatta River, and among the newest apartment developments in Sydney's second CBD.

With the project largely completed before the sharp escalation in construction costs and inflation following the pandemic, The Lennox is now offering pricing that would be difficult to replicate in a comparable new development in Parramatta today, or across much of Western Sydney.

The majority of the 413 apartments at The Lennox sold before and shortly after completion. A limited release of the remaining apartments has recently been brought to market by capital partner <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/equitifund-group">Equitifund</a>, with entry-level pricing from $700,000 and two-bedroom apartments available from under $1 million.

Rising above the Parramatta River at 12 Phillip Street, The Lennox comprises one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, appealing to first home buyers, young professionals, families, downsizers and interstate investors seeking a completed apartment in one of Australia's fastest-growing economic centres.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=372394]

Rather than positioning Parramatta as an alternative to Sydney's CBD, Equitifund believes the city has reached a point where it stands on its own merits.

"Parramatta is no longer simply an alternative to Sydney CBD, it's becoming a destination in its own right," Equitifund Executive Chairman Greg Huxley said.

"The Lennox captures that evolution with a level of quality and amenity that's difficult to match at its price point."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=953]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/marchese-partners">Marchese Partners</a>, the tower responds directly to its riverfront setting through expansive glazing and open-plan layouts that maximise views across the Parramatta River and city skyline. Interiors feature engineered timber flooring, stone benchtops, stainless steel appliances and floor-to-ceiling glazing, while generous balconies extend the living spaces outdoors.

Marchese Partners says the project was conceived to balance high-quality apartment living with practical, long-term functionality, pairing larger, efficient floorplans with amenities more commonly associated with five-star hotels.

That emphasis continues through the resident facilities, which include a 20-metre rooftop swimming pool, fully equipped gym and wellness spaces, full-time concierge, a residents' lounge, function room, private lifts, secure basement parking and rooftop communal areas overlooking the Parramatta River. Ground-floor boardwalk retail and dining further activate the riverfront and integrate the building into the surrounding public realm.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=925]

Australian housing and finance group Equitifund has secured the remaining apartments, believing there are few completed apartment opportunities in Parramatta that offer the same combination of location, amenity and pricing.

Equitifund National Sales Director Ben Hamblett says buyers are increasingly recognising that premium apartment living no longer needs to come with Sydney CBD pricing.

"The Lennox is where aspirational living becomes attainable," Hamblett said.

"Wake to river and mountain views, step into Sydney's Second CBD, and arrive home to resort-calibre amenities, all without the harbour price tag."

Hamblett says owner-occupiers are also attracted by the convenience of having Westfield Parramatta, Church Street's dining precinct, Parramatta Park, Riverside Theatres, Western Sydney University and major transport connections all within walking distance.

"At The Lennox, lifestyle is not an afterthought, it is the foundation."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=5374]

The Lennox places residents within walking distance of Parramatta Square, Westfield Parramatta, Church Street Eat Street, Parramatta Station, the ferry wharf, Light Rail, the future Sydney Metro West, Parramatta Park and CommBank Stadium, reinforcing Parramatta's position as one of Australia's most connected metropolitan centres outside Sydney's CBD.

Equitifund says buyers visiting the display suite consistently comment on the quality of the finishes, generous floorplans, river and skyline views, and the walkability of the location. The project has attracted a broad mix of local professionals, upsizers, downsizers, buyers relocating from Sydney's inner suburbs and interstate investors seeking long-term growth opportunities.

That demand aligns with Parramatta's continued evolution as an economic powerhouse. Equitifund Research and Market Insights specialist John Bekiaris says sustained population growth, infrastructure investment and expanding employment opportunities continue to support long-term housing demand across the city.

"Parramatta has evolved from a satellite city into one of Australia's most important economic centres. Population growth, infrastructure investment and employment are all supporting sustained long-term housing demand."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=5743]

The apartment price gap drawing Sydney buyers west

A luxury beachfront apartment at Rainbow Bay has more than doubled in value since it sold off the plan six years ago, setting a new local apartment record in the process.

The three-bedroom apartment in the Flow development on Petrie Street, the first of four new projects locally by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects, has sold for $7.4 million, after originally selling for $3.27 million when the project launched in 2020.

The seventh-floor apartment, comprising 187 sqm of internal living space and a 54 sqm balcony overlooking Froggies Beach and Snapper Rocks, was purchased by a local family.

The transaction was negotiated by Pezet Matheson director Kerry Pezet and equates to more than $30,000 per sqm.

Pezet said the sale reflected the limited opportunities to buy into the boutique beachfront development.

"The sale highlights the rarity of opportunities within the boutique beachfront development, where residences seldom become available," Pezet said.

"Flow is one of the Gold Coast's most tightly held buildings. Buyers from our database move quickly when residences become available, and achieving an off-market sale at $7.4 million demonstrates the depth of demand for property of this calibre."

<img alt="Flow" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c585b206-2130-4eee-a50c-3f27c51a7c70" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-06%20at%208.33.25%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=m3pHRDV62Y3fvN.XQuQHq.52ilTWpRLf" />

Flow was the first of four luxury apartment developments delivered by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects at Rainbow Bay and was completed in 2023.

Positioned on the beachfront overlooking Snapper Rocks, the residence includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a powder room and views stretching north along the coastline towards Surfers Paradise.

Pezet Matheson Residential principal Mitchell Lambert said buyers continued to prioritise quality beachfront apartments in tightly held locations.

"Flow Residences offers a rare combination of elevated beachfront positioning, architectural excellence, comprehensive resident amenity and premium finishes, which is exactly what discerning purchasers are seeking," Lambert said.

"The transaction further reinforces Rainbow Bay's reputation as one of Australia's premier coastal lifestyle destinations, where limited supply and growing demand continue to support strong market performance."

Pezet Matheson originally marketed and sold out Flow off the plan, making the latest transaction a return to one of the project's original buyers.

Paul Gedoun is selling his third project, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/radia-rainbow-bay-271-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Radia Rainbow Bay</a>, after recently completing, and selling out, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/esprit-217-227-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Esprit</a>. He has plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-s-s-projects-proposes-88-apartment-wellness-tower-at-coolangattas-boundary-street">fourth building</a>, 88 apartments on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/209-213-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Boundary Street</a>.

Rainbow Bay apartment doubles in price since off the plan sale during pandemic

Design

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This is the longest couch Property Observer has possibly ever seen.
It is in a recently sold Paddington terrace with heated Kota bluestone floors.
The living dining space is 3.1 metres wide by 12 metres long.
The couch runs from the stairs to the kitchen.
It sold through BresicWhitney agent Macleay Longhurst.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-paddington-119568263" target="_blank">The 360 South Dowling Street terrace</a> fetched $1.36 million despite its minimal interiors.
The backyard comes with a decent wooden couch too.
 
{mijopolls 113}
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Does Paddington's longest couch work? Property Observer readers' poll

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Art collector John Schaeffer has quickly sold his modernist, Harry Seidler-designed property in Dover Heights.
More than $3 million had been tipped for Kalowski House, which sold pre-auction. It had been bought in 2008 for $2,505,000 from Dr Steven Kalowski.
Seidler's design included pioneering floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors along the full width of the northern facade.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/photogallery_new.ds?id=119743035&amp;theme=rea.buy" rel="photos" data-id="119743035"><img src="https://i1.au.reastatic.net/456x342/d5f983c63a972522ebd110e0b09e3e750b4857bb7cc1a130de1221d0dcd034e2/main.jpg" alt="14 Lyons Street, Dover Heights" title="14 Lyons Street, Dover Heights" data-index="0"></a>
The 1958 home was up-graded in 2008 by architect Colin Griffiths, who actually worked on the original layout. It was photographed by Max Dupain in November 1958.
It is now set in Myles Baldwin designed gardens surrounding the single-level home on Lyons Street.
The Kalowski House has been described as a true city compound, drawing comparisons with home of brick walls and courtyards of inner hills Los Angeles.
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Quick sale of 1958 Harry Seidler-designed Dover Heights Kalowski residence

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What a different two year price pattern after a very modern 2014 Albert Park renovation.
The latest vendor secured a sizeable price gain between 2013 and 2015. It is on the same street as the recent series of The Block warehouse conversion.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/photogallery_new.ds?id=119703715&amp;theme=rea.sold" rel="photos" data-id="119703715"><img src="https://i1.au.reastatic.net/800x600/b51c5162f8045df6de8df9b50b93bf53cb285e63a556451e101932587b83d1bc/image2.jpg" alt="54 O'Grady Street, Albert Park" title="54 O'Grady Street, Albert Park" data-index="2"></a>
The prior vendor went backwards in the period 2011 and 2013, albeit by just $24,500.
54 O'Grady Street Albert Park sold through agent Warwick Gardiner at $1,875,000 at weekend Greg Hocking Holdsworth auction.
It previously sold at $1,000,500 in April 2013, prior to its second storey master bedroom extension.
In April 2011 it sold at $1,025,000.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/photogallery_new.ds?id=119703715&amp;theme=rea.sold" rel="photos" data-id="119703715"><img src="https://i4.au.reastatic.net/800x600/a7bd57df6a7cdb6a5026d18bd69225692d2f1c20fd7b66aeff75fc32103adad8/image13.jpg" alt="54 O'Grady Street, Albert Park" title="54 O'Grady Street, Albert Park" data-index="13"></a>
It was not for the first time, the price of the cottage had faded.
In 2001 it traded a $195,000 having sold in 1996 at $230,000.
In another two year ownership tenure, the much traded cottage sold in 1982 for $58,500 and in 1984 at $81,500.
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Albert Park offering heads upwards after going backwards

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Bellamont Forest near Cootehill, County Cavan, described by Mark Bence-Jones in A Guide to Irish Country Houses as "one of the most perfect examples of a Palladian villa", has been sold. Well sale agreed as the Irish say.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/bellamont-forest-cootehill-co-cavan/3117572" target="_blank">The</a> home came with an asking price of €1.35 million on the 18th century palladian villa, but slightly more than €1.5 may have been achieved.
It was Australian John Coote who bought back his ancestral home in 1987 for a reported IR£500,000, then restoring Bellamont before putting it on the market in 2010 with overly ambitious €7.5 million expectations.
Coote died suddenly in 2012, and the house is now for sale on the instructions of receivers for Coote's company, Thameside Holding, this time with its reduced price of €1.35 million.
Earlier this month final offers were being invited with the selling price generating huge interest in Bellamont which was at the centre of the 1991 divorce action between the late owner John Coote and his wife Andrea.
The selling agent Ganly Walters moved quickly to conclude the sale following about 200 enquiries on the property. The final offers process requires unconditional written offers on the property of a minimum of €1.5million.
The agent told the local paper there were at least three interested parties with enquiries from as far away as Australia, the Far East, the US and the UK, mainly from people interested in it as a family residence.
Any possibility the Government might move to buy Bellamont as a public amenity because of its historical and architectural significance was ruled out last month when Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys said resources were not available to the Department to consider the purchase.
Bloomberg report Irish trophy home values are surging again now, helped by a more stable economy. Sales of Irish homes for more than €1 million jumped 41 per cent to 117 during the first four months of 2015 from a year earlier, Sherry Fitzgerald data showed. 
<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
Some of the biggest spenders have been from overseas. John Malone, the US cable industry billionaire, spent almost €27 million in January on Castlemartin, an 18th-century estate and stud farm in Kildare.
In one of the biggest residential deals of 2014, Singaporean Cynthia Chua spent almost €8 million on Deepwell, a coastal mansion south of Dublin built by the Guinness family in the 1850s.
<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
Irish home prices fell by almost 50 per cent after a real estate bubble burst in 2008. Bellamont Forest dates from the 1720s and was built to a design by renowned architect <a class="search" href="https://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Edward%20Lovett%20Pearce&amp;article=true" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Edward Lovett Pearce</a>. It was bought in 1987 by John Coote, an Australian interior designer of international repute and a specialist in the restoration of classical buildings, who restored and refurnished Bellamont, but put it up for sale in 2010 at a guide price of €7.5 million. He died in 2012, and since then the condition of Bellamont has deteriorated. Buyers will need to invest a further €1million to €2 million to restore it fully.
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Though the property is on 1000 acres, about 400 acres is under lake and a further 450 acres is in woodland which is owned by <a class="search" href="https://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=Coillte&amp;article=true">Coillte</a> after a previous owner bequeathed the woodland to the State for 150 years.Designed by Edward Lovett Pearce and built between 1725 and 1730, architectural historian Dr Maurice Craig (Country Life, 1964), wrote Pearce's design was based on Palladio’s Villa Rotonda at Vicenza and Villa Pisani at Montagnana. 
The Irish National Trust, An Taisce, has noted the 290 year old building has been vacant for a number of years and "<a href="https://www.antaisce.org/buildingsatrisk/bellamont-forest-cootehill?page=1" target="_blank">does not appear to be maintained</a>." 
Most of the external fabric remains, but there are obvious signs of deterioration, particularly water penetration. 
"There is no immediate danger of collapse but the condition is such that unless urgent remedial works are carried out the building will sharply deteriorate," the Trust noted. 
<a href="https://search.knightfrank.com/gwr100023" target="_blank">Bellamont Forest</a>, the first Palladian house in Ireland, is set amid one thousand acres of parkland, woods and lakes, including sporting rights in the surrounding forestry.
<div class="separator">
It was built for Thomas Coote, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, designed by his nephew, Sir Edward Lovett Pearce, whose other works include the former Houses of Parliament in College Green, now The Bank of Ireland. 
He later became Surveyor General of Ireland, a post which he held until his death in 1733. 
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The house is four bays square, built over two storeys, with a basement. The internal floor area is approximately 1,032 square metres. The house is built of red brick with ashlar facings, and has a Doric limestone portico, with pediments over the windows. 
Title Tattle especially loves the exquisite overhead oval cupola. 
<img src="https://photos-a.propertyimages.ie/media/2/7/5/3117572/31d407a7-06de-49fd-ae4f-dfb2ad3b7a05_l.jpg">
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Bellamont Forest is 110 kms from Dublin and 75 minutes from Dublin International Airport, so listing agent Ganly Walters expect strong international buyer interest.
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The late John Coote, the jetsetting international designer of Classical 18th-century houses, came from a notorious family.
The first to make his mark in Ireland was Sir Charles Coote, a military adventurer who died in battle at Trim, Co Meath, in 1642, leaving estates in four counties to his four sons. His youngest son, Col Thomas Coote, was granted the O’Reilly lands in Co Cavan at the Act of Settlement in 1662. 
He married a Miss Hill from Hillsborough in Co Down and founded the town of Coote Hill (now Cootehill). On his death in 1671, his estate passed to his nephew, also Thomas Coote, who became a Lord Justice of the Kings Bench in Ireland, and was made a Knight of the Bath ‘in testimony of his good and laudable service in suppressing tumultuous and illegal insurrection in the northern parts of Ireland’. He also established Cootehill as a prosperous linen town.
On marrying his third wife, Ann Lovett, in 1697, Coote became the uncle-in-law of Sir Edward Lovett Pearce, a cousin of Vanbrugh, and by far the most important architect working in Ireland in the early 18th century. 
Its name was later changed to Bellamont Forest by Coote’s grandson, Charles, who inherited in 1764 and became the Earl of Bellamont of the 2nd creation in 1767.
The new Lord Bellamont was a complex figure, being variously described as a man of ‘the highest refinement’, but also as a ‘tyrant’, ‘madman’ and ‘a person of disgusting pomposity’. An inveterate womaniser, he sired at least six illegitimate children, all of whom were provided for in his will. He was tried in 1764 for murdering a man during the 'Oakboy' rebellion which he helped to repress brutally. He got off and is immortalised in a camp portrait by Joshua Reynolds in the National Gallery.
On his death in 1800, the estate passed to these descendants who lived on at Bellamont Forest, becoming gradually ever poorer.
In 1874, Edward Smith JP, having amassed a considerable fortune from the coal trade between Liverpool and Newry, bought the Bellamont house and lands for £145,000. Following his death in 1880, the estate passed through various members of his family until 1984, when what <a href="https://www.countrylife.co.uk/news/property-news/luxury-property-in-ireland-for-sale-24455" target="_blank">Country Life</a> described as the ‘troubles’ in the North finally persuaded the last of them to leave. The IRA had used the estate as a training ground.
Three years later, John Coote seized the chance to buy it.
It was listed in 2010 after Coote’s three children all returned to settle in Australia. John Coote, noting the architect spent three years in Italy in the early eighteenth century where he toured the Veneto and Palladio’s villas, thought La Rotunda was his great inspiration.  
There was considerable sadness at John Coote's death given he was one of the great interior designers who buoyed Melbourne's property credentials, especially during the 1980s. 
His Melbourne client list included the Lews, Foxes, Elliotts and Kimberleys. 
His 1987 Corrie Perkin Good Weekend piece was headlined: "John Coote turns new money into old". 
The Australian born, RMIT-trained, Pimlico Road, London interior designer was last in the local headlines during his divorce from Andrea Coote over the settlement of what was dubbed "Coote Castle."
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John Coote's 18th century Bellamont Forest, Cavan Ireland ancestral trophy home sold

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Audette House, the 1953 Peter Muller -designed Castlecrag residence inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, has been listed through Richardson &amp; Wrench Castlecrag agent Mark O'Brien.
No price guidance initially ahead of<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-castlecrag-119815955" target="_blank"> its June 20 auction</a> for the north facing waterfront reserve architectural gem, but after the weekend's first open - with 70 plus through - it is confidently tipped to fetch around $6 million.
<img src="https://i1.au.reastatic.net/456x342/494139520a7f8c5ec63fb2d0b853b2905d779034ce6d2d6d9a84feb6de018d3e/main.jpg" alt="265 Edinburgh Road, Castlecrag" title="265 Edinburgh Road, Castlecrag" data-index="0">
It last traded in 1998 at $1.75 million and before that in 1964 for 24,500 pounds.
It was commissioned, with its subtle affinity to traditional Japanese architecture, for an American, R. B. Audette, after Muller returned from studying at the University of Pennsylvania.
Much admired by Sydney's architectural cognoscenti, the house on its 997 square metre double block was the first commission for the long celebrated Peter Muller. 
Set at 265 to 267 Edinburgh Road, architects Peter Monckton and Kerry Fyfe undertook its renovation and extension with input from the original architect in 2002-2003 for the McCann family.
<img src="https://i4.au.reastatic.net/456x342/c25153a59713a6887c18e50d81b108fa90ccdf89a0e8bcfa9f51fa5f4f9d971e/image15.jpg" alt="265 Edinburgh Road, Castlecrag" title="265 Edinburgh Road, Castlecrag" data-index="14">
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Dedicated to the modern, organic school of architecture, Muller had designed the house along three axes: a longitudinal spine intersected by two traverse axes, with the house having a distinctive linear form, composed of a flat roof and wide-banded walls.
Title Tattle seems to recall that the 'snotted brickwork' of Audette House was not as originally planned, but Bob Audette didn't proceed with sandstone for all external walling, instead substituting used wire-cut bricks. 
Muller devised a technique in which the mortar oozed out the grout lines in between courses of the bricks - the technique is now known as ‘snotted brickwork.
The large open plan living areas with solid Silver Ash and Caliza Viva limestone flooring flow to the enormous alfresco entertaining terrace with integrated stainless steel bench, Smeg BBQ and built-in fridge.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/photogallery_new.ds?id=119815955&amp;theme=rea.buy" rel="photos" data-id="119815955"><img src="https://i1.au.reastatic.net/456x342/333386ac2fa747f7611e6c827de2d640358bf7e1f1227aca35cd0a0aa316a4db/image4.jpg" alt="265 Edinburgh Road, Castlecrag" title="265 Edinburgh Road, Castlecrag" data-index="3"></a>
Landscape architect Jane Irwin designed a terraced garden that complements the five bedroom, four bathroom house.
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Peter Muller-designed Audette House listed in Castlecrag

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Art collector John Schaeffer has listed his modernist, Harry Seidler-designed property in Dover Heights for June 1 auction.
More than $3 million is tipped for Kalowski House, which was bought in 2008 for $2,505,000 from Dr Steven Kalowski.
Seidler's design included pioneering floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors along the full width of the northern facade.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/photogallery_new.ds?id=119743035&amp;theme=rea.buy" rel="photos" data-id="119743035"><img src="https://i1.au.reastatic.net/456x342/d5f983c63a972522ebd110e0b09e3e750b4857bb7cc1a130de1221d0dcd034e2/main.jpg" alt="14 Lyons Street, Dover Heights" title="14 Lyons Street, Dover Heights" data-index="0"></a>
The 1958 home was up-graded in 2008 by architect Colin Griffiths, who actually worked on the original layout. It was photographed by Max Dupain in November 1958.
It is now set in Myles Baldwin designed gardens surrounding the single-level home on Lyons Street.
Michael Pallier of Sotheby's International has the listing following Schaeffer's recent purchase on nearby Kippara Street of the classic, expanded art deco 1930s residence of locksmith Jason Carr and Haley Carr for about $4.5 million.
It was formerly the<a href="/news/dover-heights-former-chinese-embassy-home-sold"> single storey Chinese embassy until World War II</a>.
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1958 Harry Seidler-designed Dover Heights Kalowski residence listed

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Despite plentiful evidence about the positive impacts of good building design, developers and the public are not getting the picture, a group of building industry experts has concluded.
Partners of the CRC for Low Carbon Living's <a href="https://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/research/program-1-integrated-building-systems/rp1009-closing-loop-evidence-based-low-carbon-design" target="_blank">Closing the Loop Project</a> spoke about the knowledge gap at workshops held in conjunction with this year's Green Cities conference.
Head of knowledge and sustainability at HASSELL Brett Pollard said people aren't taking advantage of the benefits of good design, despite the evidence and research available.
"Ultimately if you construct a building that does not take advantage of the evidence, organisations and businesses are missing out on the opportunity to create workplaces that are healthier and more effective," he said.
Design can impact financial, environmental and human factors in a business, according to research by Professor Vivian Loftness of Carnegie Mellon University, who spoke at the conference. According to Lauren Haas, Australasia Sustainability Manager for Brookfield Multiplex, poor design can also have a negative impact.
"For business, a low performance building can mean disengaged employees with low performance, higher levels of absenteeism and many thousands of dollars wasted per year in lost productivity," she says.
"If office workers, students or patients in hospitals are more informed about what can be achieved through high performance buildings they can help drive demand for these buildings."
Industry Director of Building Engineering at AECOM Lester Partridge cited Loftness' presentation at the conference.
"Vivian Loftness showed us a very powerful example in the workshop by comparing the decision making processes for a car, laptop and a building. People know more about the features of a car which may only be owned for 3-5 years or a laptop which might last two or three years than they do about the features of a building that will last in excess of 30 years.
"The conversation about high performance buildings needs to change and people need to be more aware of the true cost of buildings."
The Closing the Loop project intends to create an evidence base for the benefits of sustainable design, with an assessment and analysis system which helps decision making around commercial and public buildings.
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jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Benefits of good design not given enough attention: Closing the Loop

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Housing affordability is at crisis levels in many Australian cities, fuelled by an <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Former_Committees/hsaf/report/c05" target="_blank">inadequate supply</a> of housing in areas close to jobs and a <a href="https://www.acoss.org.au/images/uploads/Fuel_on_the_fire.pdf" target="_blank">taxation system</a> that favours investors over first home buyers.
The <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/rba-waves-red-flag-over-very-concerning-sydney-property-market-20150213-13eakh" target="_blank">Reserve Bank</a> has suggested that “the answer… lies in more innovative and flexible use of the land that we have so that the marginal cost of adding more stock of dwellings is lower.”
Co-housing – where a group of friends, extended family members or downsizers band together to buy into small blocks with some common space – may well be one of those innovations.
What is co-housing?
Forget your preconceived ideas about communes and share houses.
This version of co-housing is a mainstream concept wherein suitable single-dwelling suburban blocks are adapted to accommodate two or three smaller dwellings with some shared spaces, reducing the overall physical and environmental footprint per household.
Co-housers could be friends struggling to afford a first home, intergenerational families or downsizers wanting to unlock equity for their retirement and live close to friends or family.
Co-housers typically enjoy more privacy and independence than flatmates and each household in the group owns or rents a defined space. Co-housing differs from duplex or multi-unit housing in that more of the space is shared, enabling more efficient use of land. It is similar in principle to <a href="https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Portals/0/StrategicPlanning/AffordableHousing/AHSEPP_Fact_Sheet_Granny_Flats_Dec2011.pdf" target="_blank">granny flat development</a> but less restrictive, allowing for more varied and flexible household groupings.
<a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/78308/area14mp/image-20150417-13398-1byhbxa.jpg"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/78308/width668/image-20150417-13398-1byhbxa.jpg" alt=""></a>
A suburban block is adapted to accommodate a family, their elderly mother and a single friend. Each home has its own entry and the design allows occupants to control the levels of interaction. Trina Day
Consider, for example, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bydesign/moving-back-in-with-mum/5639108" target="_blank">two single story workers cottages in Balmain</a> adapted for sharing between one of the authors of this article (Suzanne Benn) and her adult son, architect Andrew Benn, along with his young family.
Winner of a NSW Architecture Award in 2014, the cottages (depicted in the lead image for this article) have been renovated as a flexible family complex, designed to enable interaction in some shared areas while maintaining the houses as individual units. Incorporated into the design is a self-contained unit that can be used by other members of the family or perhaps by a “carer” in years to come.
The cottages illustrate how co-housing can reduce costs and create an improved sense of community. At the macro scale, such arrangements could improve economic resilience and contribute to more compact, sustainable cities.
Trends
The composition of Australian households is changing: our population is ageing and just over 30% of households will be <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/916F96F929978825CA25773700169C65" target="_blank">single person households</a> by 2026. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/14/age-of-loneliness-killing-us" target="_blank">Social isolation</a> is a serious emerging issue. Lifestyles are changing and there are signs, such as the <a href="https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21573104-internet-everything-hire-rise-sharing-economy" target="_blank">sharing economy</a>, of new, more collaborative paradigms for urban living.
Co-housing has potential to make buying or renting a home cheaper but also enables sharing of bills, cars and household goods, as well as trading of services like babysitting and care for the elderly. This is significant: as households collaborate to share resources (including skills and capabilities) an <a href="https://www.theinformaleconomy.com">informal sharing economy</a> grows, leaving many <a href="https://theconversation.com/informal-economies-offer-new-insight-into-prosperity-18217" target="_blank">financially better off</a>.
There’s a <a href="https://griffithreview.com/articles/waking-from-the-dream/" target="_blank">city planning benefit</a> too. To remain liveable, resilient and economically competitive, growing Australian cities must <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/politics/government/south-australia-to-limit-sprawl-and-renew-social-housing/72140" target="_blank">limit urban sprawl</a>. Yet increasing densities is a fraught issue that often sees planners, developers and local communities in conflict. Whilst multi-unit housing remains a significant part of the solution, co-housing adds another option to the mix - one that increases suburban densities in a way that is modest, incremental and distributed.
Problems
So if co-housing is such a good idea, why isn’t it widespread already?
Firstly, there’s the perception that it’s for alternative types only, and there are not many urban precedents. But co-housing principles are starting to be applied in more mainstream ways and at different scales – from <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/593154/r50-nil-cohousing-ifau-und-jesko-fezer-heide-and-von-beckerath/" target="_blank">large urban co-housing projects</a> overseas to plans for a <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/property/residential-2/ivan-rijavec-in-bespoke-resi-offer-to-urban-greys-gay-greys-and-more/45106" target="_blank">crowd-sourced apartment community</a> in Melbourne to an innovative <a href="https://www.landcorp.com.au/Residential/Gen-Y-Demonstration-House-Competition1/" target="_blank">Gen Y house </a>in Perth. Renovation costs may also be a factor.
Secondly, and more significantly, there are complexities and uncertainties. It’s not clear to the average person how to navigate planning approvals and understand the financial and legal implications.
Though many <a href="https://www.strategy.planning.nsw.gov.au/sydney/the-plan/" target="_blank">metropolitan strategies</a> recognise the importance of a compact city, small-scale co-housing is not specifically enabled via the planning system (though the “granny flat” <a href="https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Portals/0/StrategicPlanning/AffordableHousing/AHSEPP_Fact_Sheet_Granny_Flats_Dec2011.pdf">legislation</a> that exists in some States is a start).
The very creativity and flexibility that gives co-housing appeal makes it challenging to regulate. Regulators would need to manage perverse outcomes such as the impact on investment value and choosy households making some housing spaces difficult to fill down the track.
One possible route is via subdivision and strata titling. The downside is that subdivision can inflate property prices, potentially cancelling out the desired affordability gains, and would require an overhaul of planning legislation.
Company title, considered outdated since the introduction of strata title in the 1960’s, is an interesting alternative. One of its perceived flaws – that it can be geared so approval from all owners is required to sell or lease an apartment – could actually be appropriate in this context. It is generally much simpler from a planning approvals perspective and in some cases may be doable within existing development controls.
Fixes
So what would it take to enable co-housing as an option for Australians? A good start would be a conversation between influential stakeholders – such as planning authorities, banks, planners, architects and property experts – to explore pros and cons and the best way forward.
Questions include what makes a location suitable for co-housing, and how to fine-tune planning controls to avoid unwanted outcomes (such as development that’s out of character with the neighbourhood or doesn’t result in affordability gains or more efficient use of land). Implications for buying, lending and selling (including taxation) also need to be further explored.
With more <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bydesign/building-a-shared-community/5606748" target="_blank">precedents</a> – good <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/feb/24/co-housing-lifestyle-community" target="_blank">examples</a> of urban co-housing - and better information and resources for the public about how to make it work, we could see a significant improvement in the diversity and affordability of housing options in Australian cities.
Co-housing won’t be for everybody, but even if it has traction with 10% of the urban population, that represents a significant force for change in our cities. It could offer a way to live more affordably, leverage the benefits of the informal sharing economy and reinvigorate a sense of community. Plus it could help to keep cities compact, liveable and resilient into the future. There are a number of issues to be teased out, but surely it is worth the conversation.
Caitlin McGee is research director, Institute for Sustainable Futures at University of Technology, Sydney.
 Suzanne Benn is chair in sustainable enterprise, UTS Business School at University of Technology, Sydney.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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po-LsXgBTHBmX

How co-housing could make homes cheaper and greener: Suzanne Benn & Caitlin McGee

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GUEST OBSERVATION
In the 1970s, the renowned University of California architectural professor and author of A Pattern Language, Christopher Alexander lamented that ‘normal’ urban behaviour at the time had become almost schizophrenic, characterised by extreme withdrawal from stress and an unrealistic belief in self-sufficiency.
Over 30 years on, we are surrounded by planning and processes that are often so over-engineered that as humans we are increasingly all but removed from the experience. So pervasive is the effect of this trend, TEDx Melbourne founder Jon Yeo, notes that the selfie is a response by individuals to try to find place and to create a sense of identity.
Yet the rise of Monocle magazine, recently valued at $137.5 million, and Brainpickings, a blog that provides in-depth analysis of seemingly unrelated books and has over 7 million unique readers a month, would suggest a backlash against the trend to dumb things down. Research is showing aspects of the evolution of our urban lives and the design of our work spaces present a significant challenge to our well-being and performance.
<a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_why_architects_need_to_use_their_ears?language=en#t-392730" target="_blank">Julian Treasure</a> suggests that we are designing environments that are making us crazy. Higher levels of density in urban environments have been shown to result in decreased generosity, increased anxiety and incidences of mental illness (<a href="https://adamalterauthor.com/book/" target="_blank">Alter, 2013</a>). Working and living in noisy environments may in fact be significantly reducing life expectancy. A <a href="https://multi-science.metapress.com/content/y7u5264178784312/" target="_blank">study</a> in Germany found the average noise levels in schools was 65 decibels, not only interfering with learning but causing increases in teacher heart rates that reached the threshold level for a heart attack.
Lefebvre wrote that space is a clue to the lives we lead, who we want to be and what we might be. Some exciting new research by <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/11/the-brain-on-architecture/382090/">Julio Bermudez</a> has uncovered neuroscience insights that city planners, architects and workspace designers can intentionally build into design. Bermudez’s research has identified a scientific link between aspects of architecture and design, the correlation between beauty and experience and outcomes such as well being, mindfulness and discovery.
The Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital in Detroit has recently undertaken a <a href="https://workplaceinsight.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Work+Place3.pdf" target="_blank">project</a> to rethink the nature of both patient care, employee experience and it’s role in the community. During the research, the extent of childhood obesity in the community where the hospital was located became evident. Today the environment in the hospital is so inviting and the food so good and affordable, that it’s restaurant is a destination. The facility also has a greenhouse and test kitchens used by local children and schools to learn about growing vegetables and preparing different types of food. As a result of this, the hospital has shifted the paradigm from ‘place to go when you are sick’ to ‘hospital as a community resource for staying well’. In addition, they have innovated in a way that has meant they are not only surviving but thriving, as well as playing a much larger role in the community.
A <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/alejandro_aravena_my_architectural_philosophy_bring_the_com">project</a> in Chile where the intended residents were brought into the design process, is an encouraging example of a great solution to a problem where limited funds for social housing projects had previously only resulted in undesirable long-term outcomes. Such projects demonstrate ways we might move forward to create work spaces and urban environments that reverse the figure-ground. Such changes will result in important shifts in the way we design places. As Ilse Crawford Head of the Man and Wellbeing Institute notes, design that starts with human experience, prioritise well being and enhance our humanity.
Libby Sander is a PhD Candidate at Griffith University.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>.
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Putting the humans back into workplace design: Libby Sander

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<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
The NSW Land and Environment Court has made a ruling on minimum apartment sizes which developers dread could have implications for project profits.
The decision, Botany City Council v Botany Developments Pty Ltd (No 2), was handed down by Justice Sheehan last week after council was represented by L&amp;E Court veteran Tim Hale SC.
It ruled that the larger sizes set out in State Environmental Planning Policy 65 were the most appropriate for residential flat design for the 72-86 Bay Street project. The property had been bought from UNSW for $7.1 million in 2011.
It shocked the industry as smaller apartment sizes have been typically accepted by the industry and consent authorities.
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<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
Currently developers operate under the "rule of thumb" that the minimum size for a one-bedroom apartment internal space is 50 square metres.
But the court ruled the minimum was too small.
Bigger apartment rules will affect unit mix and apartment types, project feasibilities, and the general layout and design of apartment projects.
The Botany case was over a proposed development of 158 apartments, where some apartments fell below the official rules by a square metre or two.
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The proposed apartment sizes, with one-bedroom units at between 50.7 square metres (internal and 8 square metre balcony) and 67.5 square metres plus balcony, did not meet the minimum standards of Botany City's Development Control Plan and Botany City rejected the proposal.
The developer went to the Land and Environment Court and won in January 2014 because the sizes exceeded those set out in the state environmental planning policy's rules of thumb.
But Botany Council then appealed that decision, arguing at the May 2104 hearing that the key metric was the residential flat development code table, not the rules of thumb. 
Their appeal asserted that the Commissioner erred in granting consent for a development in which the unit sizes did not meet the minimums prescribed in The City of Botany Bay Development Control Plan 2013 (“the DCP”) where dwellings within residential flat buildings must be designed to provide the following minimum internal areas:
<ul>
<li>studio: 60m²</li>
<li>1 bedroom: 75m²</li>
<li>2 bedrooms: 100m²</li>
<li>3 bedrooms: 130m²</li>
<li>4 bedrooms: 160m²</li>
</ul>
Dwelling size means the area inside the enclosing walls of a dwelling but excludes wall thickness, vents, ducts, staircases and lift wells.
It was common ground that the apartments do not meet these unit sizes as the development was comprised of 1 bedroom units of areas between 50.7m² and 67.5m², its two bedroom units between 78.1m² and 93.8m², and the bedroom units between 98.1m² to 98.9m².
The so-called rule  of Thumb for Apartment Layout in the [RFD Code] state:
 
<div>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">Apartment Type</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">
03.01 Studio</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">Internal Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">38.5m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203"> </td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">External Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">6m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">
03.02 One bedroom,</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">Internal Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">50m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">cross through</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">External Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">8m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">
03.03 One bedroom</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">Internal Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">62m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">Masionette(sic)/loft</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">External Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">9.4m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">
03.04 One bedroom</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">Internal Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">63.4m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">single aspect</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">External Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">10m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">
03.05 Two bedroom</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">Internal Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">80m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">corner</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">External Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">11m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">
03.06 Two bedroom</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">Internal Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">89m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">cross through</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">External Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">21m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">
03.07 Two bedroom</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">Internal Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">90m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">cross-over</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">External Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">16m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">
03.08 Two bedroom</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">Internal Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">121m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">corner with study</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">External Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">33m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203">
03.09 Three bedroom</td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">Internal Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">124m²</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td valign="middle" width="203"> </td>
<td valign="middle" width="127">External Area</td>
<td valign="middle" width="103">24m²</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
 
 
</div>
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