Mark and Roy Makari are expanding their presence in Sydney’s South West with a second major proposal for Leppington, this time envisioning a 900-dwelling mixed-use development just 850 metres from their previously lodged tower trio on Fifth Avenue.

The latest application seeks approval for a multi-building project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/230-rickard-road-leppington-nsw-2179">230 Rickard Road, Leppington</a>. The proposal seeks to establish a new focal point for the precinct through a high-density, transit-oriented development supported by diverse land uses.

According to the Scoping Report prepared for the Department of Planning, the scheme includes around 900 apartments across multiple towers, including 135 dwellings designated for affordable housing. A mix of market and subsidised apartments will be supported by ground-level activation through retail and office space, a childcare centre, and a hotel, forming a comprehensive urban precinct.

<img alt="Mixed Use Development 230 Rickard Rd Leppington" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="34797362-f3dc-4d84-8235-2657fc5f3bde" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Plan.png?VersionId=Uzckrz9tUpDQl5lX1_WMhjnv16bsr8wG" />

The Design Report by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/studiosc-0">Studio SC</a> notes that the project “intends to deliver a high-quality, high-density built form that supports the vision for the Leppington Town Centre, integrating mixed-use outcomes and public domain upgrades.” The development is expected to be delivered in stages, although a precise timeline is yet to be confirmed.

The project will be assessed through a future State Significant Development Application, with the Scoping Report indicating the team will seek design excellence via a competitive process or through an expert design review panel. Early massing diagrams suggest a series of mid- to high-rise buildings framing a central landscaped spine, with emphasis on pedestrian permeability and public space.

The planning documentation flags a strong sustainability agenda, stating that the development will “respond to the urban heat island effect, incorporate water sensitive urban design, and prioritise active transport”.

<img alt="Mixed Use Development 230 Rickard Rd Leppington" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="369d7b54-1279-4cde-88ec-dcb215594414" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Podium_1.png?VersionId=QArL7B2kkLt63vl5xvL0FNV_ardAlez4" />

The proposal follows in the footsteps of the Makaris’ nearby Fifth Avenue site, where they’ve submitted plans for three towers comprising nearly 500 apartments, with 10 per cent dedicated to affordable housing. That project features commercial podiums, a childcare centre, and a new public park that would occupy more than a third of the site.

Both developments are situated within walking distance of Leppington Train Station and fall under strategic precinct plans promoting higher density housing. The town centre is undergoing substantial transformation, driven by state government planning reforms aimed at fast-tracking housing delivery.

Together, the two projects represent a combined ambition of nearly 1,400 new homes across just under two kilometres of central Leppington.

Staff Writer

First look: 900-home mixed-use precinct planned for Leppington

Leading Australian integrated property development group, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a>, has released the signature penthouses crowning its landmark AURA by Aqualand precinct at 168 Walker Street in North Sydney, unveiling Il Magnate and La Divina as the largest and most luxurious penthouses in the suburb.

With prices anticipated to commence from $15 million, and each accompanied by a new Porsche Carrera 911 valued at over $500K, the residences mark the culmination of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/aura-by-aqualand-north-sydney-168-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">AURA by Aqualand</a>’s decade-long journey and the beginning of its final sales chapter. 
&nbsp; 
Their release follows more than $850 million in record-breaking residential sales and the building’s completion and occupation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=358868]

The Richards Stanisich-designed 284 sqm Il Magnate and 224 sqm La Divina penthouses, collectively known as The Icons of AURA, are conceived as grand luxury homes rather than apartments, with expansive proportions, elevated materiality and curated identities that reflect their status as one-off residences.&nbsp;

Il Magnate features a grande master suite, complete with substantial walk-in dressing area and ensuite, three other bedrooms, second ensuite and another bathroom, powder room, open plan kitchen, scullery, substantial dining area and generous living room divided by a feature fireplace, and a multifunction wintergarden, which is ideal for a study and adjoining office breakout space. &nbsp;

Meanwhile, the La Divina residence offers the same amenities, sans the powder room, on a slightly smaller alternate floor plan configuration.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=358863]

Each occupies half of AURA by Aqualand’s topmost 28th level, comes with four secure car spaces and pairs sweeping Sydney Harbour panoramas with large-scale living spaces, refined detailing and a level of craftsmanship and amenity rarely offered in the North Shore market.&nbsp;

Penthouse residents will also receive Etymon’s ‘Black Key’ private concierge and lifestyle management service, an invitation only offering providing the ultimate in bespoke personalisation, including a range of everyday discrete services, from dinner party management, grocery deliveries, pet feeding or plants watered, dinners, snacks and coffee deliveries, event ticket sourcing, right up to organising travel visas and international airfares. Rarely seen in Australian properties, the service provides residents the benefits of living in a world-class luxury hotel-style home, akin to The Ritz, or the Waldorf Astoria.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=358862]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/richards-stanisich">Richards Stanisich</a>’s Director, Kirsten Stanisich, said the studio set out to craft residences that feel profoundly considered, contemporary and deeply connected to their setting.

“From the outset, we approached these penthouses with the sensibility of a grand Parisian residence - generous in scale, elegant in proportion and designed to feel more like a handcrafted home than an apartment," Stanisich said.

“Their elevated position and sweeping harbour outlook informed every decision, creating a rare connection between urban sophistication and natural calm. We shaped each space with expressive materiality, sculptural forms and bespoke detailing that invite touch and interaction.&nbsp;

“The result is a pair of residences defined by volume, light and an inherent softness - refined, flexible and deeply personal. These penthouses are unlike anything else in North Sydney, offering a sanctuary of true luxury framed by some of the city’s most remarkable views.”

For Aqualand’s Head of Sales &amp; Marketing, Alex Adams, the collaboration with Porsche underscores the shared ethos behind the residences.

“Aqualand’s collaboration with Porsche underpins both brand’s sharing an obsession with craftsmanship, design excellence, and enduring value," Adams said.

“Our penthouses are created for those who appreciate the finer details and expect the extraordinary at every touchpoint. Including a Porsche simply extends that experience beyond the residence - it’s a continuation of the lifestyle our buyers already live.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292862]

Aqualand’s Managing Director, Jin Lin, said the penthouses represent both the pinnacle of AURA by Aqualand and an important design benchmark for the company’s future pipeline.&nbsp;

“These stunning penthouses reflect the purest expression of Aqualand’s design ambition," Lin said.

“The unparalleled design intent makes them not only the glistening crown of AURA by Aqualand, but the crown of North Sydney itself. They’re essentially a thank you gift to a burgeoning community that deserves this level of quality and architectural consideration.&nbsp;

“We’re leveraging the unrivalled standard set here as the foundation for what comes next, including our upcoming Anderson Street, Chatswood; 15 Blue Street, North Sydney and Central Barangaroo projects. Purchasers of these penthouses will essentially be living inside the blueprint of Aqualand’s future.

“These landmark residences demonstrate how far North Sydney has evolved and the strength of demand for highly curated, bespoke luxury homes. They’re more than penthouses, they’re legacy residences.&nbsp;

“With AURA by Aqualand now a thriving new precinct with residents well and truly settled, and our in-house world-class lifestyle amenity activated, Il Magnate and La Divina represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure an extraordinary piece of North Sydney’s future.”

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=30959]

Joel Robinson

Aqualand launches North Sydney penthouses with free Porsche Carrera 911

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/bokarina-qld-4575">Bokarina</a> Beach has quietly evolved into one of the Sunshine Coast’s most complete coastal lifestyle precincts, defined not just by proximity to the ocean, but by how residential living, local retail and everyday amenity are stitched together.&nbsp;

Gardner Vaughan Group’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bask-bokarina-38-bokarina-boulevard-bokarina-qld-4575">Bask Bokarina</a> now represents the final residential chapter in that transformation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333360]

Over recent years, the Bokarina Beach precinct has taken shape as a walkable, community-oriented neighbourhood, anchored by beachfront access, Lake Kawana to the west, and a growing mix of cafés, specialty retail and public open space.&nbsp;

With Zinc Bokarina already delivered next door by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gardner-vaughan-group">Gardner Vaughan Group</a> (GVG), Bask is the last opportunity to buy a brand new apartment within the precinct, effectively rounding out a fully formed coastal village.

GVG has positioned Bask to strengthen that lifestyle framework. Nine ground-floor retail spaces are planned beneath the residences, extending Bokarina Boulevard’s existing activity and reinforcing the area’s everyday convenience, from casual dining and coffee to local services, within a short walk of the beach.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333359]

The residential component comprises 135 apartments across two buildings, Mydas and Caretta, with a clear shift toward larger three- and four-bedroom layouts and penthouses. That mix reflects a maturing buyer profile in Bokarina, where demand is increasingly led by owner-occupiers and active downsizers seeking space, permanence, and connection to place rather than short-term coastal accommodation.

Design and amenity have followed the same logic. Residents will have access to a heated plunge pool, gym, private dining room with a full kitchen, landscaped communal gardens with barbecues and a firepit, and a shared herb and vegetable garden, facilities intended to support daily use rather than resort-style turnover. Pet-friendly features, including a dog wash bay, acknowledge both buyer expectations and the area’s dog-friendly beach, located around 250 metres from the site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333366]

“Bokarina has become one of the Sunshine Coast’s most desirable beachside communities, and Bask represents the very last chance to buy new in this location,” GVG Director Sam Gardner said.&nbsp;

“Our focus has been to create spacious, functional apartments that meet the needs of locals who want to downsize without compromise, as well as those seeking a full-time coastal retreat.”

Positioned between the Pacific Ocean and Lake Kawana, Bask apartments have been oriented to capture outlooks toward the water or the Glass House Mountains, reinforcing the project’s connection to its natural surroundings. With parks, beachfront paths, hospitals, retail and public transport already in place, Bask arrives at a point where the broader precinct is no longer emerging, but established.

Construction is expected to complete in Q3 this year, with apartments ready to move into this Spring.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=141609]

Bask to complete Bokarina’s Sunshine Coast lifestyle precinct as final apartments are released

Property development giant <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/avid-property-group">AVID Property Group</a> is approaching completion, and sell-out, of its Surry Hills apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-rathbone-23-47-flinders-street-surry-hills-nsw-2010">The Rathbone</a>.

The Flinders St project has sold well over half of its 32 apartments, which will sit above two retail spaces.

Now hitting the market are the final 14 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, which start from $1.15 million. AVID is targeting a mid-2026 completion.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5947 project_image_fid=51208]

AVID General Manager New South Wales Danny Boubli said as more apartments are introduced to increase housing options in inner-city areas, homebuyers are searching for a &nbsp;sense of belonging in addition to location, convenience and value.&nbsp;

“There are very few opportunities for new developments in Surry Hills, and since acquiring the site, we’ve even seen one early purchaser merge two apartments plans together, reflecting the demand for a spacious, premium offering in a prime location,” Boubli said.&nbsp;

“Demand has been strong since we launched to market – we don’t see these final apartments staying on the market for long.”&nbsp;

Architectural firm Studio SC has designed the building which pays homage to the former 1900s Rathbone Terraces that once sat on the 990 sqm island site.

Boubil said the team has made every effort to create "truly liveable apartments", through&nbsp;functional floor plans, security, storage, and the inclusion of quality fittings.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5947 project_image_fid=51207]

&nbsp;

Sustainable design has also been implemented throughout the development, with natural light flooding each apartment, ventilation throughout, extensive landscaping and where possible, materials with a high level of recycled content and low volatile organic compound paints have been used. &nbsp;

Apartments range in size from 57 sqm for the one-bedrooms to the large-scale 165 sqm three-beds which are priced at $2,575,000.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=5947]

AVID launches final apartments at The Rathbone, Surry Hills

A wave of investment, renewal and precinct growth continues to shape the northern edge of Macquarie Park, where daily life is supported by a rare combination of university activity, corporate employment, major retail, and expansive green corridors. It’s this convergence of amenity and connectivity underpins the setting for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a>’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/la-vera-94-talavera-road-macquarie-park-nsw-2113">La Vera</a>, which has now topped out and is tracking toward completion in mid-2026.

Within this pocket of the precinct, residents move easily between the area’s key anchors. Macquarie Centre, home to more than 360 retailers, fresh food offerings, dining and entertainment, sits at the heart of local convenience and functions as a major transport interchange. The Metro, T1 rail line and extensive bus network place much of Sydney within quick reach, while surrounding arterial links support direct access to neighbouring districts.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134951 project_image_fid=5829]

Green space remains a defining feature of the immediate environment. Lane Cove National Park stretches along the northern boundary of the precinct, offering bushland trails, cycling routes and quiet riverfront pockets. Shrimptons Creek and the campus grounds of Macquarie University extend these recreational networks, softening the urban setting and creating a daily connection to nature that informs the project’s architectural response.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">Cox Architecture</a> have shaped La Vera around these contrasts. The building’s northern elevation adopts an organic, curvilinear form that mirrors the natural topography of the national park. Three sculpted forms soften the tower’s profile and encourage a stronger transition between indoor living areas, balconies and the broader landscape.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134951 project_image_fid=223737]

Cox Director Felipe Miranda says the building’s outlook played a central role in the design process.

“The vision for the project was to conceive a building that adopted an organic and curvilinear form to the northern portion that faces the Lane Cove National Park… The residents that reside in the northern portion of the building benefit by having beautifully crafted curved balconies that speak to the natural context and heighten the relationship of their internal living spaces to the external balconies,” Felipe Miranda of Cox Architecture said.

Toward the city-facing side, the design shifts to a more urban expression. A gridded facade and extensive glazing capture CBD views, creating a dual strategy that blends ecological outlooks with metropolitan orientation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134951 project_image_fid=5827]

La Vera delivers 169 residences across one- to four-bedroom layouts, reflecting the needs of young families, downsizers, first-home buyers and investors seeking long-term certainty within a high-amenity location. From the project, residents can walk to Macquarie University, Macquarie Hospital and nearby corporate offices, reach national park trails within minutes, and enjoy retail and dining without relying on a car.

The project is delivered by Urban Property Group, a 4.5-star iCIRT-rated developer-builder with more than three decades of experience. The company has become a leader in adopting 10-Year Latent Defects Insurance (LDI), first introduced on its Parq Bexley development and now embedded into its pipeline.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134951 project_image_fid=223727]

La Vera is the first development in Macquarie Park approved to offer this 10-year LDI policy, adding another layer of protection for purchasers and reinforcing the transparency of the construction process.

Urban Property Group CEO Patrick Elias says this assurance has become increasingly important for buyers navigating the off-the-plan market.

“Consumers are a lot more weary and a lot more concerned in buying off the plan than they ever have been… Having LDI is a tool to portray the confidence that we have in our product, and a confidence we want buyers to share,” Urban Property Group CEO Patrick Elias said.

Urban Property Group's in-house construction team is forecasting a mid-2026 completion, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/home789">HOME789</a> appointed as the project marketer.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134951]

La Vera delivers a nature-connected address within Macquarie Park’s core

Liminal 360

<html><body>
In the past couple of years, we have seen virtual reality go from an intriguing concept to a full-fledged strategy for <a href="/new-apartments">off-the-plan property sales</a>.

This is due to VR’s unprecedented ability to bring projects to life by recreating environments to scale and placing a potential buyer inside a building that has yet to be built.

There are many challenges to selling off-the-plan properties compared to established properties. One of the most significant and obvious challenges is that some people simply do not trust what they are going to get.

By making the intangible tangible, virtual reality provides an opportunity to de-mystify the buying experience for this subset of investors and it is already making a huge impression in the sale of properties all over the world.

We know from studies conducted by neuroscientists at Nielson that viewing content in VR compared to a 2D screen generates 27% more emotional activation, and that this emotional activation lasts 34% longer. In other words, people have a trust and acceptance of virtual reality environments which creates an emotional affinity with the what they are experiencing.

From a property sales perspective, this is powerful. The ability to take a person through a property virtually and activate them emotionally is hard to ignore. It also allows the sales agent to adopt approaches that are much closer to the tried and trusted techniques that real estate agents adopt when selling established properties.

<h2>What are the options?</h2>

Liminal 360’s CEO, Damian Moratti, has <a href="/news/melburnians-flock-to-virtual-reality-and-property-marketers-are-taking-notice">previously written</a> for Apartments.com.au about the different kinds of experiences we have created to assist with the property sales process. These kinds of experiences include:

<ul>
<li>downloadable mobile VR lead generation and sales apps displaying photo-real rendered apartments; and</li>
	<li>highly immersive experiences on more advanced systems such as the HTC Vive to showcase masterplans and to allow people to customise the interior of apartments.</li>
</ul>
We have even re-created heritage buildings such as the <a href="/news/melbourne-centrals-iconic-shot-tower-reborn-in-vr">Coops Shot Tower</a> for Melbourne Central.

<h2>Adoption rates continue to grow</h2>

Meanwhile, adoption rates and interest in VR continue to grow in Australia.

Google Trends data suggests that Melbourne and Sydney continue to be in the top 5 cities displaying regional interest in “virtual reality”.

Additionally, according to Telsyte’s Australian VR &amp; AR Market Study 2017, Australia is a world leader in VR adoption, with household penetration of headsets set to reach 22.3% by 2020.

Part of the reason for this continued adoption is a better user experience due more advanced GPUs allowing for higher fidelity graphics and improved hardware.

Mobile VR is getting more comfortable, higher resolution, and more interactive. The leading mobile headsets are Google Daydream and Samsung’s Gear VR are both under $130 and both come with their own bluetooth controllers. The ability to utilise mobile phones provide for a more compelling and flexible means for sales agents to deliver and enhance the buying experience.

We are also about to see even more degrees of freedom emerge from the HTC Vive (the world’s most advanced VR system), which is about to go wireless!

This will provide a more elegant solution for property developers to showcase their vision in display suites.

With VR's emergence as a standard part of the armoury for any property developer, off-the-plan properties are now open for inspection.

Nick Busietta is the managing director at <a href="http://www.liminal360.com/">Liminal 360</a>.
</body></html>

nbusietta

Off-the-Plan Properties are now Open for Inspection

<html><body>
Melbourne’s architectural landscape is a wonderful juxtaposition of modern and Victorian architecture. Although the CBD has been peppered with many skyscrapers, its historical structures have won Melbourne the title of “Australia’s most European city”.

Perhaps the most striking example of this juxtaposition between old and new is the Coops Shot Tower situated within Melbourne Central and enclosed by a magnificent 20 storey glass cone designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa. Although an icon of Melbourne for locals, the rich history of Coops Shot Tower is unknown to many tourists.

Built in 1890 at the peak of a period known as ‘Marvellous Melbourne’, it once stood as one of the tallest buildings in the city.

As part of Melbourne Central’s 25th birthday celebrations, <a href="http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/Whatson/Festivals/FashionandDesign/Pages/9303c839-1048-4263-9629-72406e760e7e.aspx">Rewind ’91</a>, Melbourne Central and Melbourne-based virtual reality company Liminal 360 have collaborated to use the latest in VR technology, the HTC Vive, to create an immersive and interactive reconstruction of Coops Shot Tower.

During the experience, users are treated to a private tour through material from the State Library archives by historian Dale Campisi, before venturing into the Shot Tower to experience it for themselves. The tower is 50 metres tall and was used predominantly to create lead shot for shotguns.

The shot maker would melt lead bars in a cauldron furnace and scoop up the molten lead with an enormous ladle, carefully pouring it into a large, perforated colander to create ‘drops’. Molten lead would rain down the height of the tower, forming perfectly spherical and aerodynamic shot on the way to be cooled and solidified by the water below.

Today, shot is made with industrial machines and the process is largely automated; the days of standing inside a tall tower in a dimly lit room and manipulating molten lead by hand have been lost to the annals of history.

However next month, history will be reborn and visitors to Melbourne Central will have a unique opportunity to go back in time to experience a taste of life as a shot maker!

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/um_image_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Users can relive the life of a shot maker, albeit temporarily. Image: Liminal 360"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="318" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/um_image_2.jpg?itok=SwBuyUyW" title="Users can relive the life of a shot maker, albeit temporarily. Image: Liminal 360" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Users can relive the life of a shot maker, albeit temporarily. Image: Liminal 360</figcaption></figure>Lachlan Sleight, Liminal 360’s CTO and Lead Developer collaborated closely with local historian Dale Campisi, and was given exclusive access to the tower, taking meticulous notes, measurements and photographs of the heritage listed building and dilapidated machinery within. The result is a historical reconstruction of unusual authenticity, and the use of virtual reality technology makes the experience a benchmark for historical brand activation in Australia.

<blockquote>
This was an exciting project and we went to great lengths to accurately recreate the Shot Tower as it existed back in the 1890s. This meant not just recreating the space visually but working closely with sound designer Darius Kedros fromSonic State Design to really bring the space to life.
<cite>Lachlan Sleight, CTO and Lead Developer, Liminal 360</cite>
</blockquote>

Leigh Dunn, General Manager of Melbourne Central, said the virtual reality installation will be a key attraction for visitors during the Rewind ’91 birthday festivities hosted throughout September and also exemplifies the centre’s commitment to providing an engaging retail environment.

The Melbourne Central Virtual Reality Experience will be located in Shot Tower Square, open Thursday to Sunday for the month of September. Following this, the experience will be relocated to the Shot Tower Museum as a permanent installation for visitors to enjoy.
</body></html>

Damian Moratti

Melbourne Central’s iconic shot tower reborn in VR

<html><body>
There is rising consumer appetite for virtual reality in Australia and property marketers are starting to pay attention. As of this writing, Google Trends has given Melbourne a score of 100 for ‘Regional Interest’ for the search-term “Virtual Reality”.

What exactly does a score of 100 mean? Well, explaining Google Trends data can be a little tricky but a rank of 100 effectively means that proportionately, people in Melbourne are searching for “Virtual Reality” more than any other city in the world with Sydney coming in a close second with a score of 96.

Regional trends are constantly fluctuating but it appears that Melburnians are among the most highly engaged people in the world right now when it comes to Virtual Reality.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image34_7.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Data source: Google Trends"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="286" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image34_7.jpg?itok=AkMR_QmM" title="Data source: Google Trends" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Data source: Google Trends</figcaption></figure>One reason why VR is rapidly rising in popularity is its accessibility. Anyone can now download an app on their smartphone and experience Virtual Reality content with nothing more than an inexpensive Google Cardboard Virtual Reality viewer.

If you have one of the latest Samsung Galaxy phones, you can go a step further and pick up a Samsung Gear VR for under $160 and experience the world’s best mobile VR headset right now. This accessibility combined with a great user experience makes mobile VR a very powerful tool for sales agents who can use it to place a person ‘inside’ a building or environment before it has been built.

A number of savvy property developers have taken note of this trend and are investing heavily in the technology. Innovative property developers like SP Projects and Future Estate have created a number of fully immersive, photo-real architectural visualisations to showcase developments such as Windsor &amp; Co and One Coburg Quarter.

<blockquote>
New developments, like our Coburg Quarter project, are really raising the bar in terms of its quality and design-led architecture. Until recently though, we’ve had to rely on renders and floorplans to communicate the many unique aspects of our projects.
Now with the advent of Liminal 360’s 3D virtual reality technology we can actually show our purchasers the quality of our projects in a really tactile, expressive way.
<cite>Ben Anderson, Founder and Managing Director, Future Estate</cite>
</blockquote>

Developer branded Google Cardboards are an easy way to share mobile VR experiences and are always a huge hit at launch events, expos or as gifts to prospective investors; they are also far less likely to be thrown out or misplaced in a sea of glossy brochures.

Mobile VR is an incredible tool to sell off-the-plan properties. Aside from the millions of Google Cardboards sold globally, this year Samsung is expected to sell around five million Gear VRs, but the number of prospective property investors using mobile VR is about to get much, much bigger.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image35_4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Providing the viewer with a unique perspective"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="227" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image35_4.jpg?itok=gjbb77MQ" title="Providing the viewer with a unique perspective" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Providing the viewer with a unique perspective</figcaption></figure>Google plans on making mobile VR operate at “Android scale” and is launching the recently announced Daydream platform this spring. Working with all the major phone manufacturers to create smartphones optimised for VR, Google plans to introduce “hundreds of millions” of users to mobile VR within the next couple of years.

Property marketers have also been paying attention to the release of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive earlier this year and Liminal 360 is using this technology to bring to life not only individual houses or apartments but entire masterplanned communities using the HTC Vive.

<blockquote>
We are very excited about using the HTC Vive to enable home buyers to visit a developer’s display suite and walk around and view an entire community contextually and at a range of different scales.
<cite>Nick Busietta, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Liminal 360</cite>
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image36_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The HTC Vive"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="357" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image36_2.jpg?itok=rxuEy3ox" title="The HTC Vive" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The HTC Vive</figcaption></figure>Tethered to a powerful PC, the HTC Vive allows a person to walk around in a Virtual Reality environment as they physically walk around in up to 4.5 x 4.5 meters of mapped out floorspace – such as in a ‘real world’ display suite. The user can also actively interact with the virtual environment with a pair of wireless, handheld controllers making the Vive experiences fun and strikingly immersive.

With all these exciting Virtual Reality experiences being built right here in Melbourne, it’s not surprising that there is such a buzz around town!

Daimian Moratti is CEO of Melbourne-based virtual reality company Liminal 360.
</body></html>

Liminal 360

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

The latest real estate & off the plan properties & news, delivered to your inbox.

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

The latest real estate & off the plan properties & news, delivered to your inbox.

Liminal 360

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

The latest real estate & off the plan properties & news, delivered to your inbox.

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

The latest real estate & off the plan properties & news, delivered to your inbox.