National diversified developer Fortis has officially launched Crest &amp; Walker, its latest Brisbane apartment development, with construction now underway on the 20-storey Newstead project.

Award-winning builder BINAH has commenced construction on the Bureau^Proberts-designed building, which will deliver a limited collection of 65 two and three-bedroom apartments on Kyabra Street.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373556]

The project marks Fortis' fourth active residential development in Brisbane, following River House, which is nearing completion, alongside projects in New Farm and Hamilton as the national developer continues to expand its South East Queensland pipeline.

Fortis General Manager – Development Queensland Dan Boman said Crest &amp; Walker reflects the developer's long-term commitment to delivering design-led residential projects in Brisbane's established inner-city suburbs.

"We're proud to be strengthening our presence in Brisbane with Crest &amp; Walker, particularly in such a sought-after lifestyle destination as Newstead," Boman said.

"Every Fortis project is shaped by its context, and we approach each one with the respect and care it deserves.

"Our focus is always on creating places that feel connected to their neighbourhood and elevate the everyday experience for residents. Newstead continues to evolve as one of Brisbane's most sought-after urban communities, and Crest &amp; Walker reflects our ambition to contribute meaningfully to that story."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373559]

Positioned between Gasworks Plaza and James Street, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/crest-walker-newstead-12-kyabra-street-newstead-qld-4006">Crest &amp; Walker</a> has been designed as a boutique residential address offering privacy and generous living spaces within one of Brisbane's most established lifestyle precincts.

The building features a contemporary brick podium softened by integrated landscaping, while the upper levels are characterised by restrained architecture and enduring materiality. Interiors have been designed to maximise natural light, acoustic performance and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373583]

Residences comprise spacious two and three-bedroom floorplans, with two-bedroom apartments priced from $1.55 million and three-bedroom, half-floor residences from $3.95 million.

Residents will have access to a wellness-focused rooftop featuring a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, landscaped dining spaces and outdoor lounge areas overlooking Newstead and the Brisbane CBD.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373571]

Sales are being managed by Slaite Projects, with Fortis expecting strong demand from owner-occupiers seeking a high-quality, design-focused apartment in one of Brisbane's most tightly held inner-city suburbs.

Completion of Crest &amp; Walker is slated for late 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145922]

Joel Robinson

Fortis expands Brisbane pipeline with launch of Crest & Walker in Newstead

The enormity of delivering a true skyscraper in Australia's new development market is often overlooked.

It has taken the best part of a decade since plans for Chevron One were first unveiled, but the 52-storey tower is now complete, with residents collecting their keys and moving into what has become one of the Gold Coast's most recognisable new landmarks.

Rising 127 metres above Chevron Island, Chevron One stands almost twice as high as any other building on the island. Its scale places it alongside the trio of towers at Jewel, arguably the last truly significant addition to the central Gold Coast skyline when they were completed around six years ago.

While there are several developments underway around a similar height to Chevron One, they are more concentrated within clusters of the highest towers in the city. The fact Chevron One sits within a developing precinct, looking back at the other high-rise developments in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, makes it a different proposition altogether. It will certainly become a reference point on the Gold Coast skyline.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=68833]

Developer Bensons Property Group is behind the 52-storey tower, which has just shy of 250 apartments, along with an exhaustive list of resident amenity spread across what is the largest development site ever assembled on Chevron Island.

The tower has been the talk of the town for years, says Ray White Projects Gold Coast agent Caitlin Rosenboom, who is selling the remaining apartments.

"People have been watching Chevron One go up for years," Rosenboom says, adding that many prospective buyers have been surprised by the scale of the views once they step inside.

"It's only when they walk through a completed apartment that they truly understand the position of the building," Rosenboom says.

"The views are jaw-dropping. Whether you're looking east over the ocean, across Surfers Paradise, along the river systems or out to the hinterland, every level offers something different but equally impressive."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=360215]

One of Chevron One's defining advantages is its location on the eastern side of Chevron Island on Stanhill Drive, a position which protects the views forever.

"There's only one row of houses between Chevron One and the water, and the height restrictions along the river means views from Chevron One can never be built out,"&nbsp;Rosenboom says.

While new apartment developments continue to emerge across the Gold Coast, Rosenboom says opportunities to secure a completed apartment with this level of outlook are becoming increasingly rare.

"The size of the site is something that would be incredibly difficult to replicate today," she says.

"That's allowed Chevron One to deliver the sort of amenity, open space and resident facilities that very few projects can offer. There are not many completed apartment buildings on the Gold Coast right now that can compete with the combination of scale, quality and amenity."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=68839]

There's around 2,000 sqm of amenity solely for the use of residents of Chevron One. Club One features a uniquely shaped swimming pool that mirrors the footprint of the building itself, set within a extensively landscaped gardens. There's also an indoor pool and spa, a fully equipped gym with a Pilates room, a yoga garden, a bookable private dining area and lounge that can host up to 30 people, and a 24-hour concierge service.

As for the buyers, Rosenboom is fielding enquiry from everywhere: Sydneysiders and Melburnians looking at the new and off-the-plan market following the changes in the Federal Budget, as well as those looking to relocate, through to South East Queenslanders seeking either a permanent home or a weekender bolthole.

"The Gold Coast lifestyle continues to resonate with people relocating from the southern states, and when they see the views and the quality of what's been delivered at Chevron One, it becomes very easy for them to understand the appeal," Rosenboom says.

A diverse mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments remain available, with each offering "something a little different", be it the orientation and views, configuration, or level, to suit a wide variety of buyers.

The remaining apartments are ready to inspect in person, by appointment.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6515]

A decade in the making: Residents to move into Chevron One as construction wraps up

A general rule of thumb in new apartment developments is that the penthouses get the rooftop.

It's a formula that's become commonplace across Australia's apartment market. Residents might have access to a pool, gym or barbecue facilities on a dedicated lower level, but the most desirable outdoor spaces are typically reserved for the highest-priced homes at the top of the building.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sherpa-property-group">Sherpa Property Group</a> has taken the opposite approach.

Rather than dedicating the rooftop to a handful of buyers, the Gold Coast developer has made it the centrepiece of its Flourish collection, creating expansive shared spaces from the best vantage point in the building.

The philosophy has reached its most ambitious expression at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-soleira-palm-beach-1150-1160-gold-coast-highway-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Soleira</a> in Palm Beach, where two rooftop precincts connected by a skybridge will deliver one of the most extensive lifestyle offerings seen in a residential apartment project on the Gold Coast.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374053]

"We're seeing a clear move toward developments that offer more than just an apartment," Sherpa Group founder Christie Leet said.

"People want spaces that support how they actually live, whether that's working from home, staying active, or spending time with family and friends.

"That's where amenity becomes critical. It's not just about what's included, but how those spaces are designed to be used every day."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374052]

The breadth of amenity has already attracted buyers across multiple demographics. Younger first home buyers have been drawn to Soleira's one-bedroom apartments, a product rarely delivered in Palm Beach, while families have responded to practical inclusions such as the shallow children's pool adjoining the main lap pool and the extensive communal recreation areas.

Instead of a single rooftop, Soleira delivers two distinct lifestyle zones.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=372547]

The southern rooftop has been dedicated to wellness, featuring a gym, yoga and Pilates studio, work-from-home facilities, a wellness centre, spa, and hot and cold plunge pools.

The northern rooftop focuses on recreation and entertaining, incorporating a heated resort-style pool, private dining rooms, pizza ovens, barbecues, a golf simulator, children's recreation areas, and what is expected to be the Gold Coast's first rooftop basketball court, which will also double as a squash court.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374054]

Beyond the rooftops, Soleira will introduce 1,500 sqm of curated retail beneath the towers, creating one of Palm Beach's first genuinely mixed-use lifestyle precincts where cafés, restaurants and convenience retail become part of residents' everyday lives.

Sherpa has also retained management rights across the development, allowing it to oversee the long-term operation of the building through a 24-hour concierge model. The developer is also exploring additional revenue streams within the precinct aimed at helping offset ongoing body corporate costs for residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370962]

While Soleira is the largest project Sherpa has delivered, the rooftop-first philosophy has been evolving for several years.

It began with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/amargo-6-12-sixth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Amargo</a>, the first project released under the Flourish brand. Rather than competing at the ultra-luxury end of the market with oversized half-floor and full-floor residences, Sherpa focused on creating lifestyle-driven apartments supported by resort-style shared spaces.

Amargo introduced more than 800 sqm of rooftop amenity, combining wellness facilities, heated pools, entertaining areas, cabanas, pizza ovens and private dining spaces into what was designed as an extension of residents' homes rather than a facility used only occasionally.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146527 project_image_fid=366550]

That approach continued with Flourish Oasis, where the same amenity-led philosophy was refined into a more boutique development. Strong demand from Sherpa's growing VIP database saw much of the project sold before it reached the broader market, reinforcing buyer appetite for apartment communities centred around shared lifestyle experiences.

Flourish Amargo is slated for completion mid-way-through next year, with Oasis to be delivered by late 2027. Flourish Soleira is expected to complete in 2030.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150017]

Sherpa takes amenity to the sky as Flourish Soleira captures booming Palm Beach demand

As apartment living continues to evolve across Sydney's growth corridors, the quality and distribution of shared spaces is increasingly shaping how residents experience home. Rather than functioning as add-ons, amenities are being embedded into the daily rhythm of a building, supporting everything from quiet retreat to social interaction, often within a single vertical community.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aeris-melrose-park-nursery-street-melrose-park-nsw-2114">Aeris</a> in Melrose Park, this approach is resolved through a layered amenity offering that unfolds from ground level through to its upper podium. Developed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sekisui-house-australia">Sekisui House Australia</a> in partnership with Hankyu Hanshin Properties, the project introduces 468 apartments across two towers and a mid-rise building, positioned at the highest point of the broader masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=359199]

The amenity experience begins at street level, where two courtyards sit within a landscaped setting that connects residents to the wider network of parks and green spaces. These green spaces are not isolated pockets but part of a wider pedestrian network that links Aeris to the surrounding <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/melrose-park-nsw-2114">Melrose Park</a> precinct, including Central Park, future schools, and the Town Centre opening in July 2026. The result is a transition that moves from public to private without abrupt boundaries, allowing residents to pass through shaded, tree-lined environments before reaching the building itself.

Moving upward, the focus shifts to the level five podium, where the primary communal facilities are concentrated. This space brings together a 16-metre swimming pool, outdoor seating areas, and a communal BBQ zone arranged to take advantage of elevated outlooks. Seating is positioned beneath pergolas, creating pockets of shade that extend the usability of the space throughout the day. The pool edge aligns with views toward the wider district, reinforcing the sense of elevation that defines the project’s positioning.

In the adjacent building, this is complemented by quieter, more contemplative spaces, including an outdoor cinema set within the same level. Positioned to operate primarily in the evening, it introduces a different tempo to the shared environment, shifting from daytime activity to after-hours use without requiring separate zones.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=360299]

The podium also accommodates an intimate private resident gym. Located on the lower levels, it gives residents convenient access to fitness facilities without leaving the building.

Above, the elevated podium sky deck extends the amenity offering, providing additional open-air spaces with elevated outlooks across the surrounding landscape. While more restrained in program, this upper level reinforces the project’s vertical progression, from ground-level greenery to elevated outlook, allowing residents to move between distinct spatial conditions within a single address.

This distribution of amenities reflects a deliberate response to how residents use space across the day. Sekisui House Australia Sales and Marketing Director Peter Kalaf points to the role these shared areas play in shaping buyer demand. Aeris has been conceived as more than a collection of apartments, with the podium pool, gym and outdoor cinema forming part of a broader lifestyle offering that extends the home beyond each individual residence.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=360300]

What distinguishes Aeris is not the inclusion of these elements individually, but how they are arranged in relation to one another. Active, social, and passive spaces are layered vertically rather than separated, allowing residents to choose between them without leaving the building or moving far from their apartment. This proximity supports both routine use, such as a morning swim or evening workout, and more occasional gatherings, whether around the BBQ area or within the cinema setting.

The amenity design also sits within a broader framework of connectivity across Melrose Park. The Melrose Park Town Centre, anchored by Coles and Dan Murphys, features a mix of retail, dining, health and lifestyle offerings, bringing everyday convenience closer to residents. By the end of the year, more than five hectares of parks and open space, equivalent to around seven football fields of green space on residents' doorstep, will further enhance the precinct, allowing the internal facilities at Aeris to operate as an extension of the wider neighbourhood rather than a substitute for it.

Construction at Aeris continues to gather momentum, with ground floor slabs expected to be completed in late 2026 before the first sections of the buildings begin to rise above ground.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=426]

Elevated amenity anchors daily life at Aeris, Melrose Park

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]

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

Liminal 360

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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>.
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nbusietta

Off-the-Plan Properties are now Open for Inspection

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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.
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Damian Moratti

Melbourne Central’s iconic shot tower reborn in VR

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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.
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