One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

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FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<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/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

Nettleton Tribe

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It may not share the same ultra lofty ambitions as nearby Parramatta, yet Epping is nonetheless seeing a healthy influx of residential towers.

Latest on the scene is a slimline 21 storey Nettleton Tribe-designed project for 16-18 Cambridge Street. Augusta Properties Pty Ltd have applied on behalf of Just Properties Group for the permit which accounts for a 1,917 square metre site fronting railway infrastructure.

The $50 million build is seeking to slot into a currently low-rise setting, although that is set to change in years to come. 

Six separate high-rise residential developments immediately surrounding 16-18 Cambridge Street have also been built or are also looking to become reality. Effectively a new high-density residential precinct would emerge should all of these towers come to fruition, with the tallest adjacent to 16-18 Cambridge Street spanning 29 storeys.

Whilst 16-18 Cambridge Street includes 84 apartments, the wider precinct could see thousands of new apartments once all developable sites are accounted for.

<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/image9_22.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Towers intended for the sites immediately surrounding 16-18 Cambridge Street. Image: Nettleton Tribe"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="333" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image9_22.jpg?itok=IshURnGz" title="Towers intended for the sites immediately surrounding 16-18 Cambridge Street. Image: Nettleton Tribe" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Towers intended for the sites immediately surrounding 16-18 Cambridge Street. Image: Nettleton Tribe</figcaption></figure>Epping's rise is predominantly centred around its railway station, with streets adjacent to Cambridge such as Oxford Street also flush with sizeable apartment developments. Notable developments include fellow Nettleton Tribe-designed project <a href="/new-apartments/44-48-oxford-street-epping">44-48 Oxford Street</a> which includes two residential towers whilst Cbus Property is selling apartments within its <a href="/buildings/the-langston-epping-12-22-langston-place-epping">Langston Place</a> development.

That project includes over 450 apartments across three towers that span up to 29 levels.

16-18 Cambridge Street specifically sees a 75 metre podium and tower form above 3 basement levels accommodating 104 vehicles. In close proximity to Epping Railway Station, Nettleton Tribe's design also includes ground floor retail, 534 square metres of podium office space and a common room mid way up the tower.

As submitted the apartment yield consists of 35 single, 38 double and 11 triple bedroom apartments.

<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/image5_20.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="16-18 Cambridge Street. Image: Nettleton Tribe"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="756" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image5_20.jpg?itok=i0bdc9B4" title="16-18 Cambridge Street. Image: Nettleton Tribe" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>16-18 Cambridge Street. Image: Nettleton Tribe</figcaption></figure>
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Augusta Properties drives another residential tower into Epping 

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South Brisbane-based Pradella Developments and Constructions will move to make reality a substantial mixed-use development in neighbouring West End.

The developer has secured Woolworths as a pivotal tenant within the intended $175 million project which includes retail, dining, office and residential components. Pradella has dubbed the development Montague Markets and Residences, launching the development one year after <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.pradella.com.au/news/montague-markets-now-da-approved/117">gaining approval</a>.

Construction is slated to begin later this year, with the substantial supermarket at the heart of the initial phase. Under approved plans 1,600 square metres of specialty retail will be underpinned by the approximately 3,400 square metre Woolworths outlet, with an adjacent public plaza, central arcade and alfresco dining zone accounting for an additional 1,200 square metres.

Pradella's West End development is located at 405 Montague Road.

<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/image54_7.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Montague Markets and Residences. Image: Pradella "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="396" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image54_7.jpg?itok=vRiyGFcY" title="Montague Markets and Residences. Image: Pradella " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Montague Markets and Residences. Image: Pradella</figcaption></figure><h2> What they say</h2>

<blockquote>
Montague Markets will be an excellent fit for West End with a market-style ambience that extends the suburb’s thriving foodie culture closer to the river.

It will also introduce the region’s laneway culture to this precinct by extending Tondara Lane for community pop-up spaces and a 200sqm public art piece that will further showcase the personality of West End. We look forward to starting construction of this project and making further announcements about other future tenants coming to Montague Markets.
<cite>Pradella Director Kim Pradella</cite>
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<blockquote>
At Woolworths, we pride ourselves on delivering high quality produce at great value for local residents. We are delighted to be part of the Montague Markets development and are excited that local residents will soon have access to one of Australia’s most modern supermarkets.
<cite>Woolworths’ Regional Property Manager, Phillip Peel</cite>
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Architecture firm Nettleton Tribe is behind the design of Montague Markets and Residences, with the project first hitting planning during 2015. Nettleton Tribe describe the project as follows:

<blockquote>
The brief called for a ground floor retail complex incorporating a supermarket and specialty retail stores to serve the increasing West End population. With two residential towers above, the complex is well placed to provide a successful public/private interface in the booming Brisbane suburb.

The development is designed to deliver a vibrancy and activity in the urban realm, reaching beyond its boundaries providing a connective landscaped public space activating Tondara Lane and Montague Road. The built form responds to the lane to encourage activity within the public realm and landscape. Building mass is carefully considered to respond to surrounding views and developments whilst maximizing exposure to daylight and the private landscaped recreation space.
</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/image55_10.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Montague Markets and Residences' new promenade space. Image: Pradella "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="269" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image55_10.jpg?itok=pGCRAEau" title="Montague Markets and Residences' new promenade space. Image: Pradella " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Montague Markets and Residences' new promenade space. Image: Pradella</figcaption></figure>Montague Markets and Residences is poised to become Pradella's fourteenth project in West End, which according to the developer results in 3,000 plus people living within a variety of Pradella-backed apartment buildings across the Riverside West End precinct.

Montague Street has been earmarked by Brisbane City Council as being ripe for transformation into a retail strip with varying uses above. For its part Pradella intend to deliver two apartment buildings above the mixed-use ground plane, consisting of 181 apartments and 1,300 square metres of resident amenities.

Whilst the Woolworths aims to serve the immediate area's booming population, the development will also include basement capacity for 292 vehicles and 1,300 square metres of commercial space, underlining the mixed-use nature of the development.
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Pradella moves on Brisbane's West End with Montague Markets and Residences

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Woolloongabba will soon have a new addition, with Silk One the latest project to announce itself in the surging inner Brisbane suburb.

The new tower will also feature a design first for Brisbane, boasting the city’s only rooftop Skystand which will include tiered seating and unobstructed views over The Gabba’s stadium. The project has been designed by Nettletontribe Architects, with Sarazin and Southlake Group also backing the project.

Silk One's intended unit mix would add a further 178 apartments to Woolloongabba. These dwellings are expected to be split between 59 one bedroom, 32 two bedroom/one bathroom, 85 two bedroom/two bathroom and 2 three bedroom/two bathroom options.

<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/image71_5.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Silk One is Woolloongabba's latest. Image: silkone.com.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="1025" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image71_5.jpg?itok=7X2gf-3m" title="Silk One is Woolloongabba's latest. Image: silkone.com.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Silk One is Woolloongabba's latest. Image: silkone.com.au</figcaption></figure>Silk One forms part of a larger intended development that initially went to planning during 2016. Three separate applications cover an extended land plot encapsulating 825-847 Stanley Street and 6-24 Trafalgar Street in Woolloongabba.

Originally envisaged as a phased delivery project, the development has three towers capable of delivering approximately 520 apartments, commercial office space, a string of retail tenancies and a public thoroughfare bisecting the site. 600 plus vehicle parking spaces and 600 plus bicycle bays are included across the entire development.

The overall Silk development replaces a previous mixed-use scheme over the site which included dedicated commercial, hotel and apartment uses.

Currently, primary applicant 825 Stanley Pty Ltd has taken the Silk One tower <a href="https://pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au/masterviewUI/modules/ApplicationMaster/default.aspx?page=wrapper&amp;key=A004923841">back to planning</a>, looking to include design enhancements across the initial tower.

<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/image75_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Developments looking to call Woolloongabba home"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="251" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image75_2.jpg?itok=A_hj2UUX" title="Developments looking to call Woolloongabba home" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Developments looking to call Woolloongabba home</figcaption></figure>With the project's website taking registrations of interest, Silk One is also the latest Woolloongabba project to enter the Urban Project Database, with the vast majority of these located directly south of The Gabba.

<a href="/new-apartments/43-regent-street-woolloongabba">43 Regent Street</a> and <a href="/new-apartments/65-67-regent-street-woolloongabba">65-67 Regent Street</a> both relatively recent applications and are symptomatic of the scale of apartment development seeking to call Woolloongabba home. Both applications are the work of architecture firm Cottee Parker.

Woolloongabba's tallest intended tower is dubbed Broadway Apartments and is sited across 85-93 Logan Road. At 27 levels the project backed by Majella Property would see 262 apartments and just shy of 5,000 square metres of leasable commercial area included within the HAL Architects-designed tower.
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Silk One secures Woolloongabba's best seat in the house

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Student accommodation and design prowess don't necessarily go hand in hand, in fact many of Melbourne's dated student accommodation buildings are an affront to the senses.

Generally very repetitive in every aspect of their design, very few cut through and resonate with a sense of design nous. One such project that does deserve its moment in the sun is Deakin University's freshly completed Burwood student accommodation project sited on Uganda Street.

Delivered by ADCO Constructions, the new Burwood facility differentiates itself from many, if not all of its inner city counterparts is that it has an asset that seldom few can boast; space, and an abundance of it. Perhaps the best feature of the Burwood student accommodation project is that this space isn't treated as an afterthought, it is integral to both the new building and the wider precinct.

Thoughtful use of the space surrounding the new complex manifests itself by way of landscaping and extensive placemaking.

<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/img_4179.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Deakin Burwood Campus' latest addition"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_4179.jpg?itok=X4jDDDMA" title="Deakin Burwood Campus' latest addition" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Deakin Burwood Campus' latest addition</figcaption></figure>Designed by Nettleton Tribe, the project is spread over three wings, with internal apartments generally configured in a 2, 4 and 6 bedroom format, providing on-campus accommodation for an additional 575 students.

Built over 17 months, key internal features include a central common area with lounge and kitchen/dining zones, multiple communal study zones and student car parking. Rooftop solar panels adds to the buildings credentials but it is at ground level where the new facility excels.

The accommodation's three separate wings has allowed for a network of pathways and green spaces to take precedence. Adjacent to the build is an open plan recreation space which features flexible format furniture, a games area, outdoor entertainment area with BBQ, various styles of seating and lighting to the majority of areas.

These spaces funnel through the ground level plane of the new complex, effectively creating a focal point.

<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/img_4245.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Green space and considered placemaking is apparent"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_4245.jpg?itok=530BVCi2" title="Green space and considered placemaking is apparent" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Green space and considered placemaking is apparent</figcaption></figure>Nettleton Tribe's latest design also links with their 2012 student accommodation building and beyond. Deakin University's considerable investment also sees placemaking initiatives such as the <a href="http://www.deakin.edu.au/locations/melbourne-burwood-campus/building-projects/burwood-link">Burwood Link</a> currently under construction.

Impressive as Deakin University's new Burwood student accommodation project is, it doesn't stand alone as a shining example of the typology in Melbourne's suburbs. Mention should go to RMIT Bundoora's McKimmies Road facility and Monash Clayton's Student accommodation Precinct; both of which go to great lengths in melding new buildings effectively with their surrounds by way of extensive landscaping.

See below further images of Deakin University's new student accommodation building.
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