<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/consolidated-properties">Consolidated Properties Group</a> (CPG) is approaching the launch of its latest Brisbane riverfront development, Castile, on the dress circle Skyring Terrace in Newstead.

VIP buyers are now being engaged, with a full public sales launch coming later this year.

Positioned as the final opportunity to secure a new absolute riverfront residence on the East bank of Newstead, Teneriffe or New Farm, Castile at 47 Skyring Terrace has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> as a timeless addition to the Brisbane skyline.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371113]

The name Castile draws on themes of permanence, sophistication and legacy, reflecting a broader vision centred on enduring architecture and timelessness in the rarest of riverfront positions.&nbsp;

CPG Chairman and CEO Don O’Rorke said the project had been envisioned as a future Brisbane icon.&nbsp;

“With 47 metres of direct river frontage and never to be built out views, 47 Skyring Terrace is the definitive address on the Brisbane River,” O’Rorke said.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371114]

“Rather than following trend-based apartment design, Castile draws inspiration from Brisbane’s great heritage buildings, reinterpreting classical architecture into a contemporary riverfront landmark designed to stand proudly for the next 100 years,” he said.&nbsp;

The approved development will comprise 227 apartments across a 25-storey tower alongside a boutique six-storey riverfront building of just 12 residences.&nbsp;

Construction is scheduled to commence in September 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150489]

Joel Robinson

CPG unveils Castile Newstead ahead of upcoming sales launch

Australia’s online shopping habits have shifted dramatically over the last decade. As eCommerce volumes surged, so too did the frustrations that came with traditional parcel delivery: missed deliveries, long Post Office queues, parcel theft and the challenge of being home during business hours.

Australia Post’s Parcel Lockers emerged as one of the more practical responses to that changing consumer behaviour.

What started as a relatively niche delivery option has evolved into a nationwide network of more than 1,400 self-service Parcel Lockers positioned at train stations, shopping centres, supermarkets and Post Offices across the country. The system allows Australians to send, collect and return parcels 24 hours a day, fundamentally changing how many people interact with deliveries.

The appeal is relatively straightforward: flexibility.

Instead of waiting at home for a delivery driver or rushing to a Post Office before closing time, users can direct eligible parcels to a Parcel Locker location of their choice. Once the parcel arrives, Australia Post sends a notification with a collection code or QR access through the AusPost app, allowing customers to retrieve their package at any time within the collection window.

For apartment residents in particular, the system has become increasingly valuable.

Higher-density living has created logistical challenges around deliveries, especially in buildings without concierge services or secure parcel rooms. Missed deliveries are common, while parcel theft has become an increasing concern as online shopping volumes continue to rise.

Australia Post itself has repeatedly highlighted the growing issue of “porch pirates” during peak shopping periods, encouraging customers to use Parcel Lockers as a safer alternative to unattended home deliveries.

That security aspect is one of the key reasons the Australia Post Parcel Locker network has grown so rapidly.

Parcel Lockers are positioned as secure, monitored collection points that reduce the risk of theft while also improving delivery efficiency for Australia Post. Instead of multiple redelivery attempts, parcels can be consolidated into a single secure destination.

The Parcel Lockers themselves are free to use through a MyPost account and support a range of parcel sizes up to 16 kilograms and dimensions of approximately 35 x 44 x 61 centimetres.

Beyond receiving parcels, the system has increasingly become integrated into the broader eCommerce ecosystem.

Customers can now use Parcel Lockers to return online purchases, while retailers have embraced the model as a way to improve delivery success rates and reduce friction in the shopping process. Australia Post has actively expanded partnerships with major retailers and promoted Parcel Lockers as part of a broader out-of-home strategy.

The timing of that expansion aligns with broader changes in Australian shopping behaviour.

The acceleration of online retail during and after the pandemic placed enormous pressure on delivery infrastructure. Parcel volumes reached record highs, particularly during Black Friday and Christmas periods, with Australia Post delivering more than 100 million parcels during peak festive seasons.

That growth forced logistics providers to rethink the “last mile” of delivery, widely regarded as the most expensive and operationally difficult stage of the process.

Parcel Locker systems have increasingly been viewed as part of the long-term solution.

The concept itself is not unique to Australia. Parcel Locker networks have become common globally, particularly across Europe and Asia, where dense urban environments and apartment living create similar logistical challenges. But Australia’s geography and suburban sprawl made adoption slower initially.

Now, however, the convenience factor is driving mainstream usage.

For commuters, Parcel Lockers near train stations allow parcels to be collected on the way home from work. For apartment dwellers, they remove the uncertainty around access and missed deliveries.

The rise of the AusPost app has also streamlined the experience, centralising notifications, tracking and Parcel Locker access into a single platform. Australia Post has increasingly pushed customers toward app-based delivery management, partly as a way to combat phishing scams and fake delivery notifications, which have become more sophisticated in recent years.

The Parcel Locker model is also beginning to influence property development itself.

Parcel management has become a growing consideration in apartment building design, particularly as online shopping becomes embedded in everyday life. Many new residential developments are now incorporating dedicated parcel rooms or Parcel Locker systems into foyers and communal spaces.

For developers, parcel management is increasingly viewed as part of the broader resident amenity offering, alongside gyms, wellness spaces and communal work areas.

That reflects a wider evolution in how residential buildings are designed.

Apartment buyers are placing greater emphasis on convenience, security and operational functionality, particularly in higher-density urban environments. Parcel delivery, once considered a minor operational detail, has become an increasingly important part of that equation.

Australia Post’s Parcel Locker network sits at the centre of that behavioural shift.

What began as a simple alternative delivery option has evolved into a key piece of infrastructure supporting Australia’s growing eCommerce economy and changing urban lifestyles.

And as online shopping continues to expand, the role of Parcel Lockers is likely to become even more embedded in how Australians live, shop and receive goods.

How Australia Post Parcel Lockers changed parcel delivery convenience in Australia

Perth’s new apartment market recorded its strongest quarter of sales since Q4 2021, with 412 apartments sold in Q1 2026 and a record quarterly sold value of $537 million, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials results.

Urbis said the March quarter result reflects strong, highly product‑specific demand across both ends of the market, from more attainable projects delivering at scale, through to premium stock being absorbed by equity‑rich downsizers.&nbsp;

David Cresp, Partner at Urbis, said the key story in Perth is not demand, it is the market’s ability to convert demand into delivered housing.&nbsp;

“This is the strongest sales quarter since Q4 2021, and it reinforces that demand in Perth is real and it’s local,” David Cresp said. “But the task now is delivery, turning that demand into projects that can actually be built and completed.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110291 project_image_fid=302785]

<h2>Affordable product leads, premium demand remains resilient</h2>

Sales in Q1 were led by more affordable projects, with The Boulevard (SKS Group) recording 115 sales in the quarter, the presentation noting this is only the second time a single project has surpassed 100 quarterly sales. The project was able to offer more affordable housing product right next to a train station.&nbsp;

Palmyra West (Finbar) also delivered strong results with 28 sales in Q1, following 84 sales in Q4, with an average price of under $800,000, underscoring depth of demand for well‑located, attainable new stock.&nbsp;

At the premium end, Urbis said downsizer demand is continuing, with the results highlighting Romeo (Applecross, Finbar) recording 75 sales and reaching almost 50% sold in one quarter.

Jual (Shenton Park, Celsius Property) also posted a strong quarter with 28 sales, reaching 39% sold in one quarter.

Urbis noted that Perth apartment demand is not speculative, not investor‑led, and not uniform, describing it as localised, often equity‑driven and highly product‑specific, a pattern reflected in the polarisation between strong “attainable” performers and premium downsizer product.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=148957 project_image_fid=364102]

<h2>Prices underpinned by costs, and the delivery risk is growing</h2>

Urbis said pricing pressure is cost not demand‑driven: construction costs and delivery risk are now a central constraint, with the results noting build costs remain elevated and volatile, and that energy, fuel and labour uncertainty weigh on feasibility.

David Cresp said a growing challenge for private Build‑to‑Sell developers is simply securing a builder in the current environment.

“Developers are really feeling the pressure from a building market that was operating at capacity and securing a builder is challenging,” David Cresp said, adding that even where a builder can be secured, “trying to get to the price that makes the development financially viable is incredibly challenging in the current market.”&nbsp;

Urbis’ broader WA commentary also notes that industry remains at or above capacity with lot and housing creation, and that many builders are limiting new sales to manage stretched workforces and fixed‑price contract pressures, conditions that flow directly into apartment feasibility and delivery timing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108869 project_image_fid=317905]

<h2>Supply: improving later, but still constrained, and Perth lags eastern benchmarks</h2>

While near‑term supply remains constrained, Urbis’ forecast shows completions lifting “Supply is forecast to be back above 1,500 apartments per annum for the first time since 2019”, with 1,775 completions forecast for 2026, and volumes remaining above that level over the following years.&nbsp;

Looking further ahead, completions are forecast to reach 2,500 in 2028, with the report noting 32% of that total is social/affordable, reflecting the role of government‑supported delivery in rebuilding the pipeline.&nbsp;

However, Urbis said Perth remains behind comparable markets on pipeline scale. In a national comparison of projects under construction, the report shows under construction Perth Build‑to‑Sell (BTS) at 3,446 apartments versus the Gold Coast at 7,922. Mr Cresp said “The challenge for Perth is how to we grow the delivery pipeline”.

Urbis’ conclusion is that Perth’s market is increasingly defined by product discipline and delivery certainty, with the research identifying “delivery certainty is key” and calling out builder risk and procurement models as core success factors, alongside “timing and staging”.&nbsp;

Perth apartment sales hit strongest pace since late 2021 as builder capacity tightens

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sammut-developments">Sammut Group</a> has secured development approval for its latest Brisbane apartment project, marking the Sydney developer’s next step in expanding its Queensland pipeline following the success of its debut Gold Coast development, Coast.

The approved project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/44-glen-road-toowong-qld-4066">44 Glen Road, </a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a> will deliver a 15-storey riverfront apartment building with 42 residences, significantly increasing the scale of the site’s previous approval for a smaller luxury scheme. Designed by Bureau^proberts, the development will comprise a mix of predominantly four-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments positioned to maximise Brisbane River and city views.

Sammut Director Julian Sammut said the group had been actively searching Brisbane for several years before identifying Toowong as the right fit.

“Brisbane was the right step for Sammut,” Sammut said.

“With the success of Coast we thought we should definitely look to do more in Queensland alone. We then pushed up to look at Brisbane. We've been looking for I'd say two to three years actually and it was hard to find the right location.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dYAVIL7qdcGA8ojvkslSrLjczXFejSSx" />

Sammut said suburbs including New Farm and Teneriffe were considered before the group ultimately focused on Toowong due to its strong downsizer demographic and limited supply of developable riverfront land.

The site was acquired off-market after what Sammut described as a lengthy negotiation and planning process, with the developer pursuing an uplift to the original approval.

“We are DA approved now which is very exciting,” Sammut said.

“We've had our change approval come through and we've obviously doubled the height, 15 storeys plus rooftop. We've got 42 amazing apartments that are going to be coming to market soon.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ohkRkY0dIZlqdfME2EZePsCQavRiBadE" />

Bureau^proberts said the design responds to Toowong’s evolving urban character, balancing contemporary apartment living with the area’s established residential identity.

“A place where traditional Queensland living has taken place for centuries; Toowong is seeing a shift of contemporary influence, commercial and retail hubs mixed with well-considered residential offerings – all the while maintaining its character and charm,” the architect noted in planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council.

The architecture practice said the project’s form was shaped by its riverfront setting, flood considerations, neighbouring building scales, and view corridors.

“They said the mix of four and two-bedroom apartments capture the ‘fundamental qualities of Queenslander living,’ translated into the context of a contemporary subtropical building.”

The development sits just off Coronation Drive within walking distance of Toowong’s retail precinct and the upgraded Regatta ferry terminal, while also benefiting from proximity to the incoming green bridge connection to West End. Sammut said the accessibility and amenity offering were central to the site’s appeal.

The approval adds to growing residential activity along the Toowong riverfront, joining nearby projects including Consolidated Properties’ Monarch Residences and Spyre Group’s ARC Residences.

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

Developer Lanevick is heading back into Sydney’s apartment market after focusing more heavily on the luxury townhouse and terrace sector in recent years.

Lanevick, founded and directed by Steve Maroun, is expecting to receive approval in the coming months for a new apartment development in Gladesville, with the aim to launch it to the market later this year.

The 51-apartment project, designed by Studio Johnston, will comprise a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments positioned toward the Hunters Hill downsizer market.

“Traditionally it’s been difficult for people in that market to downsize because there just hasn’t been the right product available,” Maroun said.

“We’re targeting buyers who might have 30 to 40 per cent of their house value sitting in the bank after downsizing.

“They still want good spacious entertaining areas, they still want quality design, but they also want flexibility and the ability to enjoy life a bit more after working hard for a long time.”

The project sits near Boronia Park and within close proximity to the Parramatta River foreshore, an area Maroun says offers more of a Hunters Hill lifestyle than a traditional apartment precinct.

“From a lifestyle perspective, it’s really more Hunters Hill than Gladesville,” Maroun said. “You’re close to the foreshore, close to parklands, and still connected back into the village precinct.”

From level four and above, apartments will capture water views&nbsp;toward Sydney Harbour. Communal amenity will include rooftop entertaining areas, wellness spaces, and a gym tailored toward owner-occupier buyers.

“We’ve really designed these apartments around that buyer coming from the Hunters Hill LGA and what they’re actually looking for in their next chapter.”

The proposed development has also been designed to respond to the changing character of the broader Gladesville town centre, where a growing number of mixed-use and residential proposals are expected to emerge over the coming years.

“Gladesville presented a rare opportunity to deliver a genuinely design-led residential project within an evolving lifestyle precinct, just moments from the growing Gladesville town centre, and we’ve approached the project with a strong focus on architecture, liveability and long-term community value,” Maroun said.

Maroun said Lanevick saw a first-mover advantage within the precinct as planning controls continue to evolve to accommodate greater housing density.

“We think there’s a real opportunity there that hasn’t really been serviced properly yet,” he said.

“There’s going to be a broader evolution of the whole Gladesville village precinct over time, particularly with more activation and mixed-use outcomes.”

The Venus Street proposal will include a commercial and retail component at ground level designed to contribute to that evolving streetscape activation.

“A big part of the thinking was how do you activate that area properly and create more vibrancy and amenity, which is what Hunters Hill has been looking for,” Maroun said.

Lanevick’s focus since 2020 has largely been on smaller-scale luxury townhouse and terrace developments. The developer recently completed Royale Randwick, also designed by Studio Johnston, where prices reached $3.65 million. The project was featured in the UDIA NSW 2026 Professional Development Prospectus and was also named a finalist for Development of the Year.

&nbsp;

Lanevick to cater for Hunters Hill downsizers with new Gladesville apartment development

Sustainability

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Australia’s sprawling cities present many challenges to sustainability, but planning innovations can help achieve at least half of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 
Thirty years after the landmark <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Common_Future" target="_blank">Brundtland report</a>, the debate on urban sustainability continues. Urban planners are still grappling with the challenges of making our cities sustainable.
Urban sustainability is an evolving concept. Our <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.routledge.com/Global-Planning-Innovations-for-Urban-Sustainability/Darchen-Searle/p/book/9780815357575" target="_blank">edited volume</a> provides planning solutions for eight of the 17 UN <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/" target="_blank">Sustainable Development Goals</a>. Has the concept of urban sustainability made a difference in planning practice? Our answer is yes.
Based on <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01944363.2016.1214080?src=recsys" target="_blank">Campbell’s planner’s triangle</a>, urban sustainability encompasses three dimensions:
<ol>
<li>
social sustainability
</li>
<li>
environmental sustainability
</li>
<li>
economic sustainability.
</li>
</ol>
Sustainability solutions involve trade-offs between these three dimensions. A planning innovation might solve a challenge in terms of social sustainability but be less efficient in regard to the two other dimensions.
The <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01944363.2016.1213656" target="_blank">Sustainable City paradigm</a> has been a dominant school of thought since the 1990s. Yet it is still unclear how cities incorporate this paradigm in urban policies.
Influential works on urban policies have emphasised the transfer of urban policies from one context to another – known as <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1468-2427.12191_6" target="_blank">mobile urbanism</a>. Our book highlights evidence to the contrary. Planning innovations are generally shaped by local contextual factors and are not imported.
Of the planning innovations presented in 12 case study chapters in our book, we present those most relevant to Australia later in this article.
Key issues facing Australian cities
Australian cities have urgent sustainability issues that require fresh policy initiatives.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/four-ways-our-cities-can-cut-transport-emissions-in-a-hurry-avoid-shift-share-and-improve-106076" target="_blank">Transport use is too reliant on cars</a>. As a result, fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions remain far too high. Large areas of land are given over to <a href="https://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c1en" target="_blank">road space</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/empty-car-parks-everywhere-but-nowhere-to-park-how-cities-can-do-better-99031" target="_blank">parking</a>.
High car use goes hand in hand with low-density <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-cut-urban-sprawl-we-need-quality-infill-housing-displays-to-win-over-the-public-63930" target="_blank">urban sprawl</a>. This requires longer trips to everything, extra resources for longer pipes, wires and roads, more <a href="https://theconversation.com/were-investing-heavily-in-urban-greening-so-how-are-our-cities-doing-83354" target="_blank">losses of agricultural land and natural vegetation</a>, and more hard surfaces that <a href="https://theconversation.com/cities-can-grow-without-wrecking-reefs-and-oceans-heres-how-107263" target="_blank">increase water pollution run-off as well as heat</a> in summer.
And the design of low-density development produces even more unsustainability. Planning controls have forced developers to reduce the size of new housing lots, but <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/australias-homes-the-smallest-in-two-decades-but-still-second-largest-globally-commsec-20171120-gznaxc/" target="_blank">house sizes have barely reduced in size</a>. As a result, <a href="https://theconversation.com/vanishing-australian-backyards-leave-us-vulnerable-to-the-stresses-of-city-life-81479" target="_blank">backyards are disappearing</a>. Lost along with them are <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-trees-really-cool-our-cities-down-44099" target="_blank">trees to cool the air</a> and sequester carbon, and physical activity opportunities for children.
Australia’s cities also have major social sustainability issues. Increasing numbers of professional and managerial households have priced poorer residents out of the best areas of the cities.
The result has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-did-the-rich-man-say-to-the-poor-man-why-spatial-inequality-in-australia-is-no-joke-73841" target="_blank">heightened spatial polarisation</a>. Lower-income households have been forced to live further out in suburbs with inadequate public transport and jobs. Solutions for creating places in the suburbs were presented in a recent <a href="https://sees.uq.edu.au/event/12638/uq-placemaking-events" target="_blank">summit</a> organised by UQ Planning.
What’s happening in cities overseas?
The innovative ways that overseas cities have responded to similar sustainability challenges can provide pathways for Australian cities to follow.
Helsinki’s experience suggests one means of overcoming a sticking point in achieving higher-density development: getting around NIMBY opposition and achieving community agreement on where denser development could go. In Helsinki, the public participated in a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_participation_geographic_information_system" target="_blank">public participation geographic information system</a> exercise. This mapped their preferences for areas that should not be developed for apartments.
Well-intended planning controls can hinder higher-density development, even in desirable locations. In Los Angeles’ historic core, old office buildings lay vacant after a new CBD office precinct outside the old core was developed. Residential use requirements for on-site parking and open space and for a building setback from the front property boundary hindered the conversion of the old buildings to residential use. By relaxing these requirements, the city’s 1999 <a href="https://preservation.lacity.org/incentives/adaptive-reuse-ordinance" target="_blank">adaptive reuse ordinance</a> was a key to regenerating the old core as a residential area.
The adaptive reuse of historical buildings has helped regenerate downtown Los Angeles.
The challenge of reducing car use without large public outlays remains daunting, but Seville shows one way this can be achieved. There, a complete bicycle network of 180km – 12% of the total road length in the city – has been built since 2007. Separation from car traffic has been achieved through bollards and the like, or by parked cars where the bikeway is built on a footpath.
Cycle trips now make up about 10% of total vehicle trips in Seville, six times the previous share. The driving forces for the network were the formation of a cyclists’ association, public demonstrations and the election of a left-of–centre city government that gave political support.
The demolition of motorways sounds like an extreme way of reducing car use, but the experience of Seoul shows it can have big economic and environmental benefits. The motorway built over a former stream in the central city was demolished in the early 2000s. The stream was restored to a natural state.
This has reduced air pollution and the heat island impact of the former motorway, and created an ecological passage to the main river in Seoul. Recreational and cultural amenities along the restored stream have made it a desirable area and generated new economic activities. New bus services close to the stream have replaced car access.
The strong powers and finances of the city government and a supportive mayor made the <a href="https://urban-regeneration.worldbank.org/Seoul" target="_blank">Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project</a> possible.
Spatial polarisation in cities results from market forces dominating urban redevelopment.
The experience of Vancouver illustrates how inclusionary planning can ameliorate these forces. City-sponsored local resident groups have been at the centre of making strategies to renew the city’s low-income Downtown Eastside area.
Instead of the high-tech-based development originally proposed, priority has been given to developing employment more suited to the low-income residents’ needs, including opportunities in the informal sector. City council-owned sites have been used for social innovation hubs, services to help residents find jobs, and a street market for a street vendors’ collective.
As explained in our book, these planning innovations are mostly the product of local contextual factors. Therefore, planning innovations for Australian cities will require local involvement in shaping sustainability solutions. Incentives such as changes in regulatory frameworks and tax subsidies might also be needed to develop planning innovations.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/107091/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sebastien-darchen-6781" target="_blank">Sebastien Darchen</a>, Senior Lecturer in Planning, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805" target="_blank">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/glen-searle-103536" target="_blank">Glen Searle</a>, Honorary Associate Professor in Planning, University of Queensland and, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-cities-fall-short-on-sustainability-but-planning-innovations-offer-local-solutions-107091" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Our cities fall short on sustainability, but planning innovations offer local solutions: Sebastien Darchen & Glen Searle

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This week's episode of the Apartments.com.au podcast comes to you from the Harbour City, where I sat down with Atelier Ten Director Paul Stoller in the company's Sydney office on Pitt Street.

Paul tells me about the genesis of Atelier Ten and its history in Australia as well as Paul's own history working on Federation Square some 20 years ago. We also discuss a few of the projects Atelier Ten are currently involved with and the office's involvement in the winning design for the Southbank by Beulah competition. 

 

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Laurence Dragomir

Weekly Podcast - Episode 42: Atelier Ten’s Paul Stoller

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We are <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/32692064?q&amp;versionId=43970540" target="_blank">still settling Australian cities</a> on unceded Aboriginal lands. With the global agreement on the <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/" target="_blank">United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)</a> in 2015, development has finally come home to the developed world. Yet in Australia we still often proceed as if development goals are about foreign aid, somehow separate from our own development activities and civic responsibilities.
The <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/SDGs" target="_blank">Senate inquiry into the SDGs</a>, for example, has been referred to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Three of the seven <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/SDGs/Terms_of_Reference" target="_blank">terms of reference</a> relate to Australia’s <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/BudgetReview201819/ODA" target="_blank">Official Development Assistance</a> program.
<a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/trade-minister-exit-paris-accord-and-kiss-europe-trade-deal-goodbye" target="_blank">Reports</a> that trade with Europe might be in jeopardy because of Australia’s failure to act responsibly on climate change – a commitment enshrined not just in the Paris Agreement but also in <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change-2/" target="_blank">SDG 13</a>: Climate Action – illustrate the naivety of thinking this country can carry on as usual while others tackle sustainable development.
Australia’s SDG indicator framework
The National Sustainable Development Council’s focus on transforming Australia is an important starting point. The NCDC draws on the <a href="https://www.sdgtransformingaustralia.com/" target="_blank">SDG Progress Report</a> to “highlight key trends and emerging issues for policy and decision-makers and communities across Australia”. But it doesn’t go far enough.
The focus is on targets and indicators that are deemed relevant and important for Australia. This is complemented by a wheel-of-fortune-style dashboard set of aggregated results across four key benchmarks.
The result is a colourful, largely unintelligible – albeit very well-intentioned – national SDG assessment.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/235918/original/file-20180912-144479-1wv6wx2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/235918/original/file-20180912-144479-1wv6wx2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Australia’s SDG Indicator Scorecard. <a class="source" href="https://www.sdgtransformingaustralia.com/wp-content/uploads/Australias-Dashboard_SDGs_310818.pdf" target="_blank">NCDC</a>
Looks like we get a C grade. But what does this actually say about Australian settlements?
<h2>Sanitised and complacent</h2>
The real issues facing Australia are sanitised and out of sight with a 6.5 score. With 90% of Australians living in urban areas, how does this assessment inform and transform the state of sustainable development in our cities?
A core sustainable development challenge for Australia is the spatial unevenness of its development – between cities and non-city regions, between the dominant cities (Sydney and Melbourne) and the rest, or between different suburbs within cities.
Our patchwork economy generates serious social inequities. The answer is not just to stimulate greater economic activity or spread the boom to “lagging” areas.
We need to recognise that the apparent success of the “bright patches” is often based on their exploitation of “dull patches”. Some areas are set up to be sacrifice zones that suffer, for example, the ill effects of resource extraction, heavy industry and waste disposal.
And some regions struggle not simply because they are physically distant, but because uneven provision of infrastructure has made them functionally distant. Prioritisation of certain regions over others and an over-reliance on infrastructure provision as a proxy for development are two issues that the nation needs to tackle to deliver the SDG agenda.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0XTBYMfZyrM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" width="440" height="260"></iframe>
Do you know all 17 Sustainable Development Goals?
<h2>Beyond national silos</h2>
Australian cities rely on and impact upon these spaces and others far beyond their boundaries. Thus tackling <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/cities/">SDG 11</a> on cities cannot be separated from tackling the other SDGs, including sustainably managing life on land (<a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/biodiversity/" target="_blank">SDG 15</a>), clean water and sanitation (<a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/water-and-sanitation/" target="_blank">SDG 6</a>), affordable and clean energy (<a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/energy/" target="_blank">SDG 7</a>) and life below water (<a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/oceans/" target="_blank">SDG 14</a>).
This means thinking not just about where and how cities access resources, but where their outputs go. For example, when China halted a major waste flow to its recycling plants this exposed the reliance of Australian cities on often distant facilities.
 
This demonstrates how cities are inextricably linked to spaces beyond their city limits, and the need for Australian cities to reduce and reuse as well as just recycle waste. It also illustrates the entwining of Australian settlement development with multiple spaces beyond our borders. Australia’s responsibility for sustainable development includes attention to the nation’s own urban heartlands as well as their impact on both neighbouring and distant countries.
<h2>Putting the SDGs to work in Australian cities</h2>
The SDGs can be mobilised to help achieve sustainable development, but we are not putting them to work in Australia. We stumble our way into the challenges of our climate of change, no more nationally self-aware it seems than before.
A new sustainable development approach is needed in Australia. An SDG ethic and compass must guide our direction so no one is left behind.
The SDGs are an invitation to take seriously the sustainable development challenges we face as a nation, and the implications of our actions for other nations. Rather than look for ways to reinforce our developed country privilege with a C grade report card, we could use the SDGs as a two-fold opportunity to:
1) ask the hard questions about the sustainability of our development
2) collectively explore transformative pathways, particularly within our cities.
Both suggest the importance of connecting more genuinely with Indigenous understandings of sustainability and living ethically on Country. And what do the SDG indicator frameworks and benchmarks tell us about our progress in our <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-we-meaningfully-recognise-cities-as-indigenous-places-65561" target="_blank">sovereign relationship with Indigenous people</a> on whose unceded land we live and work?
We are not arguing for a more parochial agenda, or that international development is not important. Indeed, Australia could usefully follow the UK in positioning national science and research priorities within broader “<a href="https://www.ukri.org/research/global-challenges-research-fund/" target="_blank">global challenges</a>”.
Rather, we are pointing to the risks of framing sustainable development issues as problems “over there”. This obscures both Australia’s own acute settlement problems and its role in creating problems “over there”.
What is needed is joined-up policy, planning and research that includes Australia within the frame as a sustainable development site, as well as a funding provider.
It could also include identifying Australia as a country in need: a nation that needs to better contribute to all the SDGs. In the case of <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change-2/" target="_blank">SDG 13</a> on climate action, that need is glaring.
In Australia we need to make sure our identity does not include an implicit assumption that our home base is not in need of SDG attention – or only in certain areas. Many if not all aspects of development in Australia are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldevelopment" target="_blank">maldevelopment</a>, which calls for strong critical evaluation and action as much as in any other space. As a nation we can do much better.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/102641/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/wendy-steele-4698" target="_blank">Wendy Steele</a>, Associate Professor of Sustainability and Urban Planning, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063" target="_blank">RMIT University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-rickards-1931" target="_blank">Lauren Rickards</a>, Associate Professor, Sustainability and Urban Planning, School of Global Urban and Social Studies; Co-leader, Climate Change and Resilience Research Program, Centre for Urban Studies, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063" target="_blank">RMIT University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/libby-porter-300183" target="_blank">Libby Porter</a>, Vice-Chancellor's Principal Research Fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063" target="_blank">RMIT University</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/business-as-usual-the-sustainable-development-goals-apply-to-australian-cities-too-102641" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Australian transformation a focus for the National Sustainable Development Council

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Stockland has placed first on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the fifth time.
The index looks at the financial performance of sustainability-driven companies across the world and seeks to provide asset managers with objective benchmarks to manage sustainability portfolios.
Categories assessed include corporate governance, risk management, climate change strategy, environmental management, human capital development and stakeholder engagement.
Mark Steinert, Managing Director and CEO at Stockland, said the company was proud to be recognised for its sustainability practices.
"Having been a member of the DJSI World for the past 12 years, this accolade truly demonstrates our commitment to sustainability leadership,” he said. 
"At Stockland we have taken a proactive and holistic approach to sustainability, developing policies and implementing initiatives that have cemented our industry leadership for more than a decade.”
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Stockland tops Dow Jones sustainability index

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447 Collins Street, the commercial component of the wider Collins Arch project backed by Cbus Property and ISPT, has become the country's third development to receive a platinum level WELL Precertification.

Overseen by the International WELL Building Institute, precertification amounts to acknowledgement of design characteristics that demonstrate leadership in health and wellness. WELL Precertification is effectively a nod toward the design of commercial buildings which improve the nutrition, fitness, mood, sleep patterns and cognitive performance of its occupants.

To date the only other developments to receive an equivalent precertification rating in Australia are the nearby 477 Collins Street and Circular Quay Tower in Sydney. Further enhancing the sustainability credentials of 447 Collins Street, the development team have also put if forward for a 6-star Greenstar accreditation and 5.5 star NABERS energy rating. 

According to the International WELL Building Institute, Geelong's freshly completed 1 Malop Street office development is Victoria's sole project to date that has achieved Platinum level certification upon completion.

<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/image10a.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Latest imagery for the landmark mixed-use development. Image: Cbus Property"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="638" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image10a.jpg?itok=HXSIUJ1g" title="Latest imagery for the landmark mixed-use development. Image: Cbus Property" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Latest imagery for the landmark mixed-use development. Image: Cbus Property </figcaption></figure>Design features that aided in 447 Collins Street's WELL Precertification include indoor air quality monitoring, interiors fitness circulation, superior natural lighting and ventilation, varied amenities and services offered to those working within the building and the promotion of bicycle access and associated services.

<blockquote>
WELL is moving the focus of the building rating tool world from an environmental and building focus to a human health focus. This is really important in an age where people are spending over 90% of their time indoors.

If you are trying to attract and retain a tenant, you need to create a work place environment that is aligned to your life beyond just work. Our tenants are also vying to attract the best talent in their respective industries. Workplace wellness programs help define your employer brand and set it apart from the competition.

Showcasing an intentional culture that genuinely supports employee health and well-being is powerful — and can help to attract, secure and retain talent”.
<cite>Lorraine Moore, Cbus Property Sustainability Manager</cite>
</blockquote>

447 Collins Street's commercial component incorporates 50,000 square metres of premium grade office space, and has been popular with Melbourne's legal fraternity.

To date 80% of 447 Collins Street's available space has been accounted for, apportioned to future tenants Minter Ellison, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, Gadens and Hong Kong-headquartered King &amp; Wood Mallesons.

<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/p8140790.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="August construction progression. Image: Redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p8140790.jpg?itok=IoluZ4hh" title="August construction progression. Image: Redden" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>August construction progression. Image: Redden</figcaption></figure>Collins Arch's physical manifestation continues at pace. 

The larger footprint of <a href="/buildings/collins-arch-447-collins-street-melbourne">447 Collins Street</a> has become evident as its westerly form rises above Collins and William streets. Created by Woods Bagot &amp; SHoP Architects, Collins Arch's other tower form is rising jointly at 433 Collins Street; it will include a W Hotel-branded 5-star hotel with 294 rooms, 1,000 square metres of dedicated high end retail and 185 apartments.

2,000 square metres of public open space including a tiered amphitheatre will sit at the projects eastern doorstep, incorporating for a portion of Market Street.
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silvermb

All good and WELL for 447 Collins Street

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The General, a pioneering residential building in Northcote designed by emerging Melbourne architecture practice C.Kairouz Architects has been recently completed.

Located on the corner of High Street and Bent Street, the development's moniker is derived from the nickname of Kairouz’s late father.

Built at the former site of the family’s butcher business, the project has been designed to honour his journey as a migrant to successful Australian business owner, while also employing strong sustainability measures on the way to a 7.5 start NatHERS energy rating.

The development is also the first ever residential building in Australia to use Onyx Solar photovoltaic glazing - as both a balustrade and power source - providing high quality and sustainable architecture. Working closely with engineers, the firm looked to ensure the energy produced by the glass offset the cost of light, power and mechanical equipment in common areas.

Design highlights include a curved glass facade and oak floors, while other sustainable features include:

<ul>
<li>A 25,000 litre rainwater tank used to flush toilets</li>
	<li>137 bicycle parks</li>
	<li>Multiple green spaces including a rooftop terrace</li>
</ul>
Urban.com.au asked Managing Director of C.Kairouz Architects, Chahid Kairouz about the sustainable design measures within the project and how they went about becoming the first Australian design firm to use photovoltaic glass.

<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/the_general_highst_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Onyx Solar photovoltaic glass has been used for the balustrades. Image: Peter Clarke"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/the_general_highst_1.jpg?itok=g9objmq8" title="Onyx Solar photovoltaic glass has been used for the balustrades. Image: Peter Clarke" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Onyx Solar photovoltaic glass has been used for the balustrades. Image: Peter Clarke</figcaption></figure>Urban.com.au: What was the catalyst for incorporating the Onyx photovoltaic glass on The General? And at what stage of the design process did the decision to include this in the design occur?

Chahid Kairouz: The General was inspired by the desire to honour my late father’s legacy and pioneer a new technology with a sustainability focus. Onyx Solar photovoltaic glass was adopted due to its appeal of being both a building fabric and a power generating element.

We worked with many consultants to review different technologies and really pushed to champion this product in Australia and start the take-up of this technology and notion of innovative ways to clad the building.  

U: Sometimes design features such as solar harnessing capabilities are poorly integrated into the design. How important was this in providing a quality design response for The General?

CK: We worked closely with ETS, Energy Efficient Choices and Inhabit in order to develop the product specifically for The General. This was a project in itself, coordinating with steel fabricators, structural engineers, fire engineers and the facade engineer to produce detailed shop drawings. 

Special engineering of the product was needed to ensure that it would be strong enough to withstand the practical use of acting as a balustrade, as well as yield the potential to generate solar power. Additionally, the Onyx Solar product is very aesthetically beautiful, so works perfectly as a sleek, black building fabric on the northern facade.

The Onyx Solar glass, coupled with other sustainable initiatives meant that we sought a minimum 7.5 natHERS rating.

U: The idea of legacy is often spoken about in terms of new apartment developments and what they contribute to their immediate context. The site was formerly home to your family's butcher business, how much did the idea of legacy influence the design and the development of the site both in terms of environmental and social sustainability?

 CK: The butcher business my father started with his five brothers still runs today, and is one of the most recognised and demanded product brands in the small stock industry (Cedar Meats). The whole business is run on the values of environmental and social sustainability, from our commitment to animal welfare to employing over 400 staff, many of them ethnic migrants, just like my father.

As a result, the business was the winner of the National Ethnic Business of the Year in 2015. 

It was extremely important to reflect my father’s values in the design of The General; not only for sentimental value but to stand the test of time in its design and its use of cutting-edge sustainable technology on the facade; a combination makes the building and the apartments be relevant for longer. Similarly, the original design for The General started at 114 apartments but was reduced to 87 to make way for greater mixed-use spaces so the building could be more multidisciplinary.

U: Being the first Australian project to incorporate photovoltaic glass did you have to research projects abroad and what did you learn?

CK: Pioneering the product on a facade in Australia for the first time came with inherent challenges and naturally, there was a big degree of experimentation involved. 

Technically speaking, it displays a solar factor of 10%, making it an ideal candidate to achieve control over the interior temperature. The product has been proven to yield low-emissivity properties, provide a UV and IR filter, promote natural light, and generate power.

Statistically translated, this allows The General to generate 2,075 kWh per year and prevents the release of 1.95 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Pioneering the product encourages future development and refinement to make it more commercial and increase the public awareness and philosophy for it to be adopted in the future.

U: Do you expect more developers and architects to follow suit and will you be looking at incorporating photovoltaic glass in future projects?

CK: Yes - we feel that industry recognition and support of our initiative is important in spreading the message.

<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/the_general_foyer_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The General's foyer. Image: Peter Clarke"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/the_general_foyer_2.jpg?itok=EoybN271" title="The General's foyer. Image: Peter Clarke" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The General's foyer. Image: Peter Clarke</figcaption></figure>Lead Image: Peter Clarke
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Chahid Kairouz provides insight on The General's Australian-first photovoltaic glass 

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In order to respond to the ever-growing challenges facing our cities and building resilience within them, Australian developers and architects are increasingly turning to innovative solutions. 

State and Local policies are now being drafted with a focus on introducing urban planning and design objectives which assist in addressing issues around climate change, increased density in our cities and an unstable energy supply.

The ability to control a building’s micro-climate is becoming increasingly critical with strategies such as maximising ventilation, managing solar access and minimising overshadowing now reflected in the Building Code of Australia as well as both State and Local government policy.

TILT Managing Director Tim Phillips shares with Apartments.com.au four ways developers and architects can use design to respond to policy pressures, by mitigating overshadowing, working cleverly within height restrictions, and creating architectural features that set projects apart.

TILT is a leading Industrial Design studio that investigates innovative design solutions, working closely with developers and architects to employ the latest technologies, innovative manufacturing and project maintenance in their projects.

The design team is responsible for the revolutionary heliostat technology of One Central Park in Sydney, named the World’s Best Tall Building in 2014. TILT has also collaborated with top developers including Frasers Property, and architects BVN, Techne and more recently, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer on the Sydney Opera House.    

<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/centralpark_013.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="TILT is is responsible for the heliostat technology of One Central Park. Image: Supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="862" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/centralpark_013.jpg?itok=4foo3wZt" title="TILT is is responsible for the heliostat technology of One Central Park. Image: Supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>TILT is is responsible for the heliostat technology of One Central Park. Image: Supplied</figcaption></figure><h2>Improving Solar Access</h2>

Overshadowing concerns are becoming an increasing issue for city councils and developers.

Implementing a heliostat system can address these concerns. Using this technology to mitigate overshadowing can result in increased tower heights, increased yield and smoother approvals processes.

Heliostats are also very effective in providing solar supplementation where access to sun throughout the day is considered valuable, such as retail precincts, beer gardens, cafes and public space.

For example, if you’re limited to developing beyond 10-storeys due to council objections (based on a lack of solar access), heliostats may be the answer. Heliostat systems have the ability to alleviate overshadowing by providing extra sunlight to public spaces, increasing your building’s height and floor space potential.

Additional light provided to public spaces is acknowledged as a positive by councils, particularly during the planning stage.

The benefits of heliostats are site specific, but developers around Australia are exploring the potentials with significant Return on Investment (ROI) opportunities already evident.

<h2>Opportunities to increase building height</h2>

Building tall is only becoming more relevant, particularly in our progressively dense urban centres.

Maximising building heights whilst increasing ventilation and solar access can be achieved by introducing skylights on a development.

Our team has recently designed automated skylights and hatches that open up opportunities for roof terraces to become seamless extensions of the home, and for new (often spectacular) vistas to be unveiled and heights maximised.

The skylights respond to Australia’s temperate climate and provide easy access to comfortable outdoor living throughout the year. They also create an opportunity for tiered developments that don’t impact on neighbours’ views.

The skylights enable developers to differentiate their properties, add value to rooftop terraces, and secure their ROI, beyond the constraints of traditional construction methods.

<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/forsythst_064.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Glebe residence's 3.5m Skylight. Image: Supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/forsythst_064.jpg?itok=Q62W9-Pm" title="Glebe residence's 3.5m Skylight. Image: Supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Glebe residence's 3.5m Skylight. Image: Supplied</figcaption></figure><h2>Spaces with multiple functions</h2>

With industry trends steering towards a rise in sector blur, it’s important for developers to consider design features that provide versatility for event spaces.

Operable elements can convert one space’s functionality and enable a venue to serve multiple functions. In the instance of retractable roofs, a venue can optimise capacity in all weather conditions. The roof can adjust to seasonal variations ensuring the venue experience is comfortable and enticing for users. 

With operable facades, a venue can manage environmental effects such as solar glare with infinite adjustability. The opportunity to manage glare without compromising on scenic views ensures a venue is maximising the investment in the location without compromising the comfort of patrons.

<h2>Using design to draw attention to your project</h2>

Design differentiation can be considered commercially valuable particularly from an architectural perspective. The opportunity to include remarkable architectural features, beyond what is traditionally available, is valuable when developing a new commercial venue or residential property for sale.

 


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TILT's Tim Phillips talks design innovation with Urban.com.au

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<a href="/new-apartments/melbourne-vic">Melbourne's</a> tag as the World’s Most Liveable city will have a companion, although the physical manifestation will not avail itself for a few more years yet.

YarraBend which is the reincarnation of the former Alphington Paper Mill site has been identified as the World’s Most Liveable suburb by 2025. The Liveable City Futures report compiled by international trend forecasters, The Future Laboratory, anointed YarraBend as the suburb of choice based upon current and future-facing factors.

These factors which "impact urban planning across the world to identify major trends that will shape the way we live, work and play to create optimised communities" are at the heart of the report. 

The Future Laboratory include standard benchmarks for measures of liveability such as education, infrastructure, crime rates, sustainability and affordability. Beyond these though the report includes indices that reflect further measures such as quality of life, convenience, connectivity, green spaces, wellbeing, innovation and culture.

With all the above factors considered, the United Kingdom-based Laboratory considered YarraBend the most worthy of all future suburban developments on a global scale.

<figure><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="529" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image38_10.jpg?itok=l3mYk85V" title="Mixed use and technologically advanced. Image: Glenvill Group" width="580"><figcaption>Mixed use and technologically advanced. Image: <a href="/developers/glenvill">Glenvill Group</a></figcaption></figure>On the announcement, Co-founder of The Future Laboratory Martin Raymond noted the following:

<blockquote>
Suburbs of the future will generate their own energy, contain their own innovation hubs, monitor our health levels, check our wellbeing, even crowdsource civic engagement at the tap of a screen. Our research finds that factors that will influence liveability in the future boil down to how communities can be optimised through technology and design, supporting convenience, wellbeing, connectedness, collaboration and sustainability.

Developments such as YarraBend are at the forefront of profound cultural shifts in which people – and buildings – are optimising everything, which is why we’ve identified that it will become the World’s Most Liveable Suburb in the future.

Food quarters and artisan quarters have become hugely important in defining and measuring an area’s liveability and are usually found in an area that also places a high emphasis on culture, innovation, design and the entrepreneurial mindset.

This is why cities such as Melbourne, San Francisco, Stockholm, Seattle and Toronto tend to figure concurrently and regularly on Liveable City, Creative City, Culture City and Wellness City indexes.
</blockquote>

Rather than laud the announcement, Glenvill Group, the developer behind YarraBend, was quick to reinforce factors that underpin the perceived future needs and status of the development. Creative Director Len Warson said:

<blockquote>
YarraBend is founded on six visionary pillars, including health and wellbeing, technology, art and design, sustainability, knowledge, food and entertainment. These pillars were identified to reflect the changing needs and desires of the public and shape a new way of living.
</blockquote>

YarraBend design features are set to include:

<ul>
<li>Four parks and a state of the art health and wellness centre complete with an indoor spa, yoga and spin rooms with virtual reality and real life classes, massage rooms, Technogym equipment and indoor pool</li>
</ul>
<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_12.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Spa, Health &amp; Wellness Centre. Image: Glenvill Group"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="430" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image35_12.jpg?itok=QIPppCti" title="Spa, Health &amp; Wellness Centre. Image: Glenvill Group" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Spa, Health &amp; Wellness Centre. Image: Glenvill Group</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>A gallery space, art installations and an annual art prize for local artists valued at $50,000 over five years</li>
	<li>A dedicated three-level building for coworking and recreational purposes with a rooftop for entertaining</li>
	<li>Outdoor cinema</li>
	<li>A Scandinavian road design, where cars, bikes and pedestrians get equal share of the road, ultimately encouraging a change of attitude through safe roads for active transport</li>
	<li>Dubbed as the world’s first Tesla Town, the suburb will also feature Telsa Powerwalls in select residences to reduce energy costs and electric car charging points</li>
	<li>Free high-speed WiFi for all residents in parks</li>
</ul>
<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/image41_9.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The future Turbine Park. Image: Glenvill Group"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="683" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image41_9.jpg?itok=1gCUklsG" title="The future Turbine Park. Image: Glenvill Group" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The future Turbine Park. Image: Glenvill Group</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>A technology concierge available to residents should they have any IT issues</li>
	<li>A Resident app that will connect the community to each other and the surrounding environment</li>
	<li>An artisanal food district, curated by one of Australia’s top chefs, Scott Pickett, boasting leading restaurants, cafes and bars</li>
</ul>
In a broader sense The Future Laboratory's report reflects the changing goalposts in terms of what constitutes livability.

According to The Future Laboratory "access to behavioural data helps to inform planning and design and our lifestyle priorities continue to evolve, we can expect to see revolutionary concepts emerge to lift the standard of living to new heights."

To that end, YarraBend has been successfully positioned as a world-leading exponent of research-driven design. The former paper mill onsite is now demolished, with Glenvill Group progressively rolling out various stages of the 16.5 hectare parcel of land.
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Melbourne adds the World’s Most Liveable suburb title via YarraBend

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Campbelltown has announced itself as the latest Australian city to pursue a high-density future.

The Re-Imagining Campbelltown strategy which was formed jointly by Council and Deloitte was handed down this week before the New South Wales parliament. In Sydney's southwestern suburbs, Campbelltown is well positioned to leverage off the forthcoming Western Sydney Airport.

Under Council's vision, Campbelltown would become the nation's greenest city, underpinned by the target of generating 200,000 new jobs across the immediate region, which includes a new 400-hectare health and education precinct.

For the most a low-rise city centre, Council's plans to transform Campbelltown into a high-density enclave revolves around the following transport and built form principles:

<ul>
<li>Continuing to facilitate urban renewal along key transport corridors to accommodate population growth and reduce sprawl and isolation</li>
	<li>Realise the expansion of the local street network by creating new streets where development lots can be broken down to provide greater connectivity and walkability</li>
	<li>Realise Over Station Development (OSD) that provides greater connectivity and access to services across the rail corridor</li>
	<li>Locate major university campuses to within the CBD</li>
	<li>Encourage diversification of residential stock in and around the CBD to increase affordability and choice, including shop-top housing typologies</li>
	<li>Ensure technology is embedded in all urban transportation creating an interconnected network of mobility and seamless connections with other modes</li>
	<li>Decouple car parking from new developments to encourage less basements</li>
</ul>
The facilitation of increased density across Campbelltown will see towers up to 20 levels mandated.

<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/r7_0_2993_1687_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Mawson Park with a revamped Campbelltown to the rear. Image: Campbelltown Council"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="328" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/r7_0_2993_1687_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg?itok=XppEOKss" title="Mawson Park with a revamped Campbelltown to the rear. Image: Campbelltown Council" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Mawson Park with a revamped Campbelltown to the rear. Image: Campbelltown Council</figcaption></figure>Hand in hand with Council's bid for increased urban density comes an understanding of the need for heightened sustainability. Further key environmental initiatives have been identified that would allow increased density to occur, they include:

<ul>
<li>Continuing to implement Blue and Green Grid projects supporting the revitalisation and naturalisation of the existing canal network</li>
	<li>Encourage buildings to continue to be retrofitted to provide sustainable energy solutions, evacuated waste systems and green façades to become a carbon neutral CBD</li>
	<li>Encourage greening and activation of roofs to provide facilities and open spaces for residents and workers</li>
	<li>Continue to retrofit and widen streets, create storm-water creeks along footpaths to facilitate greening and improve canopy cover and activation strategies throughout the CBD</li>
</ul>
Council's vision would boost Campbelltown Centre's present population from 11,500 to a forecast 35,500. For this to occur dwellings would balloon from a current 5,000 to 16,000.

<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/image2si.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Campbelltown is set for change. Image: Sydney Images"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="313" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image2si.jpg?itok=hcCyt1EA" title="Campbelltown is set for change. Image: Sydney Images" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Campbelltown is set for change. Image: Sydney Images</figcaption></figure>Peak industry body Urban Taskforce Australia's response to the Campbelltown's rebirth was positive, citing the proposed Western Sydney Airport as the catalyst for change:

<blockquote>
Clearly Campbelltown Mayor, George Brticevic, and General Manager, Lindy Deitz, are responding to the recently announced City Deal for Western Sydney and the economic stimulus that is flowing from the proposed Western Sydney Airport.

It seems that the proposed Aerotropolis related to the Western Sydney Airport will not be a city centre in the traditional sense but more a centre for jobs. This will then drive a competitive approach from surrounding centres like Penrith, Liverpool and Campbelltown to each establish themselves as urban centres with their own jobs and with significant urban living in apartments.

The re-imagine Campbelltown model that creates sufficient urban density to generate cafes, restaurants, amenities and jobs all located in walking distance to the railway station is likely to be taken up by other centres around the proposed airport but each will develop its own character.
<cite>Urban Taskforce Australia CEO, Chris Johnson</cite>
</blockquote>

Further reading on Campbelltown's proposed transformation can be seen <a href="https://www.campbelltown.nsw.gov.au/Business/ReimaginingCampbelltown">here</a>.
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Campbelltown takes its urban future into its own hands

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Nightingale 1 now stands directly opposite The Commons in Florence Street Brunswick (which acted as the test bed project for the wider Nightingale series) as the completed first project in the mushrooming series of development which have social, environmental and financial sustainable goals at their core.

Designed by <a href="http://www.breathe.com.au/nightingale/">Breathe Architecture</a>, the project's completion heralds another landmark in the Nightingale series which has expanded rapidly in recent times due to intense public interest; so much so that <a href="/news/nightingale-housing-plans-seven-buildings-across-brunswicks-duckett-street">7 buildings are planned at nearby Duckett Street</a> in a village like configuration.

Urban.com.au has followed the progress of Nightingale 1 closely, reporting on builder Project Group's <a href="/news/nightingale-1-reaches-a-construction-milestone">topping out</a> of the development last year, with it subsequently reaching completion late last year and now fully occupied.

Nightingale 1 is a five-storey building containing 20 apartments, a ground floor tenancy and rooftop communal gardens. The project slant toward sustainability sees it with an average rating of 8.2 stars, and includes a shared 18kW solar array.

Championing sustainability and ingenuity across the entire series of developments, the forthcoming Nightingale 3 at 209 Sydney Road is likely to be built with cross-laminated timber panels provided by XLam.

<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_4525.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Nighingale 1's mural dubbed 'Selene'"><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_4525.jpg?itok=3RyFOx3S" title="Nighingale 1's mural dubbed 'Selene'" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Nighingale 1's mural dubbed 'Selene'</figcaption></figure>Nightingale 1's north and south elevations feature deep-set balconies. The southern facade is finished with a glass screen whilst the northern facade will in time sport a green exterior that will help shield direct summer sunlight exposure.

The development's abbreviated podium features a brick finish, a feature which has become commonplace over other projects in the Nightingale series. At street level design studio Urban Commons have provided Foodscape Plot planter boxes to soften the relationship between building and streetscape.

A striking design feature of Nightingale 1 is the commissioned building-wide mural which will unfortunately not be a permanent sight for passers-by. <a href="/new-apartments/mesh-apartments-8-florence-street-brunswick">Mesh Apartments</a> which is currently at sales adjoins the completed building and will in time cover the massive artwork.

In a nice synergy tying in with the buildings heightened design credentials, Branch Studio Architects are now in residence across a ground floor tenancy.

<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/image56_5.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Nightingale 1's various angles"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="566" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image56_5.jpg?itok=aM5lOL9v" title="Nightingale 1's various angles" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Nightingale 1's various angles</figcaption></figure>Nightingale 1's completion rolls into the commencement of another in the series. Earthworks have begun on Nightingale 2 located at 72A Station Street, Fairfield.

Hard against Fairfield railway station, the site is now in the hands of builder Atelier Projects. Six Degrees Architects and sustainability agency HIP V. HYPE are overseeing the project which will add 20 owner occupier apartments to the area.

Not far behind in terms of construction is Nightingale Brunswick East with Liberty Builders announcing during December that it has won the right to build the project. 38 apartments were set aside within the development backed by Lucent Capital, effectively resulting in the project being divided in half to accommodate the Nightingale model.

The building will target an embedded energy network, helping to achieve a 7.5 star NatHers energy rating.

<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/1715littlemiller_lucentcapital_external_cafecopy_cg.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Nightingale Brunswick East is poised to begin construction"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="303" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/1715littlemiller_lucentcapital_external_cafecopy_cg.jpg?itok=HsTw7F9i" title="Nightingale Brunswick East is poised to begin construction" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Nightingale Brunswick East is poised to begin construction</figcaption></figure>
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