The final apartments in the most recently completed new development in Balwyn present some of the largest and most exclusive ever delivered in one of Melbourne’s most established and character-rich neighbourhoods.

Boutique developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/wulff-projects">Wulff Projects</a>,&nbsp;alongside partner <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pga-group">PGA Group</a>, has just finished <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/threadneedle-balwyn-1-5-threadneedle-street-balwyn-vic-3103">Threadneedle</a>, 17 home-sized residences designed completely for the owner-occupier.

Named after its location on Threadneedle Street, the new project has been shaped by the heritage fabric of Balwyn. It offers two low-rise buildings of eight and nine apartments respectively, designed to emulate traditional standalone homes.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27816 project_image_fid=355582]

John Scaramuzzino, Director at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bruce-henderson-architects">Bruce Henderson Architects</a>, explains the design intention.

“Given the quiet residential character of the street with many homes dating back to the 1930s and 1940s, we approached Threadneedle wanting to appear less as a collection of apartments and more as a traditional residence. This led to creating not one but two buildings that could “breathe” with larger garden-based apartments functioning more like small homes.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27816 project_image_fid=355605]

The north-facing residences are nestled among extensive landscaped gardens by Ben Scott Garden Design, with over one-third of the site dedicated to greenery. The resulting setting is one of calm seclusion, where architecture and landscape work in tandem to offer immediate liveability.

With construction now complete, the final apartments include a top-floor, single-level penthouse residence priced from $2.8 million. This home offers three bedrooms, a dedicated study, two bathrooms plus powder room, and three car spaces with an oversized storage room.&nbsp;

Interiors prioritise spatial comfort and natural light, with three-metre-high ceilings, oversized internal doors and a full-width terrace oriented to the north, east and west.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27816 project_image_fid=355604]

Floor-to-ceiling double-glazed windows ensure thermal performance across seasons, supported by automated external blinds, zoned heating and cooling, and a fireplace for added ambiance.

Each apartment has been individually designed to maximise privacy and garden outlooks. Kitchens combine refined finishes with practical considerations: stone benchtops, butler’s pantry, full-height joinery and concealed rangehoods.&nbsp;

The inclusion of dedicated home offices responds to contemporary living patterns, while bathrooms feature sculptural bathtubs and brushed nickel fixtures.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27816 project_image_fid=355590]

Threadneedle also integrates best-practice sustainability measures, achieving a 7 Star average NatHERS rating. Initiatives include solar PV systems, rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing and irrigation, and high-performing building insulation. These elements enhance daily comfort while reducing ongoing maintenance and energy demand.

"We believe Threadneedle sets a new standard of design excellence and building quality for Balwyn,"&nbsp;Scaramuzzino added.

"It’s an architectural response we’re particularly proud of, and one we’re sure residents will be equally proud to call home."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=27816]

Staff Writer

Final homes remaining as Threadneedle, Balwyn completes construction

Joel Robinson

Sydney's top 15 new apartments developments set to launch in 2026

Developer-builder <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/dasco-australia">DASCO</a> has pushed beyond the now-standard inclusions of rooftop pools and landscaped podiums at its recently launched new Epping project, Senso.

It has laid out over 4,000 sqm of resident-only amenity in a move designed to compete directly with low-density housing on livability, not just density. The result is a development that supports genuine daily use through purposeful spaces distributed across its five-building, 479-apartment precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134954 project_image_fid=4396]

Two rooftop pools form the anchor of Senso. One is a 27-metre lap pool adjoining a heated spa, designed for everyday fitness rather than just summer leisure. The second sits on a lower podium, allowing different buildings to share in vertical access and reducing crowding during peak times.

It is the secondary spaces that start to distinguish Senso from other large-scale suburban projects. A rooftop cinema is integrated into a landscaped terrace, offering open-air screenings with natural ventilation and passive cooling.&nbsp;

The inclusion of a “sensory walk”, an elevated boardwalk that threads through the site, suggests a rare investment in non-commercial, non-essential amenity: space for quiet movement that doesn’t double as access or traffic circulation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134954 project_image_fid=4402]

The gym and wellness centre, often relegated to a small ground-floor room in many builds, takes on more substance here. Residents have access to a fully equipped gym, as well as outdoor yoga areas and meditative zones that integrate greenery and natural light.&nbsp;

The Club Lounge is similarly designed to support multiple use cases, with a private dining terrace, kitchenette, workspace, and lockable wine storage. These aren’t superficial additions; their scale and spatial allocation indicate serious intent for frequent resident use.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134954 project_image_fid=4391]

Importantly, Senso’s amenities are embedded within a site that spans more than 10,000 sqm, allowing for better separation between spaces and reduced noise spillover, a critical but often overlooked factor in high-density developments. This spatial generosity also enables multiple alfresco kitchens and communal terraces without compromising individual privacy or usable space.

While many developments make claims about lifestyle, few back it with this level of built infrastructure. Senso’s mix of dedicated fitness, wellness, social and passive green spaces suggests a conscious response to the post-pandemic shift in housing expectations, especially among owner-occupiers.&nbsp;

DASCO is one of several leading developers who have taken out Resilience Insurance's Latent Defects Insurance policy, providing buyers with a 10-year structural and waterproofing warranty, and giving them the ultimate peace of mind.

Senso is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134954]

The outdoor amenities elevating life at Senso, Epping

Following the proposal by the Minns Labor Government to rezone Parramatta Road to create up to 8,000 new homes, prominent developer Ceerose has gone to the NSW Gov to increase the density of its new mixed-use residential building in Leichhardt.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/ceerose">Ceerose</a>, founded by Edward Doueihi nearly three decades ago, has filed plans for 154 apartments above ground-floor retail at 307-315 Parramatta Road, a key corner site near Norton Street, the main high street strip in Leichhardt.

It's an upsize from the previously approved scheme of 63 apartments across a seven-storey building.

<img alt="Ceerose" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ba1ae75b-5f08-43fb-b8d5-3de6d9f6ef71" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-04%20at%2010.31.39%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=yA3hBBLPH4ev7MsAE0_hieXeqiFqBUb7" />

The project is being advanced through the State Significant Development (SSD) pathway, with concurrent rezoning sought to facilitate the proposal. The 10-storey development would rise over a four-level basement and deliver two retail tenancies, one a larger-format offering and the other a smaller “hole in the wall” space, addressing the Parramatta Road frontage. 21 of the apartments are dedicated as affordable housing.

According to the Urban Design Report by Architecture AND, the scheme includes a podium and tower configuration, with a fine-grain, two-storey parapet street wall that references the traditional shopfront rhythm along the corridor. “An elegant tower form is proposed, combined with a characterful two storey frontage... articulating it as two related buildings, providing consistency with the rhythm and grain of Parramatta Road,” the report notes.

The residential component is split across two slender towers set back from the street edge, a design move aimed at preserving solar access and reducing perceived bulk. This massing strategy also seeks to improve residential amenity by focusing scale toward the quieter northern interface, away from Parramatta Road’s noise and pollution.

<img alt="Ceerose" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="347f2f8f-5d36-4388-b40a-2e77380b9c19" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-04%20at%2010.31.02%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=xvyUE2ujT1lzivXTo.mHBJFF4SmfgLtz" />

Architecture AND has worked with Ceerose on previous Inner West projects, and cites a deep familiarity with the local character. Their design draws heavily on context, heritage, and sunlight access considerations, and engages with the Inner West Council’s “Our Fairer Future” strategic planning framework.

The site spans 2,712 sqm and is located near key intersections with Catherine Street, Hay Street, and Redmond Street. It adjoins a public carpark to the north and is within walking distance of Stanmore and Petersham stations. It is also flagged in state and local planning strategies, including the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, as a suitable candidate for increased density.

Ceerose recently completed The Alex Collective on McEvoy Street in Alexandria, Abbie's Lane in Annandale, and the award-winning Munro House in Elizabeth Bay.

The Parramatta Road corridor is coming to life with the proposed rezoning which is serviced by a significant number of bus, light rail and train routes.

Deicorp is progressing with its $1.8 billion <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kings-bay-village-five-dock-53-75-queens-road-five-dock-nsw-2046">Kings Bay Village</a> precinct on Parramatta Road in Five Dock, as is <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/toga-to-push-on-with-five-dock-mixed-use-masterplan">TOGA further down the street</a>. Those two projects alone will bring nearly 2,000 new homes to Parramatta Road.

First look: Ceerose plots mixed-use Leichhardt development on Parramatta Road

North Sydney's landmark 'SBS Building' on Alfred Street is set to be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use residential tower in the booming North Sydney.

Commercial property group FiveX is behind the plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/275-alfred-street-north-north-sydney-nsw-2060">39-storey tower</a>, the latest project to advance under the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

They are proposing 184 apartments above retail spaces, which will replace the existing 20-storey commercial building. FiveX was set up more than five decades ago by Joshua and Marko Berger. It is currently led by Joshua's son Lesli.&nbsp;

<img alt="First look: Fivex plans 39-storey residential tower at 275 Alfred Street, North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2efa0980-53fa-4cca-9f9e-9c3c845d4746" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29%20%281%29_0.png?VersionId=y_YyPMq3NQLfYRs84pP4os9UgWiMLp75" />

According to the Architectural Design Report by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fjc-studio">FJC Studio</a>, the slender tower form has been deliberately designed to respect the site's transitional setting at the southern gateway to the North Sydney CBD, where high-rise towers give way to lower-scale residential precincts.

"The slender tower form and articulated podium establish a respectful relationship with nearby heritage and low rise buildings, including the Whaling Road Heritage Conservation Area,” the architecture firm noted, adding that the tower “completes a missing link in the urban fabric” while enhancing the Alfred Street streetscape.

The proposed building will include a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, with 15 percent of the gross residential floor area allocated as affordable housing. There is an agreement already in place that those apartments will be managed by Evolve Housing.

The project aligns with broader state housing objectives, including the National Housing Accord target of delivering 1.2 million new homes by 2029. The Scoping Report filed with the State Significant Development Application (SSDA) suggests the site "presents no impediments to rapid delivery,” with construction able to commence within 12 months of receiving consent.

North Sydney has been one of the most popular suburbs in Sydney for new and off the plan apartment development, but hasn't had the supply to keep up with demand, until recently.

AURA by Aqualand was, for a long time, the only off the plan apartment building on the market. That completed last year, and has sold the majority of its 386 luxury apartments. Recently ALAND launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-walden-173-179-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">The Walden</a> on the same street, selling over $100 million within just a few hours of its launch, while developer CASA also launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-mclaren-north-sydney-45-mclaren-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">The McLaren</a>&nbsp;in the same precinct.

First look: Fivex plans 39-storey residential tower in booming North Sydney

Billions

<html><body>
International architecture firms Fender Katsalidis and Skidmore Owings &amp; Merrill (SOM) have won the global design competition for Central Place Sydney, a $2.5 billion commercial development underpinning Sydney CBD’s Tech Central.
The project to be delivered by Dexus and Frasers Property Australia will complement the City of Sydney’s proposal to create a third new major civic square.
The design for Central Place Sydney features two commercial towers at 37 and 39 levels and a landmark sculptural building which will activate the precinct that connects Railway Square, Central Station and the community beyond.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2020/8/13/Sydney%20Central%202.jpg" alt="">
The project, part of Tech Central, will encompass approximately 150,000 square metres of office and retail space.
Central Place Sydney’s sculptural building, at the southern edge of Henry Deane Plaza, is proposed to feature curved sandstone forms that respond to the different urban orientations.
Fender Katsalidis design director Mark Curzon said, "the sculptural towers are shaped by the movement and civic connections at ground level and extend vertically into a ‘fine-grained’ skyline, orientated to address key vistas in a gateway configuration."
"The breathing buildings, with 100 per cent renewable energy, optimise their environmental footprints, mitigate wind effects and harvest natural daylight whilst a computer controlled double skin façade will mitigate direct sunlight and minimise heat gain," he added.
</body></html>

j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

$2.5 billion Central Place Sydney design unveiled

<html><body><div class="_1665V undefined">
Scentre Group has sold its Sydney CBD office towers to US private equity firm Blackstone for $1.52 billion.
It is planning to use part of the proceeds to fund an $800 million share buyback to boost investor returns.
They will grant Blackstone a 299-year leasehold interest for the office towers above the Westfield shopping centre in Market Street and Castlereagh Street, however they will retain ownership of Westfield Sydney and Sydney Tower.
Scentre shares lifted 2.56 per cent to a more than two-month high of $4.01 following the statement to the ASX concerning the matter.
Group chief executive Peter Allen said the $1.52 billion transaction price represented almost $800 million in additional value on investment and an unlevered internal rate of return of over 16 per cent per annum.
"Our development of the Sydney Office Towers in 2011 and ongoing investment until now has created significant value for securityholders," Mr Allen said.
In total Scentre now holds $2.1 billion in capital following the sale of 50 per cent of its stake in Westfield Burwood for $575 million in May.
Mr Allen said the company would initially use the new funds to repay debt before commencing an $800 million share buyback in August.
</div></body></html>

Scentre Group has sold its Sydney CBD office towers for $1.5 billion

<html><body>
EXPERT OBSERVER
The prices of Australia's most expensive capital city homes have plummeted, according to CoreLogic, by 12.3% over the past year. That could all start to change in 2019. 
That’s because nearly 1,000 very wealthy individuals who have immigrated to Australia under the Significant Investor Visa are about to have $4.4 billion in cash freed up. Many will undoubtedly choose to use it to buy a family home in their new country of residence.
The Significant Investor Visa is Australia's so-called "golden visa." It's how Australia offers citizenship to individuals who make big investments in the country. Nearly nine out of 10 Significant Investor Visa recipients is Chinese.
A total of 879 individuals and their families got their Significant Investor Visas in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Now, after four years of having their money locked up in strictly limited investment categories, they can become permanent residents. When that happens, they get their $5 million back to spend or invest however they wish. That might include in an expensive family home in Toorak or Mosman if they so desire.
They can certainly afford a high-end Australian home. Each Significant Investor Visa holder being worth an average of $50 million. Since 2,000 individuals have obtained the visa since 2013, their total net worth is about $100 billion. Adding that kind of money to Australia is like doubling the Australian Financial Review's Rich List says David Chin of Basispoint.
Juwai.com data shows that the top destinations for Chinese buyers are Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.  Chinese account for one-quarter of all foreign real estate investment in the country. That's more than any other nationality.
Just like well-off Australians buy homes in Bali, the UK, or New Zealand, wealthy Chinese families also buy homes in Australia. Since the GFC in 2008, this international market has boomed.
Even so, international activity alone wasn’t enough to keep prices from falling in 2018. The Significant Investor Visa program could be a boon to Australia's sagging luxury property markets.
Georg Chmiel is the chairman of Juwai, the number one Chinese website for buyers of overseas property
</body></html>

jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Golden immigrants to buy homes as $4.4 billion of cash is freed up: Georg Chmiel

<html><body>
Phillips Pantzer Donnelley (PPD) has claimed a sales record as the biggest selling single agency.
The company has sold 499 properties during 2018 translating to a total $1.11 billion worth of real estate, with a few days to go.
"This is the most real estate traded by any single agency in Australia," the agency has advised.
The agency opened in December 2013. It has its main office at Woollahra with its property management office also in Woollahra.
 PPD have built on its sales transactions success year on year with 2017 having been a record year with the sale of 434 properties with a value of $1.072 billion.
In 2016 it exchanged on 434 properties with a value of $936 million.
During their inaugural year their company sold more than 360 homes for a total of about $600 million in real estate.
It concentrates on Sydney's eastern suburbs, lead by Alexander Phillips, Jason Pantzer and Debbie Donnelley.
Alexander Phillips' highest recorded sale price this year was $12.5 million for 2 Mirimar Avenue, Tamarama, a 5-bedroom house.
Debbie's most recent highest sale price was $4.2 million for 140 Windsor Street, Paddington, a 3-bedroom house which sold in March.
The give back to the local community providing local on-going sponsorships at Easts FC, Bronte Surf Lifesaving Club, Bronte Netball, Sydney Children’s Hospital and Dunbar Rovers.
It was in 2010 when McGrath Eastern Suburbs sold $1.12 billion from 938 sales out of the head office, which chief executive John McGrath said was an Australian record for any individual residential sales office. It sat among its growing company and franchise offices.
 
</body></html>

Phillips Pantzer Donnelley (PPD) claim $1.11 billion sales record as single agency

<html><body>
Vicinity Centres are set to sell up to $1 billion of neighbourhood shopping centres to fund the development of its prestige retail projects.
In 2016 the firm offloaded four shopping centres worth $841 million in Victoria, with Mirvac and Blackstone and Mirvac the buyers.
Vicinity Centres have said they will pour the proceeds of the next batch of centres for sale to redevelopment The Glen and Box Hill Central in Melbourne, Chatswood Chase (above) and Bansktown Central in Sydney, as well Galleria in Perth.
Grant Kelley, Vicinity Centres chief executive and managing director, told The Australian the decision came after reviewing their portfolio.
"Following an extensive review of our portfolio, it is clear that we need to focus our resources on creating destinations that provide market-leading shopping, dining and entertainment experiences," Kelley said.
Vicinity’s portfolio includes Chadstone, the Queen Victoria Building and DFOs.
Macquarie Capital have been appointed by Vicinity Centres to be its corporate advisor on the asset sales program for the sale of up to $1 billion of the sub-regional and neighbourhood shopping centres, with sale proceeds through JLL to be reinvested into value-accretivedevelopment opportunities.
"This continues Vicinity’s focus on ongoing portfolio enhancement and delivering superior income and sustainable long-term capital growth for securityholders."
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
Mr Grant Kelley, CEO and Managing Director, said since the merger in 2015, it had created "significant securityholder value and improving portfolio specialty sales productivity by 22% to $10,243 per sqm."
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body></html>

jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Vicinity Centres to sell $1 billion worth of shopping centres

<html><body>
Sydney's Barangaroo Tower 1 is Australia's most expensive building and replace Melbourne's Rialto Towers as our largest.
According to CoreLogic RP Data Cityscope, the $2 billion price tag is spit between $1.4 billion of equity commitments and $600 million of debt financing.
</body></html>

Billions

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

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

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

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

Billions

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

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

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

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