The new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/yarraville-green-42-stephen-street-yarraville-vic-3013">Yarraville Green</a> development in Melbourne's inner west is showing that landscaping can be just as influential as architecture, with buyers responding strongly to the garden-first approach adopted from the outset by developer Excelon Projects and the project's design team.

Excelon appointed Six Degrees Architects and landscape architects SBLA to work collaboratively on the development, with a brief to create "a sustainable, design-led building with a focus on community."

That approach has resonated with buyers. According to Next Chapter Director Tom Hirini, who is leading the sales campaign, the landscaped communal garden has become one of the project's defining features, alongside its boutique scale and European-inspired cluster housing concept.

Local downsizers, right-sizers and established families already living in Yarraville and surrounding suburbs have accounted for the majority of purchasers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297740]

Yarraville Green will comprise 53 homes, including apartments and townhomes, arranged around the shared central garden to maximise connections to the landscaped open space. Parking has been moved underground, allowing the ground plane to be dedicated to greenery, pedestrian movement and communal spaces.

The landscape extends well beyond passive planting. Productive garden beds, a pergola, communal gathering spaces, garden sheds and a pet wash have all been integrated into the masterplan, creating spaces designed to encourage everyday interaction between residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297741]

The interiors continue Excelon's focus on craftsmanship, incorporating bespoke elements by Melbourne artisans including leadlight detailing by Adadaz, hand-turned timber hardware by Auburn Woodturning and blown-glass lighting by Ruth Allen.

Sustainability has also been embedded throughout the project, with Yarraville Green targeting an average 7-star NatHERS energy rating through passive design principles, rooftop solar servicing common areas and rainwater harvesting for landscape irrigation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297735]

Construction continues to progress at Yarraville Green, with structural works well underway and framing works approaching completion under builder Balmain &amp; Co. The project remains on track for completion in mid-2027.

Apartments at Yarraville Green are currently priced from $625,000, while townhomes start from $1.4 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144913]

Joel Robinson

Garden-led design drives buyer demand at Yarraville Green

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

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

The enormity of delivering a true skyscraper in Australia's new development market is often overlooked.

It has taken the best part of a decade since plans for Chevron One were first unveiled, but the 41-storey tower is now complete, with residents collecting their keys and moving into what has become one of the Gold Coast's most recognisable new landmarks.

Rising 127 metres above Chevron Island, Chevron One stands almost twice as high as any other building on the island. Its scale places it alongside the trio of towers at Jewel, arguably the last truly significant addition to the central Gold Coast skyline when they were completed around six years ago.

While there are several developments underway around a similar height to Chevron One, they are more concentrated within clusters of the highest towers in the city. The fact Chevron One sits within a developing precinct, looking back at the other high-rise developments in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, makes it a different proposition altogether. It will certainly become a reference point on the Gold Coast skyline.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=68833]

Developer Bensons Property Group is behind the 41-storey tower, which has 229 apartments, along with an exhaustive list of resident amenity spread across what is the largest development site ever assembled on Chevron Island.

The tower has been the talk of the town for years, says Ray White Projects Gold Coast agent Caitlin Rosenboom, who is selling the remaining apartments.

"People have been watching Chevron One go up for years," Rosenboom says, adding that many prospective buyers have been surprised by the scale of the views once they step inside.

"It's only when they walk through a completed apartment that they truly understand the position of the building," Rosenboom says.

"The views are jaw-dropping. Whether you're looking east over the ocean, across Surfers Paradise, along the river systems or out to the hinterland, every level offers something different but equally impressive."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=360215]

One of Chevron One's defining advantages is its location on the eastern side of Chevron Island on Stanhill Drive, a position which protects the views forever.

"There's only one row of houses between Chevron One and the water, and the height restrictions along the river means views from Chevron One can never be built out,"&nbsp;Rosenboom says.

While new apartment developments continue to emerge across the Gold Coast, Rosenboom says opportunities to secure a completed apartment with this level of outlook are becoming increasingly rare.

"The size of the site is something that would be incredibly difficult to replicate today," she says.

"That's allowed Chevron One to deliver the sort of amenity, open space and resident facilities that very few projects can offer. There are not many completed apartment buildings on the Gold Coast right now that can compete with the combination of scale, quality and amenity."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=68839]

There's around 2,000 sqm of amenity solely for the use of residents of Chevron One. Club One features a uniquely shaped swimming pool that mirrors the footprint of the building itself, set within a extensively landscaped gardens. There's also an indoor pool and spa, a fully equipped gym with a Pilates room, a yoga garden, a bookable private dining area and lounge that can host up to 30 people, and a 24-hour concierge service.

As for the buyers, Rosenboom is fielding enquiry from everywhere: Sydneysiders and Melburnians looking at the new and off-the-plan market following the changes in the Federal Budget, as well as those looking to relocate, through to South East Queenslanders seeking either a permanent home or a weekender bolthole.

"The Gold Coast lifestyle continues to resonate with people relocating from the southern states, and when they see the views and the quality of what's been delivered at Chevron One, it becomes very easy for them to understand the appeal," Rosenboom says.

A diverse mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments remain available, with each offering "something a little different", be it the orientation and views, configuration, or level, to suit a wide variety of buyers.

The remaining apartments are ready to inspect in person, by appointment.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6515]

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

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

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

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

Elevated amenity anchors daily life at Aeris, Melrose Park

International

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A 37 year old Manhattan resident has converted his apartment into a gamer’s paradise.
Chris Kooluris told <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/turned-apartment-arcade-article-1.1816727" target="_blank">The New York Daily News</a> that he decided to indulge his nostalgia after reading Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, a novel about 1980s gamer culture. He’s spent US $26,000 on his interiors renovation, including a number of vintage arcade games and a leather fold out bed (complete with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles bed linen).
The senior vice president of a global public relations firm, Kooluris reportedly custom built a four-player arcade console, where he can play thousands of games, including Street Fighter II. Thousands of dollars have gone towards first-edition Transformers action figures.
But it seems that nurturing Kooluris’ inner child has come at a loss – he told The New York Daily News that in the process of building his arcade, his fiancée left him.
In truth, it seems that Kooluris’ extreme renovation makeover was inspired by more than just a book. After moving in with his fiancée, his apartment failed to sell and he reportedly began feeling uncomfortable in his new surroundings.
"This is the extreme reaction of someone who isn't surrounded by his own stuff," he told The New York Daily News. But while Koolouris and his friends reportedly love his arcade-apartment hybrid, it seems that Koolouris might have taken a tiger uppercut to the heart.
"Now that my fiancée and I are no longer together, it's hard to enjoy the room as much as I want to," he explained to The New York Daily News.  "I always end up thinking about her."
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jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Fantasy renovation: Manhattan gamer turns his apartment into a video game arcade

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Madrid and Dublin have been heralded as 2013’s standout recovery markets in Knight Frank’s European Cities Review that looks at luxury markets and “Tier-2” cities across Europe.
Below, is how much space €1 millions will buy you.
<img src="/images/2014/06/11/kf%20june%2011%20one.png" alt="">
Source: Knight Frank Residential Research
Here are the nationalities purchasing in these cities:
<img src="/images/2014/06/11/kf-june-11-two.jpg" alt="">
Source: Knight Frank Residential Research
Head of international research at Knight Frank, Kate Everett-Allen, said that even among the first tier cities in Europe, there is considerable disparity.
With luxury prices in Paris oscillating around €12,000 to €15,000 per square metre, property here is looking good value, especially when compared to London or Monaco where prime prices are closer to €30,000 or €55,000 per square metre respectively – even taking President Hollande’s tax ruminations into consideration,” Allen explained.
“As economic indicators improve, the safe haven effect may not be uppermost in luxury buyers’ minds. Instead, lifestyle, proximity to schools or universities and security considerations may be increasingly influential.”
The performance of prime property, in fact, is influenced by the pattern of capital flows and the priorities of the world’s wealthy, she said.
Below are some examples of the reasoning across Europe (click to open in new window).
<a href="/images/2014/06/11/Infographic_Europe%20in%20numbers.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2014/06/11/Infographic_Europe%20in%20numbers.jpg" alt=""></a>
Source: Knight Frank Residential Research, Oxford Economics.
Nicholas Holt, Knight Frank head of research for Asia Pacific, said that the critical question is whether prevailing wealth flows will alter now the worst of the Eurozone crisis is over.
 “As economic indicators improve, the safe haven effect may not be uppermost in luxury buyers’ minds.  Instead, lifestyle, proximity to schools or universities and security considerations may be increasingly influential,” said Holt.
“Although wealth creation is forecast to be strongest in emerging markets in Asia and Latin America, the appeal of Europe’s luxury bricks and mortar will – due to its history, diverse cultures, architecture and climate – mean it will remain the location of choice for the world’s wealthy.”
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jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

The overseas luxury market: What €1 million buys and who is buying where

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Some 33 kilometres outside of Paris, in the town of Poissy, sits a true “design classic”, Villa Savoye. The work of seminal Swiss architect Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye is a constructed experiment, a manifesto to <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-modernism-24534" target="_blank">modernism</a>.
Designed and built between 1929 and 1931, the house represents one of the first constructions of modern architecture, redefining classical elements to respond to technological advances and the changing needs of the 20th century. It was a complete departure from the traditional architecture of the time.
This house is more than simply a modern take on a French country house – it was an opportunity to apply a standardised design system which would ultimately produce what Le Corbusier defined as a “Machine for Living”. Like a car and its parts, where each component is necessary to its function, the house would work as efficiently as possible.
In 1926, Le Corbusier published a manifesto entitled <a href="https://www.learn.columbia.edu/courses/arch20/pdf/art_hum_reading_52.pdf" target="_blank">Five Points Towards a New Architecture</a> in which he defined a set of universal principles that could standardise an architectural approach, allowing for a model of architecture that could be reformulated to respond to different requirements such as location and climate.
Villa Savoye became the first test site for these principles.
Le Corbusier’s five points of architecture
The first principle, a grid of “pilotis”, French for a post or column, replaced the typical load-bearing wall which produced a “free plan”; the second principle, allowing for flexibility in wall placement. A “free façade,” the third principle, separated the structure (the pilotis) from the façade of the building, allowing for a continuous, uninterrupted horizontal “ribbon window,” principle four. The fifth principle, a “roof garden” enclosed by a screen, framed the landscape while allowing light to enter the house.
These five principles, which have since become part of a universal architectural language, were reinterpreted and defined by the context. In the case of Villa Savoye, this included a meadow enclosed by trees with views orientating north and west.
A white cubic volume, stripped of any unnecessary ornamentation, is elevated over the centre of the meadow as if an alien ship is about to land. The domestic activities are literally lifted off the ground, separated from the outside world.
The ground level is organised with machine precision, determined by the turning capability of a car, which carves out the ground’s interior volume. This space is arranged to control the sequence of movements through the house; a stair that creates direct vertical connections and a ramp generating a gradual unfolding procession into the house which synthesises the three levels of the villa and produces direct relationships between inside and outside.
Ribbon windows frame views, almost like a camera obscura, bringing the outside context of the house inside. A roof garden, which replaces the exterior space taken over by the mass of the building, allows light to penetrate all spaces of the house.
Article continues on next page. Please click. below.
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
A trailblazer
Distinctly ahead of its time, Villa Savoye has become great inspiration for architects and designers and many of the ideas and concepts have evolved and been imitated by others. Le Corbusier foresaw material innovation with the introduction of industrial materials. Previously, houses were perceived as solid and heavy structures where stone, timber and bricks were commonly used.
Conversely, Le Corbusier drew influence from the machine age, inspired by his fascination with steamships. He introduced steel, glass and reinforced concrete, a shift away from what he saw as impractical materials and methods of the time. Villa Savoye is constructed from reinforced concrete and masonry units. White plaster unifies the house and hides the fact that individual pre-fabricated parts were used to construct the villa.
The assembly of standard components saw a progressive rise for pre-fabrication in architecture, which still has major influence on the practice today. The move towards a more standardised process of forming and making has been further informed by current technological advances, including laser cutters, 3D printers and robots.
These technologies have facilitated the evolution of pre-fabrication, from furniture to building scale. Le Corbusier’s ideas have endured, still influencing efficiency and innovation in the 21st century.
Villa Savoye represents one of the most significant architectural projects constructed. The people at LEGO, one of the world’s most successful brands agree, adding it to their “<a href="https://theconversation.com/block-party-how-architecture-helped-rebuild-lego-18604" target="_blank">architecture series</a>”, in good company with the Sydney Opera House, the Empire State Building, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water and 14 other iconic buildings around the world.
Villa Savoye’s basic principles transcend time and scale. They have been incorporated into a single family home, as demonstrated by the villa, but have been just as easily applied to large-scale residential buildings such as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit%C3%A9_d'Habitation" target="_blank">Unité d'Habitation</a> in Marseille, France.
Even after 85 years, this timeless icon of architecture is a model that is still central to architectural and spatial thinking.
William Feuerman is course director (B Des Arch), senior lecturer, school of architecture at University of Technology, Sydney.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Conversation</a>. 
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.
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jake-cSmGT7VXVf

Sublime design: Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye

Australia in global house price growth top 10, but affordability improves

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This week's property quiz will test the brains of movie buffs and property nerds alike. 
Here are ten homes that have secured their places in cinema history. Can you guess where they made their film debuts?
<ol>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/St_Patricks_Seminary_Sydney_front_view.jpg" alt=""> The former inhabitants of St Patrick's Seminary in Sydney would surely disapprove of the parties thrown inside its walls for this film.</li>
<li>
<img src="/images/2014/05/30/ferris-bueller-house-for-sale-cameron-12.jpg" alt=""> Wagging school never seemed so glamorous.</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/the%20godfather.jpg" alt=""> This sprawling estate has enough room for a horse - or part of one, anyway. 
</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/a%20single%20man.jpg" alt=""> This fashionable home made its movie debut at the same time as its fashionable director.</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/dude_0000_0726lebowski1.jpg.jpg" alt=""> "Well sir, it's this rug I had. It really tied the room together."</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/Home%20alone%20house.jpg" alt=""> Be careful with the doorknob, and the steps, and the iron, and the stairs...and the spider. 
</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/1200px-Ennis_House_front_view_2005.jpg" alt=""> Do androids dream of Frank Lloyd Wright homes? 
</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/Twilight-New-Moon-House-Sale000.jpg" alt=""> Perfect for swanning around in with your pale beau. 
</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/scarface-mansion-sale.jpg" alt=""> Say 'hello' to this $35 million mansion. 
</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/elrod.JPG" alt=""> A certain man with a license to kill almost met his match in this mansion.</li>
</ol>
For the films that made these homes famous, click below.
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 THE ANSWERS
<ol>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/St_Patricks_Seminary_Sydney_front_view.jpg" alt=""> Australian Catherine Martin won the Oscar for Best Production Design after picking this former Sydney seminary for the exterior of Jay Gatsby's mansion in The Great Gatsby. 
</li>
<li>
<img src="/images/2014/05/30/ferris-bueller-house-for-sale-cameron-12.jpg" alt=""> Bueller? Bueller? Cameron's dad's house from Ferris Bueller's Day Off was sold for US$1.25 million earlier this year, down from its initial asking price of US$2.5 million. 
</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/the%20godfather.jpg" alt=""> The Beverley House was the home of The Godfather's Jack Woltz. It's now listed for sale through Hilton Hyland for US $135 million. Thankfully, this estate only provided exterior shots for the movie, so you won't be haunted by any visions of beheaded horses. 
</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/a%20single%20man.jpg" alt=""> The Schaffer Residence was Colin Firth's home in A Single Man, the directorial debut of fashion designer Tom Ford. The house sold in December 2012 after four long years on the market, for US $1.395 million to an English television ad director.</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/dude_0000_0726lebowski1.jpg.jpg" alt=""> This cottage was the home (and unfortunate site of many beatings) of the Dude of The Big Lebowski. <a href="/news/big-lebowski-house-for-sale">It was listed for sale in 2011</a>. </li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/Home%20alone%20house.jpg" alt=""> Kevin! The abandoned McCallister pretty much tried to murder two robbers in this home in Home Alone. The house was sold by Coldwell Banker real estate for US $1.585 million in 2012. 
</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/1200px-Ennis_House_front_view_2005.jpg" alt=""> Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis House was made famous in the 1982 science fiction classic, Blade Runner.
</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/Twilight-New-Moon-House-Sale000.jpg" alt=""> This West Vancouver house was home to the Cullens in Twilight. It was advertised for sale by Jason Soprovich in late 2009 for CAD $3.298 million.  
</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/scarface-mansion-sale.jpg" alt=""> California's El Fureidis estate was the mansion in Scarface. It's currently on the market for US $35 million.  
</li>
<li>
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/elrod.JPG" alt=""> Another John Lautner stunner on the list. The Elrod House seems to attract a bad crowd, with villains from Diamonds Are Forever, Lethal Weapon 2 and Charlie's Angels all calling the mansion home. 
</li>
</ol>
How did you do? For homes that made it big on the small screen, click below.
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
So now you've seen the houses that earned the spotlight on the silver screen. But what about their more humble cousins on our televisions?
 <img src="/images/2014/05/30/aplacetocallhomeapril29flicker.jpg" alt="">
Camelot at Camden, pictured below, was the location for Channel 7's post war drama A Place to Call Home. 
<img src="/images/2014/05/30/placetocallhomemay9one.jpg" alt=""> 
<a href="/news/camelot-at-camden-is-captivating-as-a-place-to-call-home-location-on-channel-7s-new-1950s-drama-series">Known as Ash Park in the series</a>, the fairy tale home has 55 rooms.  Late last year, the house of one Toadie 'Toadfish' Ribecchi <a href="/news/vic/neighbours-ramsay-street-home-sells-127-000-over-reserve-wins-award">sold for $127,000 above its reserve price</a>. The '30 Ramsay Street' house from Neighbours went for $827,000.  <img src="/images/2014/05/30/ramsay.jpg" alt="">
In late 2012, the Concord cottage (pictured below) that housed the sprawling Rafter clan in Channel 7's Packed to the Rafters <a href="/news/nsw/concords-packed-to-the-rafters-house-fails-to-sell">was </a><a href="/news/nsw/concords-packed-to-the-rafters-house-fails-to-sell">passed in at auction</a>, after selling for $1 million in 2006. <img src="/images/2014/05/30/l_rafters.jpg" alt="">
 You might also be interested in this story: <a href="/news/sa/infamous-snowtown-bank-sells">Infamous Snowtown bank sells </a>
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Friday trivia: Can you guess which films made these homes famous?

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The celebrity chef Bill Granger - who retains two restaurants in Sydney, along with four in Japan, and in London's Notting Hill and Clerkenwell - has opened Bills Sydney in Hawaii. And his next outlet opening will be Seoul in June.
<a href="https://www.billshawaii.com" target="_blank">It is a rustic-chic beach house in Waikiki</a> that opened last month.
The trademark creamy scrambled eggs that put him on the culinary map are available at 280 Beachwalk Avenue.
It's between the Hilton and Westin in low-level contemporary <a href="https://www.thebeallcorporation.com/projects/280_beach_walk/BW_1_DSC_1495" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">building</a> (pictured above) that also houses the Hard Rock Cafe in the two-story 30,519 square foot retail building.
Located at Waikiki’s west side, Honu Group’s retail development is close to the Fort DeRussy Reservation.
<a href="https://www.thebeallcorporation.com/pdfs/280_beach_walk-brochure.pdf" target="_blank">2006 stats showed a daily US$202 expenditure by Oceania visitors</a> which Bills will be seeking some of the spend especially from those who know of his fare.
"I only open where I’m inspired; something about the place and lifestyle needs to speak to me," he recently said.
"Honolulu is my favourite type of beach town - urban.
"I had no idea how vibrant the food scene was; I’ve been inspired by the tropical produce and fusion of Vietnamese, Japanese and indigenous cuisines (with a bit of Brooklyn thrown in).
"The menu includes nods to these local dishes, plus all the bills classics and pizzas piled with fresh healthy toppings," he says.
He is not the only Australian in the complex as CBRE's Andrew Starn secured <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2013/06/12/pacific/search/results?q=Andrew%20Starn" style="line-height: 1.3em;"></a>tenants including Le Blanc Art with the Australian-born artist Shane Bowden. The other tenants include Akakura, a high-end shoe store, 24 Karat, a Japanese surf shop and the Rome-based women’s clothing and accessories boutique Brandy Melville.
Title Tattle recalls Bill Granger got his training at the iconic La Passion du Fruit on Paddington's Oxford Street after hailing from Melbourne.
Granger opened the original bills in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst in 1993, when he was 22.
His Queens Court, Woollahra restaurant recently closed, replaced by the vibrant Luxe.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Bills of Sydney rides wave of international success to Waikiki, Hawaii

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The Australasian real estate industry is as mature as any on the planet. We compete against our peers globally and do it well.
Within the global brand I’m associated with, RE/MAX, with its presence in 95 countries, Australia currently has an impressive 13 of the top 20 international teams.
The Australasian real estate industry and Australasian real estate agent practices stand up very well against other nations, and I’d go so far as to say may often beat many international peers hands down when it comes to skills, characteristics and methodologies such as multiple marketing options including the auction system. It is indicative too that real estate is more widely perceived as a career than in many other countries.
In comparison, for example, with the US and Canada, the Australasian real estate industry is not of the same scale. We don’t come close to the huge numbers of offices and agents involved there… yet! I have no doubt that Australian and New Zealand real estate offices will continue to grow both in numbers of agents and services provided by an office.
On my recent trip to Canada, for example, where RE/MAX has 36% market share, I saw some massive operations. I spent time in one real estate business, Richard Pilarski’s RE/MAX Realtron Realty. He has eight offices in Toronto with in excess of 700 sales associates. One office alone has 300 sales associates.
Will Australia and New Zealand follow down the path of creating real estate operations to that scale?
There are offices with 100-plus agents in Australia already; and while we may not see offices with 300-to-400-agents or greater being commonplace in the short term, there’s every possibility we’ll see 30-to-50–strong sales forces on the rise.
For instance, in Canada and the US, no more than approximately 30 per cent in the real estate industry work from an office, and that is a growing trend here in Australia.
With ever-expanding technology, there is a lot more capacity for people to work remotely; so we can expect that real estate businesses will expand without us necessarily seeing bigger physical premises where sales, property management and financial specialists gather and work. RE/MAX AIRR is one such existing example - where portals and databases are more important, and more widely used, than desks and office car parks.
Michael Davoren is managing director of RE/MAX AUSTRALIA and RE/MAX NEW ZEALAND.
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mdavoren-BoeuVwusdi

Will the Australasian real estate industry blow out in size?

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Prime residential prices in key cities worldwide rose by 0.8% on average in the first quarter of 2014, the slowest rate of growth since Q3 2012.
The Knight Frank Prime Global Cities Index tracks the price performance of 32 luxury residential markets.
Closer analysis shows the first quarter of the year has been the index’s weakest performing quarter in two years.
The first quarter, for many European and US cities, corresponds to the winter months where sales activity is sluggish and price movements slower.
The report noted in much of Asia it also marks a traditional low season as Chinese New Year sees sales activity decline.
In addition, tax changes (CGT, VAT etc) often take effect at the end of December leading to a spike in sales in the fourth quarter as buyers and vendors look to take advantage of lower rates e.g. fiscal cliff in New York in 2012.
Despite the slower quarterly rate of growth, the Prime Global Cities Index rose by 6.1% on an annual basis, up from 4.8% a year ago suggesting the overall trend for luxury prices continues to follow an upward trajectory.
Jakarta tops the rankings but Dublin saw the second highest rate of quarterly growth, with prime prices ending the first quarter 5.6% higher.
Last year marked a turning point for Dublin’s upmarket residential areas such as Dalkey and Ballsbridge. Since then luxury prices have risen around 24% but prices remain 35-45% below their pre-crisis peak.
<a href="https://www.knightfrankblog.com/global-briefing/files/2014/05/Prime-Price-By-City-to-Q1-2014.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3309" src="https://www.knightfrankblog.com/global-briefing/files/2014/05/Prime-Price-By-City-to-Q1-2014.jpg" alt="" width="285" height="413"></a>
The full rankings and analysis is at <a href="https://my.knightfrank.com/research-reports/prime-global-cities-index.aspx" target="_blank" title="Prime Global Cities Index" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Prime Global Cities Index</a>.
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Sydney squeezed in-between London and Vancouver price growth: Knight Frank global cities index

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Jon Aisbitt, the London-based former Goldman Sachs Australia boss, sits in equal last place on the latest Sunday Times Richest 1000 list. 
His net worth was down £40 million.
Aisbtt was in equal 989th place this year with an £85 million worth.
Aisbitt was in 631st place last year. The list, now in its 26th year, was released on Sunday.
Aisbitt, 57, made £50 million from Goldman Sachs' 1999 float, and £15 million from share sales until he left the merchant bank in 2002.
It was also 2002 when the London-bound departing Goldman Sachs co-chairman, Jon Aisbitt, and his wife, Julie, secured $13.5 million for their Wunulla Road house, Point Piper harbour front house.
It was renovated after its $9.6 million sale in 1999 by the architect Luigi Rosselli. The house was built for the Rose family in the early 1960s by architect Adrian Snodgrass, who was influenced by the Wrightian style of the Sydney School of Architecture.
Aisbitt, ranked 368 in The Sunday Times' 2002 Rich List with a £98 million net worth.
The Sunday Times doesn't explain the drop in his net worth, but says Aisbitt's investments in Ocean Rig, the deepwater drilling operator, and broker Redburn Partners netted him £55 million.
 He has a £1.8 million holding in the Man hedge fund business that he chairs. 
In this role, Aisbitt oversees the operation's own charitable arm, the Man Group plc Charitable Trust which supports disadvantaged children through community projects, literacy and numeracy support and university scholarships, as well as supporting causes tackling domestic violence, homelessness, mental health and the environment. 
Last year, it gave £1.85m and received another £1.115m in donations and other income for future spending. 
Back in 1999 I wrote the $10 billion Goldman Sachs employee goodwill bonus - given when the company listed on the New York stock exchange in April 1999 - had been a goldmine for Point Piperites, the Goldman co-chairman Jon Aisbitt having only recently arrived, temporarily drawing the drapes at his Wiversfield, Sussex, residence, Launces Hall Church.
Aisbitt bought in Point Piper right opposite his short-lived Goldman co-chairman Malcolm Turnbull, whose Australian outfit had then reported a 70% jump in its annual operating revenue to $15.2 million.
Title Tattle recalls proximity to Goldman co-chairman Malcolm Turnbull's mansion, Le Gai Soleil hadn't been a priority, given co-chairmanship inevitably is a role that can lead to the odd tension.
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Jon Aisbitt almost drops off latest Sunday Times Richest 1000 list

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Seumas Dawes, the London-based Australian merchant banker, sits in equal 739th place with a £124 million net worth on the latest Sunday Times Richest 1000 list. His net worth was up £34 million.
Dawes was in 859th place last year and 821st in the 2012 list. The list, now in its 26th year, was released on Sunday.
Dawes, currently the chairman of the investment committee at Pepper Investment Management, has been the long time senior funds manager at Ashmore, and before that at Paribas and ANX Investment.
It was previously reported that Dawes, 56, sold £17 million of Ashmore shares and retained a stake worth £75 million in 2006.
Dawes has also held a number of positions in the Australian public sector including three years as a senior advisor to Paul Keating, the then treasurer of Australia.
Last month, the non-bank lender Pepper raised the equivalent of $500 million through the sale of non-conforming residential mortgage-backed bonds, the largest deal of its kind since the financial crisis. Non-conforming loans are the Australian equivalent of sub-prime loans.
The Australian Financial Review reported that Pepper paid just 1.10 percentage points over the bank rate for the $136 million of AAA-rated A1 notes and 0.35 of a percentage point above the London interbank offered rate to place $US200 million of short-term notes with US and European money investors. Seven international and 14 domestic investors bought the bonds with low levels of Australian defaults supporting the sale of residential mortgage backed securities.
<a href="/news/a-cut-above-the-rest-the-era-of-sydney-mega-mansions-far-from-over-title-tattle">Property Observer reported in February last year</a> that Dawes had poured some of his net worth into a serious Bronte acquisition.
The funds manager and his wife Rosemary initially spent $12.3 million for a large, modern three-storey residence in 2006.
Unquestionably one of the most expensive coastal suburbs in Sydney's east, the <a href="/developments/bronte-nsw-2024">Bronte </a>property sits along the exclusive strip known as The Cutting.
<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/stories/2013/02/bronte1.jpg" alt="bronte1">
It was a modern five-bedroom residence on the ocean side of Bronte Road overlooking the beach and ocean.
Then last year, the couple splashed out with the $16.5 million purchase of the neighbouring house (pictured below), which they're set to bulldoze to expand their garden and garaging in grounds prepared by Formed Gardens.
The new works, which include gym and cabana, improve the neighbouring contemporary houses's north eastern aspect. Apparently it's only going to cost $846,000, which will take the spend to $29.6 million.
<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/stories/2013/02/bronte3.jpg" alt="bronte3">
Dawes once had an abode in Potts Point's landmark complex, Wyldefel Gardens.
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