Developer wins approval for ‘world’s greenest’ apartments

A developer has been given approval to build what they hope to be a world-leading apartment complex in Brisbane for eco-friendly living. See the designs.

An apartment tower vying to be the world’s greenest building has been given the green light for development in South Brisbane, following a series of setbacks.

Developer Aria Property Group first lodged plans for ‘Urban Forest’ in 2020, with the project having been scrapped and renewed over the following years.

Developer Aria property group has been given developmental approval for their 'Urban Forest' development in South Brisbane.

The complex is planned to be one of the greenest buildings in the world, rivalling places like the Bosco Verticale.

Brisbane City Council has now approved the new application for the 30-floor building, which is planned to have 321 units.

Aria’s development director Michael Hurley said the approval was “an exciting next step” towards more eco-friendly living in Australia.

“In 2025, we’ll be looking into the construction options for the building,” he said. “Our aim is for Brisbane to be regarded, like Singapore, as a global leader in green buildings and sustainability.”

Aria Property Group resubmitted plans for the development in October. Its previous application was scrapped in 2022, after objections by the West End Community Association.

Aria Property Group first submitted plans for the development in 2020, before suffering a series of setbacks.

Aria Property Group's development director Michael Hurley said his team was following lord mayor Adrian Schrinner’s vision for a greener Brisbane. Photo: Glenn Hunt/The Australian

The building, designed by Koichi Takada Architects, uses iconic green buildings across the globe — such as Italy’s Bosco Verticale — as benchmarks for Urban Forest’s plan.

The development is planned to feature 827 trees and more than 27,000 plants across 251 different species.

An information centre is also being planned to provide the public with details on the complex’s flora.

“We are just following the lead of the lord mayor of Brisbane, who has stated on a world stage that he wanted to see Brisbane as hosting the cleanest, greenest and most sustainable Olympics in the world,” Mr Hurley said. “That was a goal that we also share.”

Each unit is planned to have a “traditional backyard experience” with a view of the sky.

Aria will be investigating construction options in 2025.

Brisbane’s lord mayor, Adrian Schrinner, said Urban Forest was a chance to deliver hundreds of new homes and thousands of plants in South Brisbane, across Kurilpa’s Sustainable Growth Precinct.

“By choosing tall over sprawl, we’re supporting the delivery of more homes sooner while also protecting the character our suburbs and the lifestyle residents love,” he said.

Urban Forest is planned to be one of Australia’s most sustainable residential buildings, with crossflow ventilation and 1350 sqm of publicly accessible park space.

Aria design manager Simon Maurice said the goal was to bring a “traditional backyard experience into each apartment”.

Originally published as Developer wins approval for ‘world’s greenest’ apartments