Scape wins final bid for $1bn ‘authentic’ student housing project

Sydney’s Anzac parade will soon be home to five new student housing projects, housing more than at a cost of more than $1 billion.

The new Scape Lachlan building is set to bring a number of new public facilities including an eat street to Sydney’s Kensington area.

Sydney’s Anzac Parade will soon be home to five new student housing projects bringing more than 1500 extra bedrooms at a cost of $1bn to an area about 5.5km from the CBD.

Behind the several new buildings is Australia’s biggest student accommodation providers Scape, who received approval for their fifth building late last month. The accommodation giant already has over 15,000 bedrooms in its portfolio with a further 10,000 on the way.

The projects, under the Scape brand, will comprise five locations spanning a 2.2km stretch along Anzac Parade, with one building slightly off the main strip on Ascot Street. Each will be between six to 18 storeys, a maximum height approved more than 18 months ago by the Randwick Council’s Kensington to Kingsford proposal K2K vision.

Scape Lachlan to be built at 111-125 Anzac Parade, Kensington, Sydney.

The area is set to be transformed into the eastern suburbs new education and health capital, Scape co-founder and managing director Stephen Gaitanos said.

“Scape’s trophy assets will deliver much needed residential and student rental accommodation and deliver an economic hub for Randwick’s expanding health and education precincts,” he said.

“These projects are anticipated to create significant employment opportunities with flow through economic impact set to exceed $2bn. World-leading designers, architects and town planners were commissioned to emulate the very best in urban design to create legacy developments.”

The buildings will also bring about new lifestyle hubs such as Lachlan Lane, said SJB Architects studio associate Joseph Loh, who helped design the Scape Lachlan at 11 to 125 Anzac Parade.

Mr Loh said the new “community work hub” would provide “generous shared spaces at the heart of the precinct emphasise public access and social blending of users”.

Roberts Day director Stephen Moore called the development “immersive and authentic”. “The marrying of world’s best place-making and Scape’s user experience ethos to create deeply immersive and authentic experiences will benefit everyone in the area,” he said. “A network of vibrant pedestrian lanes and arcades are designed to create a continuous pedestrian experience celebrating the arts, culture optimism and student life.”

Scape became the nation’s biggest student housing group in 2019 after acquiring Urbanest and Atira group for $2.2bn and $700m, respectively. Those deals brought in 10,315 additional student rooms across state capitals Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.