Building up, not out: The new Great Australian Dream?

Increased demand for apartment living in Brisbane has changed the city’s identity, as developers embrace building up, not out.

INCREASED demand for apartment living in Brisbane has changed the city’s identity, as developers and architects embrace building up instead of out.

Esteemed architect Liam Proberts believes Brisbane’s next phase of development will see it become a true world city and encourage more residents to embrace units over houses, as increasing population growth drives demand for higher density developments.

Liam Proberts of Brisbane based architectural firm Bureau Proberts, at South Bank. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

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“I think it’s been great to see apartments have become an alternative home — that’s really driven recent development and I think it’s really healthy for the diversity of the city,” the founder and managing director of bureau^proberts said.

“People are actually moving from a house to an apartment as a full-time living choice.

“I think the time is now for median and high density residential developments to really complete the picture.”

Liam Proberts designed Thornton at Kangaroo Point.

Mosaic Property Group managing director Brook Monahan, who has 13 multi-residential projects under construction across southeast Queensland, said more people were seeking the lifestyle that higher density living delivered.

“It offers exceptional amenity in highly sought-after locations that can also offer incredible value for money compared to a single dwelling,” Mr Monahan said.

“It’s also the realisation that raising families in apartments is a real and viable alternative to the ‘family home’. Not everyone’s dream is the same.

Brook Monahan, managing director of Mosaic Property Group.

“There is a growing cohort of people who prefer the opportunity to raise their family, to downsize or to upsize, to a lower maintenance environment with amenity on tap in key lifestyle locations.”

While the Great Australian Dream may once have been the house with a backyard and a white picket fence, industry players say that is changing.

“I think modern Australians are thinking differently,” Mr Proberts said. “Having a great apartment in a great location — I know that’s the dream of a lot of young Australians.

“That’s part of the diversity that makes a great city.”

Liam Proberts designed ‘Moray House’, an apartment project under construction in New Farm.

Local developer, Graya, recently made the transition from residential to multi-residential projects to take advantage of the opportunities it saw in the space.

“Southeast Queensland is in the midst of a housing evolution,” Graya managing director Rob Gray said.

“Buyers are opting for a brand new, architecturally designed apartment that they can lock-up and leave, over an old house that they need to renovate and maintain.

Graya founders Andrew Gray and Rob Gray. Picture: Renae Droop.

“There is also limited land available in the blue-chip locations like New Farm, Bulimba and Palm Beach.

“It was a natural progression for us to use the formula we had refined in delivering award winning houses to meet the demand for premium apartments, with house like proportions in these locations.”

Mr Proberts, who has been working with international clients for the past 15 years, said he had noticed a move towards Australian-based architects and designers.

An artist's impression of 'The Mowbray', an apartment project by Mosaic Property Group, under construction in East Brisbane.

“We are experts at engaging with our lifestyle and climate,” he said. “Brisbane has adopted a new way of living, which has revealed that our design identity is tied to much more than just a house (like the iconic Queenslander).

“We’re uniquely Brisbane because of our river, our lifestyle and our climate. Our houses and apartments are infused with subtropical design, now we need to apply that subtropicality to our other building types — high-density buildings through to mixed-use spaces.”

An artist's impression of Canvas by Graya, which is being built in Bulimba.

Mr Proberts has worked on luxury apartment projects such as Spyre Group’s ‘Moray House’ in New Farm and ‘Arc’ at Toowong, along with Seymour Group’s ‘The Oxlade’, and Graya’s ‘Canvas’.

Mr Proberts said there were already some great examples around the city and renewal precincts like Newstead, West End, Southbank and James Street were strong representations of Brisbane’s distinct subtropical lifestyle and design prowess.

“I think there’s just a heightened awareness of what it is to be in Brisbane and what the character of Brisbane means, and people want to buy into that,” he said.

An artist’s impression of The Oxlade, which is under construction in New Farm.

When it comes to what buyers want in an apartment in Queensland, Mr Proberts said it came down to the fundamentals of subtropical design and connection to the outdoors.

“Aspect is key, connection to an outdoor living space, light, ventilation, ceiling heights, and useable spaces,” he said.

“You’ve got to imagine yourself in the space. I think all developers we work with are more than willing to provide the information for a potential buyer to do that.”

Originally published as Building up, not out: The new Great Australian Dream?