Rothelowman expand to Sydney
Architecture group Rothelowman are expanding their services across the east coast, opening new offices in Sydney.
The group specialises in highrise developments and are hoping to tap into a new market after the recent multi-residential boom in New South Wales and ACT.
Three years ago they opened offices in Queensland after the state's extended property slump. The Brisbane offices make upwards of 25% of the practice's income.
Last year RotheLowman designed 10,000 apartments in Melbourne. Managing principal Kim Lowman believes Sydney is primed to take on just as much development.
“Sydney is undergoing a development boom similar to the one experienced in Melbourne during the last five to 10 years,” says Lowman.
Lowman anticipates Sydney offices will produce 30% to 40% of the firm’s revenue in less than three years. He predicts a sharp growth in Sydney’s property development after a recent slow period. Factors such as a prolonged post-Olympics and post-global financial crisis property slump “have led to pent-up demand for multi-residential development in Sydney.”
According to the Housing Industry Association, New South Wales building approvals for units in four plus storey buildings are currently at an historic high, despite a 36% drop in the September 2014 quarter.
Rothelowman were granted approval of a $30 million dollar mixed-use, multi-residential development in Burwood and expect several other New South Wales projects to be approved in the coming months.
Newly appointed principal of Rothelowman in New South Wales and the ACT Ben Pomroy says the long-term trend of housing construction delivery of 18,000 dwellings per annum in New South Wales is consistently falling short of baseline demand of 22,000 to 25,000 dwellings per annum.
