First look: Former Olympian lodges plans for a Wooloongabba residential tower
Plans have been lodged for a 14-storey residential tower in Brisbane's inner-city suburb of Woolloongabba.
The plans were filed by a company tied to former Olympian Edward Fernon, who since giving up athletics has been focused on property development. He is currently the managing director at Freedom Development Group and a development partner of Escarpment Estates, a new development on the grounds of the former Katoomba Golf Course in the Blue Mountains.
Mecone, the Sydney-based town planner who filed the plans on behalf of Fernon, said the intent of the development is to create a mixed-residential building which caters for a range of different housing needs.
39 apartments are set to be delivered across the 61 Regent Street site, along with 33 studio apartments for short term rental and three studios for rooming accomodation, designed by Sydney-based architects, Place Studio.
The mezzanine level and levels one to three will comprise the co-living residences, while the standard apartments will be housed from levels four through to 11.
A mix of apartment types will be on offer, with seven one-bedroom, 30 two-bedroom and two three-bedroom apartments.
The built form presents as 12 storeys to Regent Street and is of a consistent built form to adjoining approvals. The development has a well-articulated façade which incorporates landscaping to enhance the sub-tropical design.
The architecture will be well-articulated through a variety of building materials and finishes, with landscaping featured throughout the design through raised planters on the lower levels and on the rooftop, enhancing a sub-tropical setting.
Brick cladding covers the ground floor, contrasting the balance of the built form, which is comprised of rendered cladding.
The facade of the building will presents a darker paint finish on the southern side, with the northern side containing a lighter paint finish, while timber panelling features on the underside of each balcony slab adding a finer grain detail, particularly when viewed from the street, with a mix of glass and concrete balustrading adding further articulation to the façade.
514 sqm of indoor and outdoor communal space will be incorporated across the site, with the mezzanine floor set to include a barbecue area and shaded areas.
Crowning the tower will be 141 sqm of communal open space, with an additional barbecue area slated, along with a 100 sqm communal room leading onto a courtyard and balcony.
Woolloongabba is undergoing significant growth which is reflective of the high density residential zoning and the proximity to the University of Queensland, Buranda Village, Carl Street Park, the Princess Alexandra Hospital, and the Gabba Cricket Ground.
The site also has excellent access to the Brisbane CBD through active, public and private transport, with public transport accessible via the nearby bus stops on Cornwall Street and Ipswich Road, whilst the future Brisbane Metro 1 line will be accessible from the Buranda busway station, with the Buranda railway station providing further public transport options.
Active transport routes are also an option, with the Southeast Freeway Bikeway providing further connection to the city.
Recently Queensland developer Sarazin submitted plans for their next tower in Woolloongabba following the success of Silk One.
They've lodged plans for Nuage, two side by side towers at 14 Wellington Road, which will home 368 apartments across the two 20-level buildings, divided by a central communal garden.
