With the first buildings in the $1 billion Brisbane River Waterfront, Newstead project now complete, developers Mirvac say their design intent has materialised.

Waterfront, Newstead is being built on 10.4 hectares of the Newstead Riverpark site, with 375 metres of frontage to the Brisbane River that will ultimately see the construction of 650 apartments consistent with the urban infill objectives of the South-East Queensland Regional Plan.

Pier North and Pier South anchor the river aspect of Waterfront, Newstead with the building form reflecting the linear nature of traditional wharf buildings. The central philosophy was to create a built form which offers timeless simplicity and responds to the riverfront location.

The now complete Pier. Image: Mirvac

Pier South contains five levels of apartments and is surrounded with water on three sides to the building. Both buildings reflect contemporary Queensland architecture of deep recessed outdoor spaces with extensive adjustable shading, which can be controlled by the occupants.

At the centre of the Pier buildings, lies Pier Plaza, a major civic space connecting Waterfront Park to Wharf Park and the Brisbane River. This plaza provides the main arrival spaces for both Pier buildings.

To assist with external privacy and weather, solar and weather attenuation devices have been incorporated into Pier’s exterior design.

Aluminium louvres and glass screens were included to add a transparent and changeable appearance to the architectural form, and assist in the energy efficiency of the apartments.

Park, the second stage in the Waterfront masterplan, is due for completion in mid 2012, while the parkland in between the two stages has already taken shape.

As a part of Stage One, Mirvac handed over to the Brisbane City Council approximately three hectares of parklands and open space for the community — including an 8000 square metre lake.

National practice director of Mirvac Design, Peter Cotton, said: “The open spaces that have already been created around the lake were among the first elements of Waterfront, Newstead to be completed and people are already making great use of this public asset.”

“When the Park apartments are complete, it will truly define this space and create even more activity as the cafes and retail spaces that will be included in the building start to appear.

“Even before this, the retail space tenanted by iconic patisserie French Twist now open in the Pier building will emerge and will help to bring more life and activity to the riverside parkland.”

Mirvac will design, construct and market the entire Waterfront, Newstead project.

The master plan

Cotton adds: “Our original starting point in the formation of the master plan was a re-connection with the river because the river itself has not been seen as an asset until recent times and we see projects such as Mariner’s Reach, Cutters Landing, Waterline Bulimba, and Waterfront, Newstead as a turning point in public attitude in terms of residential and lifestyle opportunities,” he said.

“The idea of the river was a primary driver of the Waterfront, Newstead master plan, and building heights will be staggered back to maximize views to the river.

“Mirvac’s design principle is to ensure that the plan works internally and functions effectively to make best use of the space within the buildings and maximize the views.

“Our aim is to think about internal and external design at the same time but to be certain that the external appearance of a building doesn’t compromise the internal space and still produce good architecture. I believe this is the key to successful buildings”

The main aim of Mirvac’s design team is to use space efficiently, making the most of space which can add value to the internal atmosphere and perception of space within a building.

“This means making best use of light and air within apartments, paying attention to views, the location of windows and cross-ventilation to make the internal spaces work best for residents,” said Mr Cotton.

“We used natural materials such as stone and timber to create timeless appeal, sophistication and absolute luxury for both internal spaces in apartments and for public areas in buildings.

“This posed a number of challenges to make sure that we used exactly the right types of materials to suit the riverfront location and to meet the design expectations that we set for ourselves and our purchasers.

“There were also a number of tight physical constraints imposed by the riverfront location, particularly for the Pier buildings where we had to locate the buildings right on the riverbank and at the same time ensure the connection to the river was maintained.”

Each precinct has its own individual envelope which limits the way in which it can be developed, but this has also allowed Mirvac a measure of flexibility as the development moved from master plan to development phase.

Cotton said the Mirvac design team had derived a high level of satisfaction in seeing the theoretical design translated so successfully into finished product.

“I have seen and been involved with a lot of projects all around the country that I firmly believe that the Pier buildings are among the best that we have done in terms of design, use of space, quality of materials and construction quality,” he said.

“This outcome is a result of the effectiveness of the design, construction and delivery approach that Mirvac takes to all its projects, and reflects the commitment of all members of the integrated team to understand objectives, work together to create and deliver a master plan outcome that meets all pre-determined requirements.”

The entire Waterfront, Newstead project will be developed over a period of 10 to 15 years.