For a city known for its iconic Queenslander-style homes with expansive verandahs and extensive timberwork, Brisbane may be a little late to the skinny trend game. However, it’s quickly catching up with Melbourne and Sydney with a slew of high-rise apartment projects embracing slender design to deliver luxurious residential spaces.
The urban sprawl that characterises Brisbane’s housing landscape no longer makes sense, given the skyrocketing property prices, shrinking land supply and rising housing crisis. With the city’s population expected to grow from 1.26 million (2021) to 1.55 million by 2041, equating to 275 new residents each week, the availability of affordable and diverse housing options remains a challenge.
The recent release of ‘Brisbane’s Sustainable Growth Strategy’ by the Brisbane City Council not only prioritises infill development and urban renewal, but also pushes for increasing density in low-density areas around Brisbane including CBD-style tall apartment towers in inner city neighbourhoods.
"Planning for well-designed housing with appropriate access to transport and facilities is critical to ensuring Brisbane remains a highly liveable, affordable and sustainable place for current and future generations," comments Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner.
"... we must accept that there are limited greenfield development opportunities and the vast majority of new homes will need to be built in already established areas.”
Of particular interest is Schrinner’s plan for high-rise residential apartments in inner city locations. The masterplan for the riverfront precinct of Kurilpa in South Brisbane, for instance, would allow building heights up to 274 metres, helping add about 10,000 new dwellings to the housing supply in the coming years.
“Our city’s incredible growth is adding to housing supply pressures and our anti-sprawl approach will facilitate the creation of thousands of new homes in South Brisbane’s Kurilpa precinct – an area well-serviced by transport and other public facilities,” says Schrinner.
Skinny buildings that can optimise land use and maximise the living experience are expected to be a big part of Brisbane’s housing strategy. And leading the skinny trend in Brisbane is Plus Architecture, which is reimagining small sites to design boutique living spaces that deliver all the comforts of a single-family dwelling – and more. The international architecture practice, which has designed six slender apartment towers being developed in lifestyle-driven suburbs along the Gold Coast, says that the projects reflect a new wave of high-rise designs maximising small land parcels to deliver super-luxe residential experiences.
Plus Architecture principal Chrisney Formosa observes that the slender tower concept is highly suited to luxury multi-residential projects. “Very small sites present an opportunity for unique architectural solutions as they require an individualised design approach. In the high-end property market, being able to deliver a boutique design that is highly customised to the site is what helps a project truly stand out.”
Given the smaller floor plates, skinny towers typically feature whole floor apartments or multi-level apartments, with developers maximising opportunities for above-ground outlook and amenities as well as below-ground development for car parking.
One Australia on the Gold Coast by DKO Architecture
DKO Architecture’s design for the One Australia development at 118 Old Burleigh Road on the Gold Coast sought to turn the narrow 15-metre beach frontage into an advantage by providing beach-view balconies to each full-floor apartment. The building also includes three basement car parking levels and a car stacker for the residents.
Aurum by Plus Architecture
Aurum, a slender 20-storey residential tower designed by Plus Architecture on the Gold Coast for Vaun Developments, provides eight luxurious two-floor apartments spread across 16 levels. Similarly at the La Mer tower located on one of the Gold Coast’s most iconic locations – Main Beach, Plus has designed double-storey, fully customisable sub penthouses, a boutique approach made possible by the slender design.
La Mer by Plus Architecture
"Taller, more slender towers are usually more attractive. They reduce shadowing to streets and parks, and they make for better living environments with better light and ventilation," says Architectus associate and strategic urban designer Oscar Stanish. “There is an economic side where sites that were previously considered ‘too small’ for tower developments are being reconsidered, particularly in central business district locations.”
However, Stanish emphasises the need for better planning controls in designing skinny towers. “A combination of floorplate restrictions, floor space ratio controls and solar access planes to key public space is typically needed to ensure our centres grow while continuing to be great public spaces with sun, air, diversity and interest.”
“In Sydney, for instance, we have controls that restrict the height of buildings in the vicinity of our city parks to protect that precious window of lunchtime sunshine,” he adds.
While skinny towers are still in the realm of the luxurious segment of residential developments, this design typology could be the solution to feed the massive housing supply needed in Brisbane by unlocking the potential of small sites.
