Aria Submits New Plans for ‘World’s Greenest’ Apartments

Maybe it was just a case of not being able to see one of the world’s greenest residential tower proposals for the trees. All 1003 of them—not to mention the other 20,000 plants that were planned for its lush facade. No matter, however. Two years after being shelved because it was no longer deemed feasible in its approved form—cut down from more than 30 to 20 storeys—Aria Property Group has filed new plans for its Urban Forest tower proposal at South Brisbane. Its original design was unveiled in 2020 as the pandemic era was unfolding, dramatically reshaping the development landscape. “Circumstances have conspired against us,” Aria development director Michael Hurley said at the time . “Objections to the scheme, coupled with an overheated construction market have rendered the project unfeasible.” More recently, however, the Brisbane developer has sniffed a fertile opportunity to revisit its Koichi Takada-designed scheme in the Queensland capital’s inner-city NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) heartland. Its lodging of the reworked Urban Forest proposal follows the precinct’s regulatory chainsaw being replaced by a gazetted planning tool designed to encourage much-needed residential development and sustainable urban growth. The Kurilpa Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) provides for greater density and building heights, and reduced carparking requirements where design and sustainability benchmarks can be delivered. “South Brisbane, and specifically the Kurilpa precinct, is undergoing significant change in response to Brisbane’s demand for housing supply, affordability, and diversity in the inner-city areas,” a submitted planning report said. ▲ A render of Aria Property Group’s revised Urban Forest tower scheme at South Brisbane. “The proposed development offers a significant opportunity as one of the first applications lodged under the TLPI, providing a groundbreaking design which sets a benchmark for future developments under the TLPI and celebrates council’s initiative with this innovative policy.” Under the new plans, the tower’s height has been bumped back up to 30 storeys but its apartment yield reduced to 321 units—down from 383 in the initial design. Overall, it would include a mix of 39 one-bedroom, 94 two-bedroom, 108 three-bedroom, 74 four-bedroom and 6 five-bedroom apartments. Urban Forest is earmarked for a 2784sq m site spanning four lots at 82 and 88 Merivale Street, and 23 and 25 Glenelg Street. Living up to its name, the proposed development would feature 827 trees and in excess of 27,000 plants of more than 250 species. Its design was inspired by the Bosco Verticale in Milan, Italy. “The proposal incorporates an unprecedented verdant subtropical design at many different levelsm… and is in itself a piece of public art on the largest scale possible,” the documents said. “Its distinctive living and breathing façade will set the benchmark for all future residential development in the city and be an exemplar project and demonstration of the level of design excellence that can be achieved under the TLPI.” ▲ Renders of Aria Property Group’s revised Urban Forest tower. According to the application, project landscape architects LatStudios analysed the world’s most recognisable and acclaimed green buildings to confirm that “the proposal does indeed provide the most landscaping for any residential building in the world”. Crowning the vertical forest would be a landscaped rooftop communal area “larger than any other comparative Brisbane residential development” with a 50m infinity edge pool, sun lounges, outdoor terraces and barbecue areas. In addition, more than half of the ground floor is to be unencumbered 24-hour publicly accessible open space with 1452sq m filled with a variety of plants and water features to create a mini botanical gardens. “The project will extend the realm of landscaping down from the tower to the ground level to create the largest open space in South Brisbane since South Bank,” the documents said. It would echo Aria’s popular Fish Lane Town Square development integrating a stage, outdoor classrooms, amphitheater and event space, seating, art and water features, all set beneath high volume, sculptural green columns that support the suspended tower form. As well, a visitor information centre would provide a learning hub for the environmental sciences with real time analysis of the climatic impact the project is having, including oxygen generation and pollution removal. ▲ Aria Property’s Michael Hurley: We want Brisbane to be mentioned in the same breath as Singapore as a global leader in green buildings and sustainability. “The proposal goes above and beyond the usual offering for a residential building with a level of community and public benefit that is unprecedented for any development of this scale in Brisbane—a true landmark for the city and a new benchmark for innovative subtropical design in Australia,” the planning report said. Hurley said with the city fast approaching its time to shine as host of the 2032 Olympics “it should be embracing more green and sustainable towers that will put our city on an international standing”. “In time, we want Brisbane to be mentioned in the same breath as Singapore as a global leader in green buildings and sustainability,” he said. Design manager Simon Maurice said Urban Forest was designed “to celebrate Brisbane’s subtropical climate and bring the traditional backyard experience into each apartment”. “Cities like Singapore have been the international benchmark for green urban centres and sustainable architecture, targeting up to 200 per cent of site area covered by foliage, which Urban Forest hopes to exceed,” he said. Onsite parking would provide 467 car spaces and 402 bicycle spaces. As well, the proposed tower would be a complete EV-ready building with integrated chargers for all units.

Aria Submits New Plans for ‘World’s Greenest’ Apartments

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