Coronation Bets Big On Tiny BtR Apartments

Coronation Property has landed planning approval for a new compact apartment typology at its Precinct 75 build-to-rent community in Sydney’s inner west. It will be the first test of a format designed for single-person households priced out of Sydney’s middle markets. Coronation Property has secured planning approval for the new format, a compact apartment typology that will debut at Precinct 75. Dubbed City Starter, City Stayer, the project comprises about 130 apartments, ranging from 30 to 35 sq m, to be delivered at the inner-west site as part of a mixed-use precinct comprising retail, workspace and wellness facilities. Until the approval, NSW mandated a minimum internal floor area of 50 sq m for a one-bedroom apartment. The compact apartments were approved through the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway. The first residents are expected from 2027. The pitch City Starter, City Stayer pares back the build-to-rent apartment by integrating furniture and storage, and by offering shared amenities and resident services. Residents would be billed for a single weekly payment that covers most utilities and internet services. ▲ Coronation head of transformations Aras Labutis said the move had been informed by a new wave of renters. Coronation head of urban transformations Aras Labutis said the developer-operator had not locked in final rents, but he expected the apartments would be up to 20 per cent cheaper than a comparable furnished one-bedroom apartment within the same community. COX Architecture, BVN, Bates Smart and SJB were involved in the design of the new apartment typology. COX Architecture director and Precinct 75 design lead Felipe Miranda said the design process started with furniture rather than floorplate. “Starting with the sofa and dining table, we designed the apartment from the inside out, shaped around how people actually live, so every element feels intentional and resolved,” Miranda said. “Compact living only works when private and shared spaces are conceived as a complete ecosystem. At Precinct 75, precinct-scale design thinking allows smaller homes to feel complete, helping unlock housing options without lowering design standards.” Timing key to Coronation’s move Coronation is pointing to Australian Bureau of Statistics forecasts that single-person households will make up 26 to 28 per cent of the country’s households by 2046, driven by an ageing population and longer life expectancy. Labutis said the typology was built around that shift rather than around shrinking an existing floor plan. “City Starter, City Stayer responds to this shift by combining compact, carefully planned apartments with integrated furniture and storage, shared amenities, resident services and professional management,” Labutis said. Labutis was emphatic that the apartments would not read as a downgrade. “The apartments are not conventional one-bedroom homes that have simply been made smaller. Their liveability relies on efficient planning, integrated furniture and storage, quality design and access to shared spaces and services.” ▲ Coronation’s new compact living brand City Starter City Stayer will be trialled at its Precinct 75 development. Coronation managing director Joe Nahas framed the approval as a test of whether the industry is willing to break from convention to move the supply needle. “If we are serious about addressing the housing crisis, we need to move beyond outdated models and be willing to rethink how housing is designed, delivered and lived in,” Nahas said. “These apartments challenge long-standing planning conventions and demonstrate that smaller homes, when thoughtfully designed and supported by shared amenities, can deliver a high-quality living experience. “Innovation like this is critical to increasing supply, improving accessibility and ensuring more people can live close to where they work and belong.” Under-served renters in focus Coronation is drawing a direct line to compact, design-led apartment stock already established in New York, London and across Scandinavia—arguing City Starter, City Stayer adapts that model to Sydney’s planning environment and build-to-rent market rather than importing it wholesale. Labutis said the format was designed around two groups Sydney’s housing system currently underserves: younger workers wanting proximity to jobs and transport, and older residents looking to downsize without leaving their community. Precinct 75 will be the first Nation community to trial the format. “Insights from residents and operations will help refine the experience over time and inform how the typology is considered across Coronation’s broader pipeline, subject to the requirements of each project,” Labutis said. Pending the success of the “efficient living” format, it could be rolled out across the developer’s $7.6-billion 10,000-home pipeline.

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Taryn Paris
Mon 20 Jul 26

Coronation Bets Big On Tiny BtR Apartments

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