The days of the tired, lacklustre display home in a demountable are fading fast as technology and creativity combine on the frontline of sales.

In fact, some developers and builders are repurposing display units multiple times while there are those with intriguing former lives.

Take the Nine by Mirvac development in Willoughby, on Sydney’s North Shore, Channel Nine’s former studios were located.

“We had an opportunity to either demolish an existing 1960s building used by Channel Nine as office space or somehow repurpose it and give it a new life,” Mirvac general manager residential development NSW Toby Long says.

“We chose an adaptive reuse process, with the idea of creating an experience centre where our customers can really immerse themselves in what Nine by Mirvac will become to promote the precinct from the beginning.

“We significantly modified the façade of the building to create a Parisian-style boutique commercial building which complements the local residential architecture.

“We redesigned the interiors to bring a European feel to Willoughby, paying homage to the original building by keeping the name, The Loft.”

Long says Mirvac took a strategic approach to this display suite.

▲ A render of the Aspect building in the Nine by Mirvac development.

“We always intended that it would transition to commercial or retail use beyond its display lifecycle,” he says.

“We were really looking at the future use and potential of the space, as well as what was immediately needed for the display gallery.

“We are really proud of the legacy we have created at Nine by Mirvac because we’ve given new life to a building that was otherwise destined for demolition.

In doing so, we contributed to the project goal of reducing waste onsite by 50 per cent, as we move towards Mirvac’s broader goal of zero waste to landfill by 2030.”

Easy being green

The Modscape team also has a list of projects with recycled display units.

The modular building specialists are presently repurposing an old display suite to be relocated to Federation Square in Melbourne.

The revamped display suite will showcase Melbourne’s new Greenline, touted as the city’s equivalent to New York’s elevated High Line Park.

Modscape were also the display builders for a number of CBUS Property apartment developments—The Langston in the northern Sydney suburb of Epping and Newmarket Randwick.

The Randwick development’s display suite had two wings fitted out separately, one to reflect the interior design of the apartments being sold at the time, the other dedicated to educating people about the development.

▲ Modscape’s display suite for the Risland Australia Windermere development in Victoria.

“The second display suite we did for CBUS was an internalised space and experience suite, which was repurposed into a residential property and sold,” Modscape director Jan Gyrn says.

Gyrn says it is the high quality of the display suites that enables them to be repurposed for a second life.

“These are not just portable buildings or demountables. They are permanent, bespoke structures and that’s why the developers or the clients are able to resell them and reuse them,” Gyrn said

Long-term thinking

Long says Mirvac looks at many different aspects when planning display galleries or sales offices for its projects.

“We carefully consider many factors including the customer and location of the project to determine the unique and individual approach required,” Long says.

“This also includes any existing structures we can reuse or lease to reduce waste, as well as how best to bring to life the project vision and future lifestyle for our customers to experience.”

He says that as master-planned communities rarely have existing structures to consider, mobile, multi-use display structures can be reskinned and repurposed with minimal waste.

“Our current display unit at Georges Cove has been in use for around 10 years in this manner,” Long says.

▲ Inside Modscape’s display suite for Caulfield Village.

“We also consider the idea of bringing forward and building a house design planned for the community, which can then be retrofitted and sold at a later date.”

Mirvac has recently opened a sales office at Cobbitty by Mirvac, which was an existing structure purchased and transported to site from another property developer and modified to suit the new development.

“Our intention is that this structure will be transported by truck and relocated when we require it for another project,” Long says.

“This is another example of repurposing something that may otherwise have gone to landfill that we can also continue to use for decades to come.”

For apartment project display suites. Long says, Mirvac considers is on the site and whether it can be repurposed or reused.

“We also look at whether leasing a nearby premise or a mobile display would work better,” he says.

Digital alternatives

Meanwhile, some industry players are eschewing physical display suites in favour of more modern marketing techniques.

Leading kit home supplier iBuild Building Solutions stopped using display suites during the pandemic due to difficulties keeping the suite staffed and changing customer preferences.

▲ A screenshot from the VR display used by kit home supplier iBuild Building Solutions in place of display homes.

“We made the decision to close our display suite and redirect our resources towards more modern marketing approaches such as virtual reality, augmented reality and webinars,” managing director and co-founder Jackson Yin says.

“We believe that the traditional display suite model is becoming increasingly outdated and cost prohibitive,” Yin says.

“We have embraced new technologies to provide our customers with a more immersive and interactive experience that accurately showcases the features and benefits of our kit homes.

“By not having our display suite open on a regular basis, we can pass on cost savings to our customers in the form of more affordable kit home prices.”

For this firm at least, the display suite as we think of it faces an uncertain future.

“It was once a key part of our business model,” Yin says.

“Now, we are considering recycling or disassembling it.

“Although the traditional display suite may still have a place in the property industry, we believe that its role is becoming increasingly limited.”

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