First Priority Development Area Residential Tower Planned for 266 Roma St

A development application has been proposed by Gold Coast-based Gallery Group for an affordable build-to-rent tower initiative in Brisbane’s CBD, which comprises of 120 studio apartments, located directly opposite the Roma Street Cross River Rail station currently under construction.

This venture is a collaboration between the landowners, Gallery Group, and Home in Place, one of the country’s leading non-governmental providers of social housing.

The site is located within the newly established Cross River Rail (CRR) Priority Development Area (PDA) for Roma Street.

The rent for these build-to-rent apartments is anticipated to be set at 75 to 80 percent of the prevailing market rates. The 25-floor tower will feature 126 spots for bicycle parking, with no provisions for cars.

The design for this slim tower, set on a podium at the 438sq m location at 260 and 262 Roma Street, is the brainchild of MAS Architecture studio.

According to the development application, brickwork will wrap the podium, transitioning into a perforated brise-soleil, allowing glimpses of activity and light from the street, whilst providing ventilation and passive surveillance from within the development.

Subtropical foliage and feature trees are juxtaposed against the richness and solidity of the brickwork, providing an inviting contrast to the urban context. Enclosed within the masonry-detailed podium are a series of building services as well as residential facilities including coworking zones and resident lounges. A series of recreation zones are provided atop the podium, providing residents with a range of spaces for habitation and relaxation within the development.

MAS Architecture

Architectural floor plates indicate that a standard floor would house six studio apartments, each with balconies and living areas facing north-south to maximize views, sunlight, and airflow.

The first two levels will house coworking areas, communal spaces with pool, resident’s lounge, theatre, games room and gym will occupy levels 3 and 4, and a skydeck will crown the building.

Project rundown

• Site Area: 438m2
• GFA: 8,719m2
• Height: 25 storeys / RL 101.7m to top of lift overrun
• Apartments: 120 studio apartments
• Elevators: x2 elevators (lift-to-unit ratio of 1:60)
• Retail: A food and drink outlet is proposed on the ground level
• Communal Space: 580m2 of outdoor space. A communal workspace is proposed on level 1 and 2.
• Car Parking: No car parking as it sits directly opposite Queensland’s largest transport interchange hub
• Bike Parking: 126
• Developer: Gallery Group & Home in Place
• Architect: MAS Architecture
• Landscape Design: MAS Architecture
• Town Planner: Urbis
• Sustainability: No car parking which helps reduce vehicle traffic within the CBD. The proposed development showcases exemplary subtropical and climate-responsive design, prioritising solar access, natural air movement, and circulation to reduce reliance on artificial heating, cooling, and lighting. The proposed development provides landscaping to balance the materiality of the built form. Vertical planting and draping greenery are also proposed within the foyer area on the ground level. There is no rooftop solar PV system provided.
• Date Submitted: 10/08/2023

Official documents highlight that this proposal is the inaugural development application within the Roma Street Cross River Rail priority zone and therefore will be approved by the Queensland Government and not Brisbane City Council.

This offers a significant advantage over being situated within the BCC planning zone when it comes to car parking. It is widely regarded within the industry that Brisbane City Council’s car parking regulations, which require more parking per unit, do not align with smart urban policies for inner city areas surrounding public transportation hubs.

At a juncture when municipalities worldwide are striving to decrease the number of car parks, the Brisbane City Council’s pro-cars approach continues to be contradictory and also further exacerbates escalation of construction costs.

As this is the first residential project of this scale with no car spaces, it is set to become an example of how development should occur in areas well serviced by mass transit going forward.

The report emphasised, “The development offers a significant positive contribution to the city by providing affordable housing in the inner city.” It added, “By accommodating diverse residents, the development contributes to social and economic diversity, enriching the city’s housing offer.

The proposal also presents an exceptional opportunity to enhance the use of sustainable transport modes by providing high-density residential dwellings located within the inner-city, in close proximity to the region’s prominent business centre—an employment hub—and well-connected public transport nodes.”

The site currently accommodates a two storey building that has until recently been used for commercial and office operations.

Plans

Development Application Link

Tell us what you think about this development below in the comment box. The development application for this project, available to view on Economic Development Queensland’s online portal is: