Inner city apartment living lures Canberrans with focus on lifestyle and community

This is sponsored content for JWLand.

As the revitalisation of Canberra's city centre continues there's a growing shift in attitudes to how people are choosing to live.

One of the big changes taking place is the increasing popularity of apartment living for a whole range of people.

It's being driven in part by a new style of thoughtfully-designed apartment developments that are proving higher density living doesn't mean a loss of peace and quiet, green space, and room to move, or a sense of community.

While traditionally, apartment living has been more appealing to singles and young couples, developers are now seeing an increase in interest from other parts of the community from downsizing baby boomers and retirees, to families.

With rooftop gardens, pet-embracing policies, and a focus on sustainable, efficient design and resident amenity, development industry leaders are delivering truly "liveable" spaces aimed at enhancing the lives of residents and creating vibrant urban precincts.

Michael Prendergast, National Head of Development at Canberra-based JWLand, said more people are appreciating the kind of lifestyle opportunities that well-designed apartment developments can offer.

"There are a lot of shifts and changes that we're seeing," said Mr Prendergast. He's overseeing some of the most significant developments in Canberra's inner city that are embracing the latest urban design thinking, and creating apartment "precincts" with a mix of apartment styles and sizes to reflect the demand.

"Within our precincts we're particularly having a lot of success with downsizers, baby boomers who, as they are getting older, are seeing the opportunities that come with the kinds of apartments we're offering with three bedrooms, bigger balconies, and being able to live in an area that is so close to all the amenities, but also still having access to parks and green space."

"But in our projects you're seeing all sorts of people coming together because we're really designing with a variety of needs in mind. When you're walking around our projects and when you're in the lifts you are seeing a really diverse mix of people."

JWLand is demonstrating with its developments how high density living can enhance urban areas, building communities that are an asset to the city where they're situated.

A prime example is its Founders Lane residential development, a landmark project under construction at the moment, transforming and revitalising the previously neglected former public housing site in historic Braddon between the two suburbs of Reid and the bustling Civic.

Situated between the Canberra Centre and iconic Gorman House, the project is a precinct of four separate buildings with each one offering apartments with something slightly different in features, layout and design to appeal to a range of people.

The Founders Lane vision is to create a vibrant and eclectic precinct with a blend of apartment living, quiet cafes, quirky Canberra pop-ups and community green spaces on the city's doorstep.

It's being released in four stages encompassing 700 apartments with the entire precinct expected to be completed in 2020.

With the first two stages, Provenance and The Mark, both now nearing completion, the developer has recently released the third stage. Called Dawn, it's been named for the spectacular sunrise views over Mount Ainslie that future residents will be able to enjoy, from either their apartments or the communal rooftop garden.

The work of an all Canberra project team - including the architect, interior designer, builder and development manager - the Founders Lane development has been designed to connect the city to its "artistic and cultural heart".

The Gorman + Ainslie Arts Centre, home to a collective of Canberra's professional artists and arts companies and a creative hub for craftspeople and musicians, is Founders Lane's neighbour.

As part of its community-building process JWLand has partnered with the centre to provide support for the resident local arts community and to help maintain two of Canberra's most iconic heritage buildings. Works from the centre's artists will feature in Founders Lane's lobbies.

Founders Lane is the largest of three residential precinct-scale development projects JWLand is delivering in Canberra's inner north.

Mr Prendergast said the advantage of precinct developments was that they allowed better control for the company in its goal to create the kind of "liveable" communities it prides itself on.

"We are able to design it so that each building has a unique offering so that everything compliments each other, rather than competes," he said.

"We can take our time and are able to provide a lot more to the residents of our developments - building in features that help to develop that sense of community like gyms, communal gardens and open space - than if we were just building one stand-alone building.

"It also means we are on site for a lot longer as we complete each release, so we're hearing from residents all the time about their experience with their properties."

From the retention of mature heritage listed trees to construction of buildings around large courtyards creating natural breezeways, sustainable design is a big feature of the Founders Lane development.

"Like all JWLand projects, the buildings and apartments incorporate principles of sustainable urban development," Mr Prendergast said.

"The apartments are designed to take advantage of available natural light and air flow reducing the need for heating and cooling.

"There are rooftop solar panels and rainwater recycling systems and north facing roof top communal gardens where residents can grow gardens.

"And it's all surrounded by green corridors and landscaped pedestrian-friendly walkways that are inspired by Braddon's garden heritage."

If you'd like to get a closer look at the Founders Lane latest release, Dawn, visit the display office at 59 Currong Street North, Braddon. It's open Monday to Sunday from 11am to 3pm. For more information head to the Founders Lane website or call Jason Watson on 0425 366 663.

This is sponsored content for JWLand.