In the pursuit of luxury: Urban.com.au talks to Perri Projects
It is a sign of the current segmented apartment market that many of Melbourne's entrenched apartment developers have sought to tap into the luxury top tier of the market in favour of further rolling out larger projects.
Indeed there is something of a crush for the premuim buyer as developers seek to differentiate their projects in what is a smaller yet more lucrative and prestigious sector. Enter Perri Projects who have sought to instill a new level of innovative design within their new project dubbed The Englefield.
urban.com.au recently spoke with Perri Projects' Managing Director David Scalzo on what it takes to lure luxury buyers, and on the future intent of the developer which has greatly expanded its property portfolio over recent years.
In the face of stiff competition within the premium apartment market, Perri Projects have initiated Tailored Living Solutions (TLS); applied to The Englefield the developer expects that it will provide a point of difference in the marketplace. Targeted at high-end owner-occupiers, TLS centres around the relationship between technology and service.
Created after a period of research on high-end apartment buildings both locally and overseas, David Scalzo believes that TLS is most appropriate for small, high-end residences where a concierge is not cost effective. This is the case for The Englefield with only seven oversized apartments on offer.
Whilst not new in its fundamentals, TLS is unique in how it packages a variety high-end mod-cons together with a valet service.
Essentially each apartment will have valet access where the technology inside each dwelling allows the occupant to organise valet services such as dry cleaning, item delivery or the like. This is achieved via a valet cabinet where service providers are given a one-time code which unlocks the valet cabinet.
David Scalzo believes that the TLS system provides residents with ease of convenience, yet without the ongoing costs of a permanent concierge that are not justified in a project of limited apartment numbers.
Hand in hand with the valet service is the implementation of technology control to all apartments. Heating, cooling and lighting are controlled by remote access, whilst also being capable of interfacing with other areas of the building, allowing for state-of-the-art automation which affords residents the ability to create a perfectly attuned environment.
It's the considered implementation of the finer points which David Scalzo believes discerns one luxury project from the other, and shrewd prospective buyers are well aware of this.
Asked if Tailored Living Solutions would be applied to all future projects, David Scalzo states it will be but in varying degrees.
West Melbourne Waterfront is a pending development which will have a high amount of retail and the tailored living concept will be altered to fit accordingly. Residents will in all likelihood have the ability to interface with the development's tenancies allowing for the ordering of goods and services.
Also on the radar is another project within South Yarra and a proposed hotel located on Moray Street, South Melbourne. Along with numerous Brisbane apartment projects, the expected 4.5 Star boutique 80 South Melbourne room hotel forms the backbone of Perri Projects' future development pipeline.