Toohey Miller greenlit for Barncleuth Square, Elizabeth Bay apartments

Developer Toohey Miller's descent on Elizabeth Bay is set to continue with the approval of their second development in the harbourside suburb.

Toohey Miller, led by local Nick Couloumbis, has been given the green light for Barncleuth Square, a collection of just 10 large owner-occupier apartments designed by SJB with views over Ruushcutters Bay.

The project, at 4-4a Barnclueth Square, will replace a mid-1960s block with over 20 apartments, a block that took about 12 months to put together.

Couloumbis says Elizabeth Bay is a very desirable area.

"It's a stone's throw from the best restaurants in Sydney. Some people call it the Soho of Sydney," Couloumbis says.

In their Design Statement submitted to the City of Sydney Council, SJB said that Elizabeth Bay is part of the densest urban area in Australia with its own population of around 5,000 people.

"With limited space, many apartment buildings are vying for high levels of amenity," the report noted.

"This proposal offers relief to the density, with only 9 apartments proposed for the site."

The design is in keeping with the Art Deco apartment-style which boomed in the 1930s. A significant number of those buildings developed nearly a century ago are now heritage-listed.

SJB says the facades of the surrounding four to seven-storey apartment buildings are intricately detailed in playful arrays of textures and patterns.

Situated just a street back from Macleay Street, known as Sydney’s most desirable high street, Barncleuth Square’s five-storey brick design is in keeping with the evocative forms of its Art Deco neighbours.

Sustainability is a key focus of the project, with initiatives such as a green roof to reduce building energy, cross-ventilated apartments, and the use of locally sourced bricks from Australian manufacturers. 

Toohey Miller has had a long history in Elizabeth Bay. Couloumbis' grandfather founded the company in 1955 when it was an architectural business. 

Toohey Miller is currently developing No.1 Onslow Avenue in Elizabeth Bay. That has just six full-floor apartments, three of which sold within the first few weeks of its late 2023 launch.

They are also working in a joint venture with Third.i in the neighbouring Potts Point, where they're currently developing Muse Potts Point, just 15 apartments off Victoria Street.