Shafston House, Kangaroo Point site set for apartment tower

The Brisbane-based land developer, Burgundy Group, has submitted plans for a new 15-level apartment development on the south-west corner of the heritage-listed Shafston House site.

Designed by the popular architecture Rothelowman, the plans at 23 Castlebar Street, Kangaroo Point. are for 37 three and four-bedroom apartments as well as two, four-bedroom river homes.

The development will sit on 2,657 sqm, part of the 9,958 sqm Shafston House site, which homes the 1851 heritage-listed house which was built by the Reverend Robert Creyke as a single-storey cottage called Ravenscott.

To track the development through to sales, enquire here.

In their design statement submitted to the Brisbane City Council, Rothelowman noted that particular attention has been played to the arrangement of the buildings within the setting, with the designs ensuring the new additions blend seamlessly in with the heritage listed building and surrounding landscapes.

“Our goal is to create a holistic vision that ties all parts together. The garden acts as the temporal measure of the household and precinct," the design statement read.

A landscape buffer has been implemented to soften level changes between Shafston House and the Thorn Street interface, as well providing protection from passing traffic.

"Both the north west and south east elevations of the tower explore a more extroverted gesture to the street interface, featuring operable glazing panels that fully open the living and dining area to the street. High level operable windows feature within the tower, allowing for passive ventilation even when the main sliding panels are closed within the home."

To track the development through to sales, enquire here.

Giving consideration to privacy for both the tower apartments themselves and adjacent apartments in neighbouring buildings, the southwest elevation presents a more protected interface that holds the perimeter of the Shafston House Precinct.

“Natural ventilation and Buildings that Breathe has been integral part of designing the interior spaces, forming layered interfaces that allow light and air to play,” they said.

The internal layout of the tower has been driven by a response to the Brisbane climate and prominent views out to the river. Services and corridors are centrally located with living spaces positioned towards the outer layered façades, with an emphasis on living to the north-east and buffered private spaces to the rear.

To track the development through to sales, enquire here.

Generous balconies wrap the edges of the living spaces and bedrooms providing an ever present connection to the outdoors. Lined with planters they celebrate subtropical Brisbane living. Operable glazing in combination with planting and balconies allows indoor spaces to blend into the outdoors, balconies become extensions of interior living spaces.

"The tower is positioned at the rear of the site, respecting important sight lines that allow Shafston House to maintain a connection to the Brisbane River, as well as creating privacy for residents. The river homes are sited to orient towards the Brisbane River and across to the suburb of New Farm and leafy Merthyr Park. The existing historic entry to the site from Castlebar Street remains unchanged, respecting the original function and character of the formal approach to Shaftson House. The new entry proposed from Thorn Street presents as a porous ground plane and semi-public forecourt space."

Solar panels will be provided on the rooftop of the tower in order to reduce reliance on the local energy grid as well as rainwater harvesting to maintain the lush greenery of the site. Energy efficient appliances and lighting fixtures will feature throughout the homes as well.

The site is located close to public transport systems including the Kangaroo Point Bikeway and Mowbray Park Ferry Terminal, with bicycle storage heavily integrated into the design of the tower as well, promoting the use of more active forms of transport.