The future can be both exciting and scary, but a development in North Fremantle is preparing for it by becoming the first residential apartment building in Australia with a private take-off and landing pad for flying cars and delivery drones.
A flying vehicle launch pad will be constructed on the rooftop of Siskas on McCabe Street, the crowning aspect of a luxury $250 million waterside Taskers development about 15 kilometres south of Perth.
Due to be finished in 2021 and sat atop the 55-apartment building, the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) space – similar to a rooftop helipad – will allow residents to catch flying taxis and collect drone deliveries, once the emerging mode of transport is approved and regulated in Western Australia.
We may well see more of these innovations in apartment developments as the prospect of flying cars become more of a reality. But what other design trends are starting to, or could, appear in the property market? We take a look at some of them.
Micro apartments
Many designers are trying to make do with the available or allotted floorplan, but as the available space for developments diminishes, some are opting to build pint-sized apartments.
As the public clamour towards cheaper, more convenient living grows ever higher, Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects in England have come up with their own solution.
These 26.2 square-metre micro-homes are made from shipping containers and will feature a kitchen, living area, toilet and bedroom.
Not only do they solve the issue of space, but also provide a solution to low-cost housing. The cost of property is ever-increasing, so buyers may have to lower their expectations if they want to get on the property ladder in the future.
Downsizing
With advancements in medicine and healthier diets, people are able to live longer than previous generations.
For many ageing residents, the grandness of their homes is not a priority. Instead, they downsize to low-maintenance residences that better suit their lifestyles and requirements.
Pace Development Group has answered this trend with apartments designed for easy living at Pace of Ascot Vale — a selection of homes wonderfully connected in Melbourne's north.
With a supermarket and shops onsite and closeness to parks, restaurants and Melbourne’s CBD, this is an ideal location for downsizers, first-time buyers and families alike.
Retirement Pads
For when people reach their twilight years, a retirement village operator and a luxury apartment builder have teamed up to do away with the stereotypical aged-acre experience in Perth.
Grandton Limited is collaborating with builder Norup + Wilson on Grandton Applecross, an 84-apartment project designed to offer residents a special place to live in their later years.
“The Grandton Applecross development reimagines senior living by offering a range of accommodation and lifestyle choices as a genuine alternative to the traditional nursing home model, including the ability for couples to stay together in their own apartment home,” Grandton Limited Managing Director Sophie Fielder said.
“The key difference is our residents may never need to move again and are able to access all services of their choosing, including care, from the comfort of their apartment home as they require them.”
Grandton Applecross will boast first-class amenities, including a rooftop ‘skydeck’ and garden with city views, an onsite cafe, a heated indoor pool, a gym, yoga room, cinema, in-room dining service, specialist 10-bed boutique care suite and 24-hour nursing staff — not a bad place to be whatever your age.
No room for kitchens
With more Australians, and indeed much of the western world, using food delivery apps like Uber eats and Deliveroo, kitchen-free living seems the new way to go.
Kitchens take up space that not everyone uses, so it makes sense to simply put a microwave, toaster, kettle, and a small sink in the corner. This opens up space for a bigger bedroom and living room area.
Single-use apartments
With marriage rates declining and people staying single for a long time, apartment designers need to adapt and come up with smaller designs that will cater to only one person.
Bigger bedrooms and smaller bathrooms will be suitable for a living space that no longer needs to be divided for a whole family.
Australia’s tallest residential tower, Australia 108, provides a combination of smaller kitchens and smaller rooms for people who want an amenity-rich and connected place to live.
With an infinity pool, sauna and steam rooms, a gym, private theatre, virtual golf, private dining room, outdoor barbecue area and incredible views across Melbourne, who needs a big apartment, right?
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(Hero image credit: Wired)
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