ellivo (Places to Live & Stay)

The coastal landscape of Coolum is characterised by eroded edges, where the ocean and tides have cut and formed the rocky landscape. The First Bay development, consisting of two interlinked buildings, evokes qualities of this varied landscape in its architecture - with solid concrete forms and soft edges referencing the rocky beach front. The material palette further grounds the building within the sloping context – using neutral-coloured stone and smooth concrete that will age gracefully and patina over time.

Consisting of 38 two- and three-bedroom units, split across two buildings, First Bay makes the most of coastal living. The buildings were designed as a curated string of experiences; each step in the journey fulfilling a need created by the location. There are showers and surfboard stores at the entry from David Low Way; and materials were selected to be hardwearing and tactile while lighting is minimal and thoughtfully-placed.

Carefully-planned internal spaces allow for cross ventilation and natural light, and prioritise the living spaces towards the breathtaking views in the East. The units address the demands and desires of an owner-occupier market, with generous living and storage spaces, and hardwearing yet luxurious-feeling material choices.

Ellivo have worked alongside Traders in Purple to create a unique vision for a new luxury apartment building in the bayside suburb of Scarborough. The Landsborough Avenue project derives its form from the natural bays that occur along the Southern Queensland coastline.

Nestled on the leafy Lansborough Avenue Esplanade, this marquee site in the heart of the Scarborough Village represents everything that is quintessential to a coastal life style. This mixed use development enjoys a magnificent waterfront location with direct views across to Moreton Bay.

Renders by Near Visual

The fluid form and curved edges of the façade emulate a “wing like” aesthetic that is balanced by a neutral palate of materials that allows the building form to speak for itself. This refined aesthetic is further enhanced through careful consideration of screening elements, balustrades and edge details. The balustrade design has been carefully considered to provide privacy to the balconies where required and opens-up to the expansive city, river and neighbourhood view at the upper levels. Residents also enjoy common facilities including resort style pool with views to the city skyline, and covered BBQ, dining and lounge areas.

The fluid form of the external has been thoughtfully carried into the apartments. The kitchen adopts a simplistic yet sophisticated palette, with soft greys, natural stones and black contrasts. Subtle references to the curves of the building have been embraced in the kitchens with a curved feature end to the island benches, ensuring fluid movement in and around the space. Both textural and contrasting elements emphasise the palette, creating a high end and timeless feel. Where possible, the interiors have been designed with Indirect and concealed lighting, which will help create a relaxed and beautiful home.

Renders by Binyan Studios

Located in the Valley Heart Precinct, 465 St Paul’s Terrace carefully curates a mix of uses, spaces and materials to create a strong and vibrant build-to-rent community.

The building’s façade is simple in its expression and materiality – responding to its urban surrounds with a solid, recycled red-brick façade that is punched through with large openings. This brick screen shields residents from the harshness of the two street frontages; while providing an assertive architecture to the streetscape. Each material, and its interaction with the site boundary is carefully considered to encourage activation; accommodating the functional requirements for vehicle access and building services without allowing them to dominate. The ground level landscaping works to soften and complement the built form by using various tones, textures and heights.

With only 37 one- and two-bedroom apartments, the development follows a build-to-rent delivery-model that places a high importance on lifecycle costs, longevity of materials and overall good design outcomes.

Located between two streets - Simpsons Road and Rosewood Street, Holm makes the most of the steep site to provide amenable, self-contained residences with views down into the valley.

The townhouses vary between 3 and 4 bedrooms, and all have North-facing living spaces and balconies to take advantage of the site’s favourable aspect. The Simpsons Rd frontage comprises six townhouses; however, they present as three residential-scale homes complete with face brick fencing, articulated awnings and screens. In contrast, the townhouses fronting Rosewood Street follow a similar character to other residences in the street – recessed into to the side of the hill, they have front entries at the Rosewood St Level, and access their backyards from the first level above ground.

Renders by Binyan Studios

Located in the highly sought after area of Kangaroo Point, the development sets out to showcase the heritage significance of the existing residence, Thornclyffe.  The tower form curves around the house, and makes use of large screen elements to create a backdrop to the heritage setting. The screens help to produce an aesthetic quality that blurs the line between background and foreground, inspired by the Bokeh photography style.

The development comprises of the existing heritage house and 20 luxury apartments, including two sub penthouses and two penthouse apartments that feature spacious, private rooftop gardens. The location and design of the tower captures a range of outlooks, from the Brisbane CBD, to stretches of the Brisbane River.  Each apartment maximises its unique view with open-plan layouts and generous glazing.

Our brief was therefore twofold, create a sleek commercial podium, and a multi-residential upper that responds to the transitionary nature of the site.

We drew upon early 20th century modernism as inspiration for the simple yet bold forms of the façade. Bands of concrete frame the showroom, which is softened by a double height curved glass façade that is grounded by a garden. The curved glass wall draws residents & visitors into the entry, giving back space and volume to the street and giving a sense of openness to the street.

A simple material pallet of concrete, glass, steel, metal cladding & vegetation create a balance between a commercial aesthetic podium and a human scale level of detail for the residential component above.

We used subtropical design fundamentals including vegetation, flow through ventilation, natural light & solar control to make sure we created a high-quality living environment for the residents & commercial tenants. This includes a communal recreation space on the roof with a pool and steam room to offer a meeting place for residents.

Photography by Scott Burrows

Nero Apartments offers a high-quality living environment within the rapidly evolving Newstead neighbourhood. Located within close proximity to the newly developed and growing Gasometer retail precinct, the development benefits from an abundance of recreation and amenity options for its residents. Positioned amongst a multitude of high-density apartment buildings, Nero seeks to stand out from the crowd and strives to offer something a little different. Residents are offered concierge type facilities to welcome them home, as well as apartment technologies more akin to hotel accommodation.

Nero, meaning black in Italian, inspires the dark personality of the building’s overall expression and resulting material palette. The external form of the building creates a homogeneous façade that conceals the apartment balconies behind it. This is a direct response to the due west orientation of the apartments, balancing solar protection without limiting access to light and views.

Clad in black tile, aluminium cladding and screening, the development has a sleek and timeless appearance. The folded gold screening to the lower podium levels has many roles; it provides solar protection towards the west while folding open towards the north, it provides privacy up to the balustrade height, creates foreground interest where there are no views, and forms a sculptural contribution to the streetscape.

Photography by Scott Burrows

Rainbow Bay is an evolving beachfront boulevard of Coolangatta. We partnered with our long-term client Aspect Property Group, to deliver a catalyst of exclusive living which reflects the unique assets of the site, in particular the direct proximity to Rainbow Bay beach. Our client sought to deliver to a niche of down-sizing owner-occupiers looking for a premium product. We focused on creating a timeless built form, minimising the amount of rendered surfaces was important in delivering a building that aims to look admirable long into the future.

Photographed by Andy MacPherson Studio

The site and client held three key criteria, design for flood immunity, design for ultimate privacy and design for openness and light. The contrasting requirements for achieving privacy in a light filled home formed the framework for the project. As each step up toward the house protects it from potential flood waters, the gardens that surround its entry step into the house. Our clients were our co-creators of this new home. Being retired empty nesters, this was a place not only for them to call home, but a retreat for their extended family and friends. With this in mind we focused on provided flexible living spaces, which could accommodate activated living and entertaining as well as private play and sleep out guest rooms.

Drawing inspiration from nearby natural attractions such as Mt Cootha, and taking cues from the values and attitudes of the local community of residents within The Gap, we partnered with Lantona group to create a unique development in the heart of The Gap with a focus on community and the natural surrounds.

Hive aims to create an idyllic lifestyle providing refuge and a sense of belonging as a retreat from the pressures of modern life. The homes seek to strike a balance between a sense of privacy and a sense of community, taking advantage of the leafy surrounds and native plant life.

Petrie Terrace, wedged between the CBD, Milton and Paddington, is rapidly becoming a hot spot for after-work drinks, evening dining and weekend catch-ups from young professionals to inner-city workers. Growing tired of the existing ordinary hotel offerings, visitors seek a dynamic, elegant yet acquainted answer to their short-stay accommodation. We felt it only fitting to pay homage to the cultural background of Petrie Terrace. The articulated building form and selection of materials including white tiled archways and classic red brick, nod at Petrie Terrace’s industrial past and highlights the elegance of the surrounding heritage brick and stone buildings.

Located in the heart of the well-established Everton Park community, Greystone Terraces responds to a demand for low-maintained high-end living to down-sizing retirees and inner-city professionals. We partnered with Mirvac to provide a varied portfolio of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes catering to the varied Everton Park community. Together, our approach blends elegant, considerate architectural design. The success of the Greystone Terraces, with all homes sold out within weeks of release, was owed to a close working relationship with the client, consultant team and project builders. We are thrilled to have been a part of this catalyst project.

Vantage is located in the Royal Pines Gold Precinct known for its PGA Quality Golf Course and Carrara Stadium. Nestled between Southport and Nerang, residents enjoy the close proximity to major Gold Coast hot spots and major golf courses, while also having a peaceful buffer away from the hustle and bustle. Ellivo partnered with the Rayjon Property Group, to maximise the potential area’s nature assets and create a rich community for people to live in.

Photography by Andy Macpherson

Less than five kilometres from Brisbane CBD, Stones Corner is a well-connected inner south-eastern suburb of the city nestled between Greenslopes and Woolloongabba. With a strong history, this gazetted nook is growing as a cultural and lifestyle precinct. Being a major residential destination for Brisbane’s young professionals, Stones Corner residents seek a dynamic home which enhance the existing offerings of the area including its connections to Hanlon Park and Bikeway, and the active Stones Corner retail strip.

In Partnership with Lantona, the design of Oxy aims to be complementary to its context by using a material palette that is sympathetic to its surroundings, while providing a high level of private and social amenity. Materials such as weatherboard, timber palings and brickwork provide a sense of familiarly. The weatherboard façade pattern represents the roof form of the traditional Queensland Cottage – a nod to the historical vernacular.

Photographed by Andy MacPherson Studio

As a gateway to South Brisbane’s laneway culture and a stone’s throw from the cultural hub of West End, the site on the corner of Fish Lane attracted residents that were searching for more than just a place to call home. We identified the need for an alternative design vernacular in contrast to the existing commercial provisions in the South Brisbane precinct.  We placed a focus on connections with the outdoors, activation of the ground plane network of bustling cafes and bars, and providing visual connection to neighbouring precincts of West End and the CBD were essential components of their living criteria.

Designing for the specific characteristics of a place and its people is a mantra in our studio. Enclave at is a great example of how an understanding of these elements can make a great place. Our client recognised the limited offerings for medium density options in the Wynnum Manly area. Our brief was born out of the area, its residents and the characteristics that define bayside living. Three buildings offer three types of living, from townhomes to generous apartments. The key elements of the design are views, bay breezes, and a level of accommodation that appeals to owner occupiers. It also has to “fit“ in the local area. The materials and scale were driven by the desire to embrace and reflect the scale and feel of the neighbourhood. The central timber boardwalk reflects the nearby mangrove boardwalks. But the most important ingredient is to create the spaces that reinforce community. This is not a gated community, it provides security but contributes to the streetscape and provides great communal spaces for the owners.

What is the appropriate response when designing a contemporary family home in a sensitive and historical setting? Minimal and raw yet textured and welcoming, the Paddington Residence is an exploration of space and materials for a rigorously contemporary family home in a historical setting. Beyond simply satisfying the client’s spatial requirements, the design explores how to create layered spaces with edges that offer privacy and flexibility.

The challenge within this brief was to deliver their spatial requirements on a small 400 square metre site with heritage neighbours, a very steep slope and ensuring protection of the significant tree. The design response has been to imagine the home as a procession of 5 distinct spaces, each with their own function, transitioning from the historic Moreton Bay Fig Tree to the west and the views to the city to the east.