A refined mixed-use tower by Plus Studio sets a new benchmark for housing diversity and urban clarity in West Perth.

As West Perth continues to recalibrate its identity between civic gravity and residential life, a newly approved mixed-use tower on Murray Street is setting out a clear proposition for how future development may engage the precinct with greater nuance and purpose. 

Designed by Plus Studio for Malaysia-based developer SKS Group, The Harvest has just received Development Application approval from the City of Perth, marking a pivotal moment for a project positioned on the CBD fringe between the city’s commercial core and the open landscape of Kings Park.

Rather than announcing itself through scale alone, the 21-level proposal has been shaped through careful negotiation, technical rigour and an evolving understanding of how mixed-use buildings can contribute to a more walkable, residentially balanced inner city environment. At this stage, the project stands as an approved vision, one that articulates architectural intent, constructability and urban contribution well before ground is broken.

Shaping the ground plane through approval

With a steep seven-metre level change across the site and irregular paving conditions along Harvest Terrace, the Development Application process demanded close attention to detail from the outset. The presence of critical underground Water Corporation and Western Power infrastructure further intensified that level of scrutiny.

According to Plus Studio senior associate Prasad Nimma, the most extensive discussions with the City of Perth focused on how the building would meet the street and function at ground level within a constrained West Perth site.

“The most detailed discussion during the approvals process focused on the ground floor interface, services coordination and constructability,” Nimma says, noting that these constraints required careful refinement of footprints, setbacks and servicing layouts. Through ongoing collaboration with the City and relevant authorities, the approved scheme has been adjusted to strengthen street-level activation and improve legibility for pedestrians moving through the precinct.

Those refinements include an enlarged commercial frontage and clearer entry points, alongside calibrated façade breaks and setbacks that respond directly to the site’s geometry. The podium and tower composition balances building mass with height and overall silhouette, while increased side and rear separation helps the proposal sit more comfortably among its neighbours.

“Rather than compromising the original design intent, these discussions sharpened it, resulting in a building that sits more comfortably within its immediate context and contributes positively to the evolving streetscape,” Nimma says .

Planning for delivery before construction

Although the project has yet to enter construction, considerations around buildability and operational performance have already played a defining role in the approved scheme. As part of the Development Application amendment, Plus Studio undertook a detailed design review with SKS Group’s construction team, quantity surveyors and specialist consultants to ensure the proposal could transition smoothly into detailed design under current market conditions.

That early collaboration informed decisions to rationalise the structural grid and car parking ramps, improving spatial efficiency while reducing construction complexity. Services infrastructure has also been deliberately coordinated at this stage, allowing plant rooms, fire systems and utilities to be embedded into the architecture with clarity rather than introduced later as compromises.

Operational planning extended to the arrangement and access of waste and loading areas, supporting intuitive circulation and safe movement for future residents, guests and service vehicles. By resolving these issues through the approvals process, the project establishes a high degree of certainty around compliance, cost control and buildability before construction commences.

For SKS Group, this approach underpins confidence in the approved outcome. “We are genuinely excited to be collaborating with Plus Studio on The Harvest and to be delivering this 5 Star Green Star project together,” SKS Group development manager Akki Singh says. “Their team has combined creative thinking with a very pragmatic approach to planning, efficiency and constructability.”

Articulating a vertical mix

From a planning and architectural perspective, The Harvest was conceived as a single integrated building with clearly articulated layers, allowing diverse uses to coexist within a cohesive urban form. The Development Application establishes a clear vertical ordering, with ground floor retail activating the street, short-stay accommodation positioned for access and management efficiency and build-to-rent apartments located above to maximise privacy and amenity.

Distinct entrances, lobbies and servicing arrangements for each use provide operational clarity, while shared architectural elements such as materiality, façade rhythm and massing unify the building’s expression. The proposed façade combines concrete-look mid-grey cladding with expressed joints and full-height glazing, while bronze tones and perforated metal at ground level are intended to give the entry sequence a calm presence and a strong sense of arrival.

Within the approved built form, a scaled podium is designed to support a significant communal open space, incorporating landscaped seating, barbecue areas and a bocce court as a shared focal point for future occupants. Above, the tower is organised around an efficient central core with a scissor stair, improving floor plate efficiency and allowing corridors to open to natural light and ventilation.

Amenities are distributed vertically to support different modes of occupation, with residential facilities planned for Level 5 and short-stay amenities proposed for the mezzanine level overlooking the ground floor lobby. Together with the build-to-rent model, which is designed to offer long-term rental security and professionally managed living, the approved scheme responds directly to Perth’s growing demand for housing diversity close to the CBD.

Fully electrical and guided by passive solar principles, The Harvest is positioned to support lower operational emissions and efficient day-to-day running once delivered. For Nimma, the Development Application sets out a broader ambition. “The planning narrative is therefore not just about compliance, but about how architectural organisation can enable diverse uses to coexist within a cohesive urban form,” he says.

With Development Approval now secured, The Harvest stands as a considered blueprint for how future mixed-use projects in West Perth may balance density, delivery and urban generosity, long before construction begins.

Images: Supplied.