Greystar has opened Victoria’s largest build-to-rent project, The Gladstone, with the help of architect Scott Carver and interior designer Hecker Guthrie.

Just a ten-minute drive from the CBD, The Gladstone brings 700 high-end, purpose-designed and built rental homes to the bustling suburb of South Melbourne. Its three towers offer residents a mix of dwelling types, including studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with rental agreements ranging from twelve months to three years. 

While The Gladstone is the global developer’s first Australian project of its kind, Greystar hopes to become the largest developer and owner of build-to-rent in Australia. Australian Design Review (ADR) spoke to Greystar Australia’s managing director Matt Woodland about this ambition and the company’s “specific approach” to designing build-to-rent projects.

ADR: Why was now the time to develop this build-to-rent here?

Matt Woodland: As a business, we’re passionate about investing in and providing quality housing in all of the great cities of the world. Australia is home to several of these cities and paired with the country’s economic growth and clear need for more housing supply, it felt like the obvious choice for our expansion. 

Victorian developments presented the best entry point for Greystar both from a legislative planning perspective and with lower costs than New South Wales and Queensland. However, with our Victorian projects now at various stages of completion, we’ve expanded into Sydney with our Zetland project, which just broke ground. 

As we celebrate The Gladstone’s opening, our goal is to become the largest developer and owner of build-to-rent in Australia, offering a quality living experience for all Australians seeking a better way to rent.

In what ways will The Gladstone “fulfil a crucial gap” in the current housing market?

MW: Australia has a housing supply problem, specifically around providing enough quality rental housing to citizens. This has left many renters paying too much for homes that are simply not fit for rent. In the last year alone, the rental shortage has increased the costs for tenants by over seven percent year on year. The Gladstone and future Greystar projects will play a critical role in swinging the supply and demand pendulum in the favour of tenants by bringing hundreds of new apartments to a rental market that desperately needs it. 

Which architects and interior designers did you work with on this project and why did you engage these particular studios?

MW: We worked with architect Scott Carver and interior designer Hecker Guthrie on The Gladstone. Greystar has a specific approach to designing build-to-rent buildings, which is “inside out”, meaning we focus on the most functional internal layouts to help drive architectural decisions. We specifically design our homes for rental purposes by embedding our operational expertise in all areas of the design. 

When we  entered the Australian market we placed a focus on educating local architects on our approach to design and living to ensure our buildings met our vision for renters. Throughout this process, Scott Carver has developed a deep understanding of our design principles and has done a wonderful job bringing them to life. We hand-selected Hecker Guthrie as our interior designer because they have delivered high-end residential projects in Melbourne and we wanted to bring that level of premium finish to The Gladstone, particularly within the resident amenity spaces. 

What was the design brief you provided?

MW: Our design brief was to deliver a timeless architectural response that was locally contextual so that we can successfully continue to attract residents over time as more competition enters the market.

The podium facade celebrates the contextual and industrial history of the precinct, drawing upon a grounded aesthetic and the traditional warehouse vernacular. This approach led to brick being selected as the hero material that holistically ties the podium aesthetic together and allows for subtle variance and individual expression across the podium’s three massing blocks.

Alongside brick, concrete, fine metal and glass detailing is introduced to complement and contrast. Meanwhile, expressive sculptural brickwork sections provide texture, human-scale proportions and fine-grain detail within view of the public domain.

The proposed podium materials and textures work in unison to form a strong foundation and backdrop to the three proposed towers above. The form and profile of these towers are designed to sit wholly within the approved planning envelope in a consistent and efficient manner, while creating visual interest and intrigue. 

Similar to the podium approach, the intent of each tower is to have subtle moments of individuality, while sharing common elements and themes that tie the development together. Commonality is achieved through the organic profile of the towers themselves, and the sharing of elements such as glazing colour, modularisation and facade details. 

Individuality is achieved through tower orientation and detailed elements such as coloured and patterned facade panels, and varying slab expressions. Each tower reads as a light slender organic form that sits upon a grounded earthy podium. Together they work in unison, playing homage to the rich historical context of the precinct, whilst emanating a sense of modernity and progression.

From an interior design perspective, the laneways move inside and start to inform the way we move around the buildings. Tiled pathways, street lamps, sign posts. Three towers, same ideas, different outcomes. The facade colour palette is reflected in the interior common area colour schemes.

Can you take us through some of the material and colour palette choices?

MW: We take a full lifecycle approach to selecting materials, which balances the upfront investment against durability and ongoing maintenance, while still delivering beautiful design outcomes. As an example, we ran a thorough process to source the highest quality flooring for our apartments, selecting a Milliken Luxury Vinyl Plank product that looks great and is of high quality. 

The apartment colour palettes were selected in conjunction with Hecker Guthrie and our global design team to provide diversity of choice for renters given the large scale of the project. The colours represent a mix of neutral schemes and some more bold choices, such as the burnt ochre, which brings a warmth to the living spaces not usually found in apartment living. The bespoke furniture selections in our furnished apartment options have been designed to complement the base palettes and deliver a cohesive product offering that feels luxurious but like home. 

What are the standout features of the final design?

MW: The Gladstone is designed for flexibility. In the same way that we provide our residents with a variety of leasing and apartment options, flexibility was an integral component of our design. Residents can choose between fully furnished apartments or enjoy a blank canvas to make their apartment a home.

We prioritised the ethical sourcing of high-quality materials, which are featured throughout The Gladstone to ensure residents’ enjoyment and comfort. The building has a 6-star acoustic rating and a 5-star Green Star rating with all apartments and amenities run by 100 percent offsite renewable energy. While these ratings can’t be seen with the naked eye, they deliver a higher quality of living which is invaluable to our renters. It’s almost a hotel-like experience but with the comfort of home. 

What makes The Gladstone stand out among other build-to-rent developments?

MW: It is extremely important that all Gladstone residents feel as if they have a home not just within the walls of their apartments, but within The Gladstone as a whole. That’s why we included luxury amenities that cater to the needs of the modern renter, including a wine room, multiple pools, a sauna, remote working areas and pilates studios. These communal areas help build a strong community among our Gladstone residents, offering spaces to socialise, enjoy and relax outside of each apartment. The communal offerings are located within the most premium parts of the buildings to encourage all residents to benefit from the best that The Gladstone has to offer, including its spectacular city and bay views.

Greystar’s breadth of international experience also translates into tangible benefits for The Gladstone’s residents. We have years of experience and expertise in build-to-rent which manifests in our high-quality service, ensuring residents remain heard and valued in our buildings. 

Does Greystar plan to develop more build-to-rent apartments in Australia?

MW: Greystar is committed to developing Australia’s build-to-rent sector and addressing the housing supply crisis. We raised $1.3 billion to support our Australian expansion and currently have 1900 units under construction valued at around $2.3 billion, with a further 600 in the pipeline valued at $400 million.

Outside of the launch of The Gladstone, we’ve hit some incredible milestones in Australia in 2024 with our South Yarra building topping out and the groundbreaking of our very first Sydney property in Zetland. These projects are on track to progress significantly next year where we hope to be welcoming residents into our South Yarra premises just as we’ve done at The Gladstone.

Photography supplied.

Read about another luxury build-to-rent project, The Briscoe.