HAL Architects director Elizabeth Anderson says Maasra Apartments Is an example of how developers are responding to a changing residential landscape, meeting demands for larger living spaces accompanied with retail and business environments.
With construction expected to start soon on the $95m Maasra Apartments in Queensland, architectural firm HAL Architects is finalising the blueprints to incorporate the redesign of a number of units into house-size apartments to accommodate buyers’ changing needs.
"All those ideas are entrenched in the design of Maasra Apartments, in everything from the finishes through to the layouts, from the sense of space to the large over-sized kitchens - the design is very much about liveability,” says Anderson.
Further requests for even-larger spaces have been agreed to, with a number of adjoining apartments now being combined to create house-sized dwellings within the apartment building.
Anderson and her team specialise in designing spaces for liveability and are well known for their creativity in designing multi-residential developments in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
HAL Architects was appointed by Maasra Apartments developer Karam Group to design a building that reflected a sense of community and place, with a focus on large three and four-bedroom apartments to offer wider housing choices for people considering apartment living.
Karam Group’s brief for the Maasra Apartments building was to encompass Coorparoo’s history and enhance the village-like atmosphere, using a “maasra” - a Mediterranean olive press - as the theme for the building design.
“To express that in architectural form, we looked at the olive press and thought; this development is about authenticity, it’s about honesty and community,” says Anderson.
“And of course, materiality; the materials selected are stylish, honest and robust with a longevity to them and a quality you can feel - beautiful stone kitchen finishes and timber veneers that express warmth and a sense of home,” she says.
