An architectural render from a garden-level perspective, showing curved, off-form concrete apartment forms elevated on slender columns beside a landscaped rivulet, with a lightweight pedestrian bridge crossing between planted edges. Native grasses, boulders and soft groundcover sit within a naturalised creek bed, reinforcing the integration of the building with the site.

Grace Apartments

Sandy Bay, Tasmania In Progress

Ten residences, held within a landscape.

The Grace Apartments sit at the end of Maning Avenue in Sandy Bay, on a site defined by mature trees, native birdlife and a rivulet running through its lower reaches. The brief from Earl Projects and Carta Group was for a small collection of high-quality residences - just ten - that would set a new standard for sustainable apartment living in Hobart. The opportunity, and the challenge, was to build at a level of finish and ambition rarely seen in the Tasmanian market while ensuring the landscape remained the strongest presence on the site.

Our design responds to that priority directly. Two low-rise buildings are set within the existing tree canopy rather than imposed upon it. Each residence is single-storey and level-access, with a private entrance and generous outdoor space - closer in feel to a house than an apartment. Open-plan layouts, expansive glazing and high ceilings draw the surrounding landscape into every room, while the building forms step and shift to preserve key trees and maintain the sense of seclusion that makes this part of Sandy Bay distinctive.

More than half the site stays green.

Working with landscape architects Inspiring Place, over half the site will be retained as natural space. The existing rivulet will be restored, native plantings will reinforce local biodiversity, and communal garden areas will be designed to encourage both quiet retreat and neighbourly connection. The landscape is not ornamental. It is the organising principle of the project - the thing everything else defers to.

Sustainability consultants Hip V Hype have guided the environmental performance of the buildings, which are targeting an 8-star NatHERS rating through advanced thermal envelopes, high-quality insulation, locally sourced materials and energy-efficient fixtures. It is an approach that treats sustainability as a design discipline rather than an add-on - embedded in the materials, the orientation and the relationship between building and ground from the very first sketch.

An exterior render looking along the building edge, with stacked, curved concrete slabs forming continuous balconies, screened by fine vertical metal balustrades. The façade combines off-form concrete, timber-lined soffits and integrated planter beds, overlooking a densely vegetated creek corridor below.

An interior render of an open-plan living space with a low, upholstered modular sofa, timber-framed armchairs and a soft textured rug set on wide timber flooring. Full-height sliding glazing opens to a terrace, with sheer curtains, stone walls and muted finishes creating a calm, neutral palette that extends into the landscape.

A close-up render of the façade, emphasising the smooth curvature of concrete slab edges, slender vertical balustrades and recessed balcony zones. Planter boxes are integrated into the edge condition, softening the architecture with low shrubs and native planting.

An architectural detail render from a sheltered terrace, with curved concrete soffits and textured masonry walls framing a planted edge behind vertical balustrades. The material palette of stone, concrete and soft planting is layered to create a quiet, enclosed outdoor room.

An interior render of a stairwell with sculpted concrete steps and brushed metal handrails, arranged around a planted void filled with ferns and cascading greenery. Natural light filters from above, highlighting the tactile contrast between smooth concrete, stone finishes and vegetation.

A cropped exterior render of the upper level, showing continuous curved balconies with vertical metal screening and integrated planter beds. The restrained material palette of pale concrete and soft greenery sits lightly against the surrounding tree canopy.

An exterior render of a penthouse room, where sliding glass doors open from a bedroom onto a landscaped garden with low planting, stone edging and a timber deck platform. The curved concrete edge and integrated planters continue the building’s soft, cohesive material language.

An interior bedroom render featuring a timber-lined wall with integrated joinery, soft carpet underfoot and a minimal palette of natural materials. Full-height glazing opens onto a private terrace, with vertical balustrades and planting providing filtered views and privacy.

A terrace render with a timber outdoor lounge chair and sculptural stone side table set on a tiled surface, enclosed by fine vertical balustrades. The space overlooks dense tree canopy, with soft shadows cast through the screen onto the floor.

An architectural render of a penthouse terrace, viewed from a low, eye-level angle along a tiled outdoor space. Sliding glass doors open to an interior living area, while timber-framed loungers, a stone side table and an outdoor dining setting sit within landscaped edges of native planting, stone and low shrubs, framed by fine vertical balustrades overlooking tree canopy.

Grace Apartments

Ten residences, held within a landscape.

More than half the site stays green.

Balfour Street Terrace

Ebony Hurd

Grace Apartments: A New Standard in Luxury Sustainable Living