Canberra’s great design story

Canberra’s great design story

Property and design go together like cupcakes and frosting: one can be without the other, but together they’re divine. From the architectural design of our homes, to the choices we make in our interiors, great design helps us showcase our personality and life story.

The same is true of the designs of our suburbs and even our city as a whole – creating that uniquely Canberran character that makes us feel at home.

It’s also this character that resonates with people who come to visit, and decide to stay indefinitely. Our home is booming, having grown by more than 100,000 people in the past decade to reach an ACT population record of 457,000 in 2020.

It seems our little secret is out: this really is the best place in the world to live. The French-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) certainly thought so when it named us the best city in the world to live in 2014. Lonely Planet also gave us 2 thumbs up when we beat out Sydney and Melbourne to be named the third best city in the world to visit in 2018.

Accommodating our burgeoning population has led to the establishment of many new suburbs – from Moncrieff and Taylor just north of Gungahlin, to Wright and Coombs in the Molonglo Valley – each with their own distinctive design to complement their natural landscape.

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Paying homage to our city’s design character is also front and centre for property developments unfolding in Canberra’s established suburbs, such as:

  • Soho in Dickson, where specialist heritage architects collaborated on the masterplan to infuse new and old
  • THE PARKS in Red Hill, with a mix of luxury apartment residences, terraces and premium land lots
  • The Griffin, a new mixed-use residential project on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin on Constitution Avenue in Parkes


A tribute to Walter Burley Griffin.

The great Walter Burley Griffin (1876-1937) was the master planner of our beautiful city, and his vision was that Canberra be “a city that meets my ideal of the city of the future.”

Michael D’Elboux, Development Manager of Amalgamated Property Group which is developing The Griffin, says ensuring its design complements Walter Burley Griffin’s original vision for the city was a key part of their planning.

“We also worked in close consultation with the National Capital Authority and community groups early on, because we wanted to ensure alignment with the location’s heritage and the needs of our local community. Community input was a core part of our process which has made for a better quality development.”

Design thinking formed the basis for every element of The Griffin – from the façade to the grounds, the permeability of the buildings for natural light and connections to the outside, and the detailed interior design inclusions of all 254 apartments which are expected to be completed by mid-2022.

“The sense of space these homes offer is crucial to the overall design,” says Michael. “The floorplans are around 20% larger than most other offerings in the market, and we’ve incorporated large landscaped green spaces and gardens, generously sized amenities like a 25m lap pool and separate weights and cardio gyms, as well as enhancing access to the pedestrian underpass to the lake and Commonwealth Park.

“The Griffin has been designed to fit with its location, the heritage and the mature trees, and the style and materials of the interiors also reflect that in their design. These are premium, luxurious homes where you don’t need to pay for upgrades; every apartment has the highest standard of finishes like the penthouses with engineered timber floors, thick stone benchtops, bespoke timber joinery, under-tile heating in bathrooms, and more.”

If you love design as much as we do, be sure to check out the DESIGN Canberra Festival which runs from November 9 to 29.

The festival showcases the latest in design trends across home interiors, furniture, art, and architecture with events held all across our nation’s capital.

What’s your favourite characteristic of Canberra’s unique urban design?

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