Tree shapes the design of Gungahlin Lumi project with 'house-sized' apartments

A centuries-old tree has shaped the design of an apartment complex planned for the Gungahlin Town Centre.

The development, the Lumi Collection, will encompass 145 units across one 14-storey tower and one seven-storey tower, including a number of “house-sized” apartments.

The complex has been designed to fit around a 300-year-old yellow box eucalyptus tree, which will be the centrepiece of a community pocket park alongside the apartments.

KDN Group director and developer George Katheklakis​ said the mix of units would include about 35 per cent with one bedroom, 46 per cent with two bedrooms and roughly 19 per cent with three bedrooms, with a number of penthouses varying in size.

Overall, internal living will range from about 55 square metres to 233 square metres.

“A lot of the apartments are the size of a Canberra house,” Mr Katheklakis said.

“The focus of this development really does centre on comfort level, natural light and generous space.”

Mr Katheklakis said the development, which has been designed by Townsend + Associates Architects, was geared to owner-occupiers.

It will also encompass about 600 square metres of commercial space across both buildings, plus basement parking.

Mr Katheklakis said the development would appeal to a range of buyers including downsizers.

“There’s an emphasis on ageing in place,” he said. 

“This gives a real alternative for ageing and also up-sizing for people who love Gungahlin and understand the future and potential of Gungahlin.”

The site is zoned for commercial use however, KDN Group has undertaken a pre-application meeting with the ACT government and will lodge a development application for a lease variation in the next month so the block can accommodate residential dwellings.

“Light rail or no light rail, the development will still stack up,” he said.

LJ Hooker Project Marketing ACT managing director Andrew Ligdopoulos said the apartments combined a thoughtful design with quality inclusions – a combination that could entice a range of buyers from across Canberra.

“It’s aimed at a segment of the market that hasn’t been catered for adequately,” Mr Katheklakis said.

“From the very beginning the whole thought process was to create something for people to be happy to live in – something without compromise.

“It’s not just about the floor plan design but thinking about how the kitchen and bathrooms are going to be laid out, the size of the bedrooms and the balcony areas, the height of the ceilings – everything that affects day-to-day living in a residential property.”