Reside New Farm
Reside New Farm is a boutique multi-residential project located on Sydney Street in New Farm, Brisbane, occupying one of the precinct’s remaining undeveloped sites. The project is conceived as a refined residential building that moves beyond conventional apartment typologies, instead offering three independent dwellings with the spatial qualities, proportions and generosity of individual homes.
Rather than a typical multi-unit arrangement, each residence is designed to prioritise openness, separation and clarity of living, creating a sense of domestic scale within a collective building form. The architecture carefully balances privacy with connection, allowing each dwelling to operate independently while contributing to a cohesive architectural whole.
The design draws subtle reference from the surrounding New Farm context, particularly the area’s Art Deco heritage. This influence is not applied literally, but reinterpreted through a restrained and contemporary architectural language. A considered palette of steel, brick, timber and concrete defines the building’s material expression, grounding it within its urban setting while maintaining a sense of clarity and refinement.
The building is carefully attuned to Brisbane’s subtropical climate. Openings are strategically positioned to encourage cross-ventilation and natural light, while layered thresholds extend living spaces outward, softening the boundary between interior and exterior environments. These transitional spaces create a nuanced relationship between the dwellings, the street and the surrounding landscape.
A defining feature of the project is the upper-level circulation spine, conceived as a shared externalised passage. This open-air circulation space introduces light and natural ventilation deep into the building while reinforcing a sense of openness and spatial continuity between dwellings. It transforms circulation from a purely functional element into an architectural experience in its own right.
Internally, each residence is oriented towards surrounding tree canopy views, enhancing the sense of outlook and connection to nature within an urban context. Spatial planning is carefully structured to balance generosity and efficiency, ensuring each home retains a sense of calm, proportion and material restraint.
Reside New Farm demonstrates Alexandra Buchanan Architecture’s approach to contemporary multi-residential design, creating dwellings that feel spacious, house-like and deeply connected to their context while contributing sensitively to the evolving character of New Farm.
