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Barca Bulimba is one of a handful of apartment projects which have recently become available as part of a larger redevelopment in Bulimba (4171). The premium residential development is being built on an absolute waterfront block on the Brisbane River only four kilometres from the CBD. Barca comprises three (3) or four (4) bedroom north-facing apartments and seven terrace homes.
When you drive through Bulimba you will notice some former industrial buildings have been redeveloped into residential apartments, with a number of previously commercial lots on the waterfront being converted to residential apartment buildings. Barca is part of the newly developed residential enclave with nearby projects including One Bulimba Riverfront and The Boatyard.
Barca Bulimba is a collection of apartments and terrace homes. There are 22 river-facing apartments, and seven street-facing terrace homes in the development. Both the apartments and the terrace homes have three (3) or four (4) bedrooms. There are no more than three apartments per level of the apartment blocks, which is a rather nice touch, as it ensures that each level feels spacious.
There are a number of amenities that residents have access to including the expansive outside balcony with a barbecue area, which we think will be great for entertaining and relaxing around, especially during summer. There will also be a 25-meter pool and landscaped gardens for all residents to enjoy. In a gesture to the former life of the river-front plot, the carbon composite feature on the facade draws from the marine industries history of the site.
When we went to the display suite, we were told that Barca is popular with people in the property industry – builders, developers, etc – as quite a few have already bought apartments or townhouses at Barca. This is, according to the agent, because they like the average size of the apartments and the large 9.6-metre balcony.
There are several design features that have been included to target specific owner-occupier buyers. This includes relocating the pool to the corner of the site so that no noise reaches residents. All the carparks are individually lockable, which makes storage easier, and gives residents more privacy (additionally, owners of the terrace homes will not have access to the carpark). The site itself has been designed so that all services are located above the expected sea level in 100 years, which is great for peace of mind about the implications of flooding. There will also be a part-time caretaker for the development.
The three (3) and four (4) bedroom apartments are quite spacious, as shown in the floorplans below. The kitchen and living areas in both are very nice, as they are designed to make the most of the space, opening it up. An added benefit of this space being so open is that cross-breezes coming off the river will go through the entire apartment. Of course, it’ll also allow owners to enjoy the view of the Brisbane river – which is something you’ll definitely want to do given how close Barca is to it.
The tapering bench along one wall is also an interesting design choice. It makes the area seem more open, however, despite this it may be a little irritating for some, as the tapered bench area may not be that practical for storage. However, we don’t think it’s that much of an issue, just something worth noting.
Both floorplans highlight that the master bedroom has a linear wardrobe, rather than a walk-in-wardrobe. This essentially means that the wardrobe is a feature in the bedroom, as you can see in the photos in the quality and finishes section. The other bedrooms have a normal cupboard. The bathrooms are standard, however, it should be noted that in both full-sized bathrooms in the four-bedroom apartment, there are baths as well as showers. Both apartment types also have a full laundry, which is definitely something a three or four-bedroom household will need.
High ceilings at 2.9 metres and floor-to-ceiling windows should create a nice feeling of space. At 2.9 meters for the ‘normal’ apartments, and 3.2 meters for the penthouse apartments, the ceilings are considerably higher than the average (2.4 metres), and above the average even for luxury apartments (which generally sits around 2.7 metres in Brisbane). The apartments also offer a double lock-up garage with storage, and a lift to your apartment floor (great for downsizers and families).
One feature of the apartments that we like, and that you can experience at the display suite, are the views. After entering the apartments, you turn toward the kitchen, and there are uninterrupted views toward the river. This is a feature that adds a little something extra to the apartments, as it allows the general area to fill with light and will allow cross-breezes to reach into every part of the apartment including the bedrooms.
The terrace homes are very spacious (340 square meters). The architects have definitely made use of all the available space, whilst still allowing the homeowner to have nice little pockets of greenery and balconies around the place.
The floor plan above is for one of the three bedroom terrace homes. The ground floor, which is where the entrance is (through the two-car garage or the entry court). This level also hosts the laundry, half-bathroom, kitchen and dining areas, and the outdoor terrace. The kitchen and dining area is very spacious and very nicely designed to take advantage of both spaces. It also has a sizeable marble island bench, which you would expect from a development at this price point. The outdoor terrace is also a good size and has some very nice landscaping around it.
Level 1 of the terrace home has the living room, study, a full bathroom, and two bedrooms. The study is a very nice size and has a lot of available storage. Level 2 has only the master bedroom, walk-in-wardrobe and ensuite bathroom. The internal lift and stairs allow access to both of these levels, and both have a number of voids so that each level feels more connected to the ones above and/or below.
Located at 59 Byron Street, Bulimba, Barca is only a few kilometres from the Brisbane CBD. As we mentioned before, Bulimba is seeing a number of new developments, and Byron Street is particularly busy. You’ve got The Boatyard, and 45 Byron Street, to name a few.
Whilst close to the CBD, if you are commuting to the city you might face the thwart of peak hour traffic from Hawthorne and Riding Road, the major arterial routes in and out of Bulimba. However, the traffic congestion should alleviate somewhat as a result of the proposed widening of Wynnum Rd with work anticipated to commence next year.
Barca is close to the Apollo Street CityCat and is a one minute walk from the closest bus stop. There are three bus stops within three minutes walk of Barca. This means that Barca is ideal for residents who use public transport.
Oxford Street, the centre of activity in the Bulimba/Balmoral area, is a quick 5-minute drive from Barca. On Oxford Street, there is a range of bars and eateries that range from casual places, like Grill’d, and fancier places, like Ambrosia & Co. Oxford Street also plays host to a number of smaller boutique stores, and other services like fitness clubs, real estate companies, and a doctor.
The Master Planned Bulimba Barracks mixed-use residential community will be within walking distance to Barca with construction commencing in the next few years. The redevelopment of this area will include hectares of parklands, a land-based riverwalk with pedestrian and cycle connectivity within the neighbourhood. Additionally, a number of trendy retailers are moving into Bulimba which will further popularise the suburb.
There are a number of highly reputable and well-respected schools located near Barca. Bulimba State School is only four minutes drive away and is a well-liked public primary school. In the other direction, you have Ascot State School, a 25-minute drive away, and Hamilton State School, a 20-minute drive away. Both of these co-educational primary schools are less than 5 minutes away if you took the ferry, which comes every 20 minutes. As for high schools, St. Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, Balmoral State High School, St. Rita’s College and Clayfield College are all close by. The most amount of time you’d have to spend driving to any of these schools would be 25 minutes, which isn’t too bad. Balmoral State High School is the only co-educational high school close to Barca (the rest are all-girls high schools).
It’s worth noting that the Navy Headquarters for South-East Queensland at just down the road from Barca. However, a resident that we spoke to told us that no one ever really hears any noise from it. We, therefore, don’t expect it to be too much of an issue for Barca residents.
The apartments include high-quality finishes such as marble kitchen bench tops and American Oak timber floors. It’s worth noting that the kitchens and bathrooms have the same marble and woods, which makes each area of the apartment feel more connected. Each apartment has ducted reverse cycle air conditioning.
The terraces homes have a Natural colour palette, which is based on the wood and white walls of the home.
As you can see in the photos we took of the display suite, there are some elements of the design that are very aesthetically pleasing. We were told by the sales agent that the 1200×600 tiles in the bathroom are a big hit, and we can understand why. They add a little extra luxury to the bathroom. One other aspect of the bathrooms that we also rather liked is the frosted glass covering the toilet and shower. It’s a nice touch, as it helps to separate these areas from the rest of the bathroom, making the space more functional.
Barca is located on Byron Street, Bulimba, which is currently the site of some serious redevelopment. The Boatyard, Riverbank on Byron and ONE Bulimba Riverfront are next to it, however there are some differences between the developments. The most significant difference is in the balcony sizes – Barca has significantly larger frontage.
Developers Alexander Property Group, APH Property Developers and Anthony Moreton Group have built residential developments including The Aurora Tower in Brisbane, The Beach Apartments Broadbeach, Melbourne’s Swanston Square and the Games Village for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. The architect Arkhefield has designed Queensland-based residences and apartments for 20 years.
A full-size display apartment located at 59 Byron Street, Bulimba. Appointments to view this can be made using the inquiry form below.
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