Mass-timber apartment scheme unveiled in inner-city Adelaide precinct

Melbourne- and Adelaide-based architecture firm Fieldwork has designed a mass-timber concept for a forthcoming $80 million, 10-storey apartment building in Bowden, on the north-western edge of Adelaide city, newly unveiled by Renewal SA.

The vision for the site, led by South Australian developer Otello, was selected by Renewal SA from what they describe as "a competitive field" that vied for the purchase in 2024 of "one of the last remaining development sites in the city fringe precinct."

Named Flowe Bowden, the proposed mixed-use development will deliver more than 100 new one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, hospitality spaces and a multi-level health and wellness centre featuring pilates, hot and cold pools, saunas and physical therapy amenities.

SA Minister for Housing and Urban Development Nick Champion commented, "The amenities that make Bowden such a brilliant place to live are about to get even better. Flowe Bowden's health and wellness centre will be something that brings the community together and will be a destination for people keeping active."

Twenty percent of the development's yield is allocated for affordable housing through Home Seeker SA, exceeding the 15 percent planning requirement, while 16 of the apartments will provide specialist disability accommodation.

The proposal also includes a resident workshop with tools and bench spaces, along with approximately 150 bicycle parking spaces and 100 car parks for residents and guests.

Acting chief executive at Renewal SA Shane Wingard said, "The new retail and recreational uses will contribute to a highly active area in the precinct and will frame the beautiful Bowden Park."

"Flowe Bowden will complement the existing community and offer a significant extension to the amenities already available," he commented. "This is the type of development that is driving a rise in the popularity of apartment living in Adelaide."

Fieldwork's design will frame the Bowden Village Reserve and sits opposite the award-winning Plant 4 Bowden community market hall, designed by Ashley Halliday Architects. The development features activated frontages on all three sides, with upper-storey views overlooking the CBD, the hills and the coast.

The project is part of broader precinct development currently underway. On the western edge of the park and market, Otello is leading another nine-storey, 36-apartment development with Studio Nine Architects, titled Muse, which is currently under construction. A build-to-rent proposal for the adjacent site, developed by ARM with Renewal SA, is also underway and will deliver 80 rental apartments and four market-sale terraces across 12 storeys.

A block north-west, the adaptive reuse of the former Brompton Gasworks site is set to accommodate 2,000 residents across 800 homes and 112 Nightingale Housing apartments within a new urban village designed by Forum Studio, Studio Gram, Baukultur, Enzo Caroscio Architecture, Landskap Design, Stantec and others, and developed by MAB Corporation.

With its mass-timber structure and palette of natural materials, Fieldwork's design for Flowe Bowden is targeting a 5-Star Green Star rating. It will also incorporate environmental initiatives, such as electric vehicle charging.

Director and founder of Otello Daniel Harris said the project "represents a culmination of everything we've learned to date, not just about urban design and sustainability, but also how to meaningfully connect with local communities and create places that people are proud to call home."

Construction is expected to begin mid-2026.