The first home buyer

Having acquired a taste for apartment living following travels to Europe, Finn Galindo, knew what he wanted in his first home purchase.

Finn wanted atmosphere, vibrancy, movement and activity all within easy reach. He definitely didn’t want a quiet location on an expansive block.

When he discovered the plans for One, he knew he’d found the right place for him.

“I’d seen a lot of what I didn’t want in a home in the first few months of looking at other developments in Adelaide,” Finn said.

“There were far too many cookie-cutter approaches to apartment living in Adelaide, but One was instantly, visibly different.

“The design features, including the layout, structure and embellishments, especially the planned use of so much green space in an apartment building made it more like a community than anything else I’d seen.”

Finn, with his background in design, technology and manufacturing education, said he knew it was not a hard task for developers to make big buildings, but he did know it was a massive challenge to make them as beneficial to the residents who were to live within them.

The proximity to the city and Park Lands, the open community green space, and the elements of greenery worked in throughout the building were also particularly appealing.

“It’s going to be a real community feeling within One, rather than just a bunch of boxes, which I’m really excited about,” Finn said.

As a first home buyer, Finn’s parents have been supportive of the decision to invest and live in one of Adelaide’s newest apartment buildings.

“My dad has said that he wished he’d done it!”

“I’m one of the first of my circle of friends to take the plunge into home ownership, but I know I’ve made the right choice with One – it’s hard to go past it.”

City-based professional

Emma-Jane wanted an apartment close to her work in city that was in a quieter location than the central CBD and west end, but maintained a close connection to the Park Lands.

“The location of One is just perfect for me – it’s close to work, the East Park Lands and all the lifestyle options of Hutt Street and Rundle Street,” Emma-Jane said.

But what was most appealing about One was the design.

“It’s a very attractive building with many great features. The ability to talk to Michael (the architect) gave me a much greater insight to the concept of what they were planning and why they were creating so much green open space as part of the development.”

Having lived in the Adelaide Hills for most of her life, connection to green space and the environment in general was an important factor in her decision to buy her one-bedroom apartment in One.

“The sense of community the park-like space in the centre of the apartments will create is just fantastic.”

“I was also impressed that the fit and finish of the apartments was well above what I’d seen in other developments in the city. I’m going to live in my apartment and I wanted it to be the best it could be, so this was very important.”

With a city-based job, Emma knows about the dynamics that make up different parts of the city. “The East End and Flinders Street has always been an appealing location to me, and it has really transformed in the last few years with more street-based activations like cafes and small bars popping up. And the East Park Lands have always been a great place to get out and socialise in.”

Adelaide’s tallest vertical garden arrives at ONE Flinders East apartments

Adelaide, Australia: The City’s tallest vertical garden has arrived, marked today by the last rooftop tree planting by Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Sandy Verschoor, at Adelaide’s newest apartments, ONE Flinders East.

The ONE building, designed by leading architects Loucas Zahos and developed by Guava Lime Property Solutions, opens for new city residents in August. Two-storey vertical gardens consisting of extensive climbers and planter boxes, with a total height of nearly 63 metres envelope the striking curved façade.

At completion of its public plaza, ONE will have more than 940m2 of greenery with 730 different plants, 21 species and 7 five-metre tall trees across 11 green open spaces, including a rooftop garden retreat. This greenspace allocation is the equivalent of nearly 300% of the building footprint area.

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor saidthe ONE Flinders East vertical garden is a striking addition to a boutique development that brings the ‘park feel’ right into people’s homes.    

“Projects like ONE give people who want a contemporary city lifestyle in a development with plentiful green open spaces yet another reason to choose Adelaide – a city designed for life,” said the Lord Mayor.

“With our beautiful Park Lands and a strong sustainability agenda, the City of Adelaide already has a growing reputation as a green city and developments like ONE only help further these credentials.”

Loucas Zahos’ Principal Architect, Con Zahos, described ONE as “Designed for a quality lifestyle in gardens, in the sky, in the city.”

“Adelaide’s new garden apartments combine architecture with nature to balance urban living with a private escape,” said Mr Zahos.

“Apartments are diverse as the people living in them. ONE is uniquely designed to understand and respond to diversity, with liveability and quality as the principal drivers.

“While many apartments are bespoke, design features in all apartments include glazing that extends beyond high ceiling lines, understated finishes and foliage-framed views to create a naturally inviting atmosphere,” he said.

“The generosity of providing public and green spaces is important for wellbeing. People need to have spaces to retreat and relax, as well as spaces to socialise and interact.”

First home buyer and new city resident, Finn, said ONE was instantly, visibly different.

“The design features, including the layout, structure and embellishments, especially the planned use of so much green space in an apartment building made it more like a community than anything else I’d seen,” said Finn.

As a first home buyer, Finn’s parents have been supportive of the decision to invest and live in one of Adelaide’s newest apartment buildings.

“My dad has said that he wished he’d done it!”

“I’m one of the first of my circle of friends to take the plunge into home ownership, but I know I’ve made the right choice with ONE – it’s hard to go past it.”

ONE is a boutique 24-storey, mixed-use building that comprises 100 contemporary apartments with views across the city, park lands and hills.

As part of the 18-year Flinders East placemaking project, ONE is the tallest of the eight buildings amongst neighbouring apartments, the boutique Clarion Soho hotel, commercial offices and cafes. In 2020-21, the area will see the addition of the Vibe Hotel Adelaide, a public plaza, elevated pool, rooftop restaurant and bars.

Adelaide Innovative Landscaping (AIL) has partnered with Loucas Zahos for the distinctive, carefully-chosen and maintained plantings. The team behind many civic, educational and public spaces around Adelaide, AIL are entrusted with the garden open spaces throughout ONE, as well as the vertical gardens and planters.

In the soaring foyer, local company, Green Cities, has created a five-metre tall vertical garden, creating a naturally inviting welcome for residents and visitors. A selection of two- and three-bedroom apartments are still available for sale, priced from $680,000.