Exclusive: $35 million Gordons Bay House to Reset Coogee House Price Record Gordons Bay House Coogee Could Break The Suburb’s $20m Record

For years, the progress of the remarkable house at 1 Major Street was observed by the thousands of people who followed Sydney’s Bondi-to-Coogee coastal walk.

Perched directly above Gordons Bay, its construction unfolded in unusually public view. Walkers could see the enigmatic white structure gradually taking shape on the cliff, even as the completed residence was being designed to preserve privacy from the path and neighbouring properties.

Now known as GB House or Gordons Bay House, the five-bedroom residence has been brought to market through James Ball and Michael Pallier of Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty, who are telling prospective purchasers a record $35 million would be enough to secure the landmark home.

The residential price records for Coogee was set in 2024 when the penthouse atop Ballamac House, the redevelopment of a historic mansion into a boutique collection of apartments, sold for just over $20 million.

Architecture at the water’s edge

Designed by Renato D’Ettorre Architects, GB House occupies approximately 740sqm at the northern edge of Coogee, looking across the protected waters of Gordons Bay and out to the Pacific Ocean.

Its restrained white exterior draws on the elemental architecture of the Greek islands. Behind that comparatively quiet street presence, perforated glazed brickwork filters sunlight, ocean air and fragments of blue water into the house.

The design is based on alternating experiences of openness and enclosure. Broad ocean views are not revealed all at once. Instead, the residence moves between sheltered courtyards, framed openings, reflective water and expansive rooms facing the coastline.

Arrival is marked by a reflection pond and the sound of waves below. From there, the house opens gradually towards its north-east aspect and uninterrupted views across Gordons Bay.

The residence spans approximately 538sqm internally, with five ensuite bedrooms and six bathrooms. The principal suite occupies an entire level and includes a private courtyard, ocean-facing terrace, fireplace, dressing area and a Tadelakt-finished bathroom with an Agape bath positioned towards the view.

One of the remaining bedroom suites is configured as a self-contained studio with its own entrance, giving the house flexibility for guests, adult children or live-in assistance.

At the centre of the home is a vast living pavilion with a sunken lounge and ceilings rising to approximately five metres. A dramatic internal rock wall and garden extend through the double-height volume, accompanied by a 2.5-metre waterfall cascading into a fish pond.

The feature reinforces the central architectural idea: this is a house in which stone, water, light and planting are treated as part of the interior rather than scenery beyond it.

Marble, fire and filtered light

The kitchen is anchored by a sculptural cantilevered bench in Verdi Alpi marble, complemented by Miele appliances, a Barazza gas hob, Zip HydroTap and concealed butler’s pantry.

There are several living and entertaining zones, including a mezzanine office or media area, a subterranean music room, theatre or rumpus room, and a temperature-controlled cellar.

Three integrated fireplaces serve the principal bedroom and two living areas, while hydronic underfloor heating and four zones of reverse-cycle airconditioning provide year-round climate control.

The house is also equipped with smart-home technology, timed blinds, solar photovoltaic and solar-thermal systems, custom joinery and Boffi tapware.

Outside, an ocean-facing garden descends towards the cliff. A heated infinity pool with swim jets appears to merge with the Pacific horizon, while separate entertaining areas include a north-facing barbecue terrace, outdoor refrigeration, pizza oven and retractable awning.

The campaign also refers to plans for an additional ocean terrace suspended above the sea. Buyers should independently establish the approval status, conditions and transferability of those plans before treating them as part of the property’s future potential.

One of Australia’s most awarded coastal houses

GB House is already well known within Australian architecture.

The project received the 2019 Wilkinson Award for Residential Architecture from the NSW chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects—one of the state’s most important awards for residential design.

It also received a national residential architecture award, the Horbury Hunt Residential Award at the Think Brick Awards, and recognition for its interiors and use of materials.

The home has appeared in architectural and design publications, as well as film and television coverage. Dimark Constructions, which documents the project in its portfolio, credits Justin Alexander for its published photography.

Its awards are significant because they establish GB House as more than a newly presented prestige listing. It is an already recognised work of Australian residential architecture, created for one of the most difficult and valuable types of site in Sydney: an exposed coastal holding that must balance views, weather, privacy and public visibility.

From $6.9 million to a potential suburb record

Public property records indicate 1 Major Street last changed hands for $6.9 million in 2010, long before the former home was demolished.

Although the residence became a familiar landmark to people using the coastal walk, the architecture was conceived to provide shelter from that very exposure. Angled walls, courtyards and screened openings protect its living spaces while maintaining direct contact with the water.

That combination gives the current campaign unusual reach. It is a trophy home with international architectural credentials, but it is also part of Sydney’s public coastal memory, a house thousands of people have walked past, watched evolve and wondered about from the path below.

GB House at a glance

Address: 1 Major Street, Coogee, NSW
Also known as: GB House and Gordons Bay House
Price guide: $35 million
Selling agents: James Ball and Michael Pallier, Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty
Architect: Renato D’Ettorre Architects
Construction: Dimark Constructions
Land: Approximately 740sqm
Internal area: Approximately 538sqm
Bedrooms: Five, all with ensuites
Bathrooms: Six
Parking: Double garage plus two off-street spaces
Aspect: North-east
Key amenities: Infinity pool, gym, steam room, music room, theatre/rumpus room, cellar, internal waterfall and fish pond
Previous recorded sale: $6.9 million in 2010
Current Coogee property record: $20 million-plus Ballamac penthouse sale
Previous freestanding-house record: $13.1 million on Wolseley Road
Listing: View the live campaign

As population growth, infrastructure spending and rezoning reshape Sydney’s west, CBRE senior director Alex Mirzaian has built a career around navigating the increasingly complex market for development sites.

For decades, Sydney’s prestige property conversation was dominated by the harbour and the city’s eastern suburbs. Yet some of its most consequential development activity has been taking place in a different part of the metropolitan area.

Population growth, major transport projects, new employment centres and extensive rezoning have steadily changed the scale of opportunity across Western Sydney. They have also made development transactions more complicated.

It is in this environment that Alex Mirzaian has built his career.

Mirzaian is a senior director within CBRE’s Development NSW business, operating across the company’s Western Sydney and North Sydney offices. He joined CBRE in February 2013 and has accumulated more than 15 years of property experience, with a particular focus on the sale and acquisition of development sites.

His professional trajectory reflects Western Sydney’s transformation from a market sometimes treated as peripheral to one that now plays a central role in the city’s growth.

Building expertise in a changing market

Selling a development site is markedly different from selling an established home.

Its value is influenced not only by location and land area but by planning controls, permissible density, infrastructure, construction economics, funding conditions and the intended end market. Two neighbouring parcels can have dramatically different development potential.

A successful campaign therefore depends on establishing what the land could become and identifying the buyers capable of delivering that outcome.

Mirzaian developed his practice in Western Sydney as investment and development attention moved towards the region’s growth corridors. Working in the market over an extended period gave him exposure to different planning environments, buyer groups and property cycles.

That experience is increasingly valuable as Western Sydney’s development landscape becomes more sophisticated. Landowners may be dealing with changes to zoning or density, while developers must test potential projects against rising construction costs, financing constraints and changing buyer demand.

A property’s theoretical development yield may look compelling on paper. Whether that yield can be delivered economically is another question.

More than finding a buyer

Development-site sales are often described in terms of the final price, but the structure of a transaction can be just as important.

Settlement periods, planning conditions, due-diligence requirements, deposits and access arrangements can materially influence the attractiveness and certainty of a deal. A higher offer with extensive conditions may not ultimately provide a vendor with a better outcome than a cleaner proposal from a well-capitalised buyer.

Mirzaian’s work centres on managing those competing considerations through a structured sales process.

That begins with understanding the site and the vendor’s priorities. It then extends to identifying likely purchaser groups, presenting the development opportunity coherently and managing negotiations between parties that may have very different commercial requirements.

According to the profile supplied to Kanebridge, Mirzaian’s clients have included private landowners, developers, offshore investors, government bodies, religious and community organisations, and receivers handling more complex or distressed assets.

Each category presents a different brief.

A family disposing of a long-held property may be primarily concerned with price, certainty and timing. A government agency may require a highly transparent process. A receiver will often be working within strict legal and financial parameters, while an experienced developer may place greater emphasis on planning potential and settlement flexibility.

The agent’s role is consequently closer to that of a transaction adviser than a conventional salesperson.

Working across Sydney’s property markets

Mirzaian’s position across CBRE’s Western Sydney and North Sydney operations also reflects the way development capital now moves throughout the metropolitan area.

Developers and investors rarely confine themselves to one geographical market. They compare opportunities according to planning risk, projected demand, construction feasibility and the availability of finance.

Relationships established through one transaction can therefore lead to opportunities in a very different part of the city.

Western Sydney remains an important part of Mirzaian’s professional identity, but his current remit extends beyond it. That broader coverage allows him to connect owners and purchasers operating across established and emerging Sydney markets.

It also provides a view of how buyer priorities change between locations. A project in a mature North Shore suburb may depend on scarcity and an affluent local downsizer market. A larger Western Sydney site might instead derive value from future population growth, transport investment or the potential to create housing at scale.

The fundamentals of the transaction remain consistent, but the development and marketing strategy must respond to the location.

A market that rewards clear advice

Sydney’s development sector is operating in a more demanding environment than it was during periods of cheap capital and rapid price growth.

Developers are scrutinising construction costs, presales, finance and delivery risk more closely. Vendors must distinguish between ambitious expressions of interest and offers with a credible prospect of reaching settlement.

In that setting, disciplined transaction management becomes particularly important.

A competitive campaign still needs to generate interest, but it must also give prospective purchasers enough information and confidence to progress. Clear timelines, appropriately managed due diligence and realistic communication can help preserve competition without compromising certainty.

Mirzaian’s career offers a useful perspective on the evolution of development sales. His rise has occurred alongside that of Western Sydney itself: a market shaped by growth, infrastructure and increasingly complex development decisions.

The value of an adviser in this environment is not measured solely by the ability to attract the highest headline offer. It lies in understanding the site, recognising the motivations of each stakeholder and creating a process capable of turning interest into a completed transaction.

Fact box

Name: Alex Mirzaian
Position: Senior Director, Development NSW
Company: CBRE
Office coverage: Western Sydney and North Sydney
Joined CBRE: February 2013
Property experience: More than 15 years, according to the supplied profile
Specialisation: Development-site sales, buyer engagement, negotiation and transaction structuring
Client sectors: Private landowners, developers, offshore investors, government agencies, community and religious organisations, and receivers
Geographical focus: Greater Sydney, with an established background in Western Sydney