RETHINKING THE AUSTRALIAN SUBURB AS BLOCK SIZES SHRINK
Brickworks has enlisted acclaimed architecture studio Kennedy Nolan to explore how homes could become more adaptable, energy-efficient and connected to community.
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Australia’s housing debate is often dominated by affordability and supply, but a new collaboration between Brickworks and acclaimed architecture firm Kennedy Nolan argues the conversation should also focus on the quality and longevity of the homes being built.
The project, titled Our Next Neighbourhood, examines how suburban housing could evolve in response to shrinking block sizes, rising energy costs, increasing density and changing family structures.
Rather than proposing luxury dream homes, the initiative focuses on what its creators describe as achievable suburban housing models that are more flexible, sustainable, and better suited to modern Australian life.
Brickworks commissioned Kennedy Nolan to investigate what suburban housing might look like if “design, long-term liveability and enduring materials were placed at the centre of the conversation”.
The result is two housing concepts, known as the Street Terrace and Canopy Terrace, which explore higher-density living while maintaining access to green space, natural light and privacy.
The designs incorporate adaptable floorplans that can evolve as family needs change, along with passive design principles intended to reduce reliance on mechanical heating and cooling.
Brett Ward, General Manager of Marketing at Brickworks, said the company wanted to broaden the discussion around housing beyond simply increasing supply.
“Much of the housing conversation today is understandably focused on supply and affordability, but there is an equally important discussion to be had about the quality and longevity of the homes we build,” he said.
“We wanted to explore how thoughtful design, combined with durable, resilient materials, could create homes that not only function well today, but continue to support Australian families and communities long into the future.”
Kennedy Nolan said the project was partly inspired by concerns that contemporary housing often struggles to adapt to changing household structures and environmental pressures.
The architects said innovation in suburban housing was “essential” to address changing family groupings, energy use, urban heat island effects and growing disconnection from place.
According to the design team, the concepts draw on lessons from some of Australia’s most influential housing projects while seeking to create neighbourhoods with stronger links to landscape, community and local identity.
Rachel Nolan, founder of Kennedy Nolan, said the practice saw an opportunity to reimagine suburban housing as something “more connected to our climate, our landscape, our communities and our Australian identity”.
The project comes as policymakers, developers and planners continue searching for ways to deliver more housing without sacrificing liveability, neighbourhood character or long-term sustainability.
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The oceanfront house at the northern end of the affluent barrier island was a longtime vacation home of late Prince Albrecht of Oettingen-Spielberg.
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The 11th-generation heir of a German royal family has sold an oceanfront mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, for $30.27 million.
The 4,675-square-foot home on East Inlet Drive was built in 1960 and stands on 1.24 acres of oceanfront land, one lot away from the northern border of the Palm Beach barrier island.
It has six bedrooms, an ocean-facing veranda and pool deck and a direct path to the white-sand beachfront through lush greenery.
The property was purchased in 1987 by the late Prince Albrecht of Oettingen-Spielberg—10th in the line of a noble German dynasty that traces back to the 17th century—for $1.75 million, according to property records.
The German prince died in November, and the property was sold by his son and heir, Prince Franz-Albrecht of Oettingten-Spielberg, according to the deed recorded with Palm Beach County on Monday.
The buyer was a Florida-based LLC, managed by a law firm in East Hampton, New York, and represented by Island Realty PB.
“The new buyer is going to renovate the existing structure and breathe more life into it,” said listing agent Whitney McGurk, who represented the seller alongside Lisa Pulitzer, both of Brown Harris Stevens. “It was seldom used by the former owner.”
The aristocrat’s home was first listed for $45 million in 2024 and was reduced over the years as it cycled through different brokers and was also offered to rent. It was reduced for the final time to $32.9 million in February of this year.
Because of the property’s proximity to the Palm Beach Inlet, which divides the Palm Beach island from the barrier island to the north, it is close to great snorkelling and fishing along the jetty, as well as one of the best surf breaks in Palm Beach, according to McGurk.
“The house was always the ultimate beach house,” said McGurk. “Snorkelling, fishing, surfing, relaxing on the beach—it’s all right at your doorstep.”
The late owner’s son Prince Franz-Albrecht is the 11th-generation head of the family, as well as a hunter and conservationist married to model and socialite Baroness Cleo von Adelsheim.
His full name is Franz-Albrecht Alois Christian Ferdinand Maria Notger, Prince of Oettingen-Oettingen and Oettingen-Spielberg. He couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
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