Future Urban is proud to be awarded the UDIA SA Professional Consulting Award at the 2025 Awards for Excellence, recognising our role in the transformation of Fort Largs. The project itself was further recognised on the night, taking home the Masterplanned Communities Award as well as the coveted title of Project of the Year.

Working alongside Peet Limited, our team provided expert planning advice to help navigate the complexities of this heritage listed coastal site. From acquisition and approvals through to delivery, our involvement has played a key role in opening the historic Fort to the public for the first time in more than 130 years, realising an ambitious and community focused vision.

Pictured: The Fort Restoration and surrounding residential homes pertaining to the project. Image captured by Peet Limited.

The multi-stage redevelopment carefully balances heritage protection, community use and residential living, bringing together:

• Public and private spaces

• Community and heritage hubs

• A diverse range of townhouse options

• One hectare of landscaped open space

• Thoughtful connections to the wider community

The result is a place that not only celebrates the Fort’s legacy but also delivers long-term social, cultural and environmental value.

On the night, Future Urban Director Michael Osborn accepted the award with a speech that reflected on the importance of collaboration, heritage preservation and innovation in planning.

Pictured: Michael Osborn acceptance speech. Image from UDIA Event Gallery.

This achievement reflects the strategic leadership of Michael Osborn and Emily Nankivell, whose guidance ensured the project struck the right balance between inclusions, sustainable efficiencies and unique features to create a place that will serve the community for generations.

This milestone would not have been possible without the expertise and collaboration of our partners: DASH Architects, Alexander Symonds, Jabba Design, GREENHILL, Sonus, Taarnaby, ASPECT Studios and MFY. Each played an integral role in shaping the project’s success.

Pictured: The Future Urban team. Image from UDIA Event Gallery.

It was fantastic to have the Future Urban team in attendance to celebrate and see this incredible project recognised.

Artist Impression: Walter Brooke

Located at 254 North Terrace, immediately behind the Grand Lodge of Freemasons, this innovative development will feature a 238-room hotel, substantially enhancing the availability of short-stay accommodations within the CBD of Adelaide. The new project will include a range of amenities, including a business lounge, a multi-purpose function area, a wellness centre and an observatory on the top level, offering unparalleled views of the Adelaide skyline and its surrounding suburbs.

Artist Impression: Walter Brooke

With a height of 183 meters, the Keystone Tower will stand as Adelaide’s first skyscraper. This 37-storey structure will surpass the existing Yugo Adelaide accommodation tower at 118 meters and the Crowne Plaza, which stands at 138 meters.

Throughout the planning and development process, key team members from Future Urban, Fabian Barone and Renae Grida, collaborated closely with the Freemasons and the developer Pelligra®. Their expertise and commitment have been instrumental in bringing the project to this point.

With the building set to become a prominent and iconic landmark on Adelaide’s cultural boulevard, the project has evidently had its challenges. The demolition of a State Heritage Place required comprehensive documentation to demonstrate long-term viability for the redevelopment, as well as access points for servicing and loading; which companies Arup Engineers and CIRQA were able to assist with demonstrating and resolving.

Artist Impression: Walter Brooke

As the project moves forward, it promises to be a landmark development that will enhance the vibrancy of North Terrace, making it an attractive destination for tourists and business travellers. The project exemplifies the potential for thoughtful urban design to contribute positively to the city’s exciting growth and appeal.

Full team acknowledgment:

Fabian Barone, Future Urban – Planning
Renae Grida, Future Urban – Planning
Anthony Balsamo, Walter Brooke – Architect
Sam Hosking, Hosking Willis – Heritage Architect
Nick Roach, Arup – Engineer
Hamish Banks, Arup – Engineer

Measures to fix the state’s housing crisis are being undermined by “circus-like” tree regulations, senior property industry figures say. Giving evidence before a parliamentary committee, Property Council SA executive director Bruce Djite said tree regulations have had a “significant impact on affordability”.

Mr Djite said there was no clear strategy linking tree regulation and the planning system. Changes that took effect earlier this year reduced the trunk size for “regulated trees” from two metres to one metre, and “significant trees” have gone from three metres to two. Any activity that damages a regulated or significant tree – including tree removal or limb lopping – requires development approval.

Chris Vounasis, managing director of the planning and development firm Future Urban, said the regulations went too far.

“It is circus-like, to be brutally frank, (to) have multi-stem fruit trees – plum trees, for example – which are twig-like trees which resemble something more like a scarecrow in a cornfield but which are stopping reasonable development outcomes,” he said.

Read the full article here.

What will Adelaide look like in 30 years’ time? It is the million-dollar question.

They are developers, builders and architects who have been most responsible for shaping the city’s urban landscape over the last two decades, making high-profile and striking additions to the Adelaide skyline:

• Jamie McClurg — Commercial & General co-founder and executive chairman
• Chris Vounasis — Future Urban managing director
• Adam Hannon & Zoe King — COX Architecture SA directors
• Craig Weaver and Michael Gramazio — Synergy Construct directors
• Chris Menz — RenewalSA chief executive
• David Gallant — Walker Corporation chief executive and managing director
• Daniel Palumbo — Palumbo Group managing director
• Louis Kanellos — Chasecrown director
• Theo Samaras — Kyren Group founder and managing director
• Thomas Masullo — Woods Bagot director and global management leader

Chris Vounasis is managing director of Future Urban, which has handled planning approvals for several major infrastructure projects — but none as significant as Keystone Tower.

Artist Impression: Walter Brooke

Read the full article here.

Picture: City of Adelaide

Parts of the historic Kings Head hotel in the CBD could be demolished to make way for a 16-storey tower planned for the King William St site.

Developers have submitted plans for a major development including a mixed-use building with serviced apartments, shops and new function areas. It would involve partial demolition of the state heritage-listed building, which first opened as a pub in 1876.

Chris Vounasis, director of Adelaide planning consultancy Future Urban, said demolition work would involve the removal of the ground and first floor areas, which were later additions to the rear of the original hotel building.

“The proposed development seeks to continue the historical use of the Kings Head hotel as a hotel/licensed premises. A number of internal works are proposed to reinvigorate the social and entertainment offering and to reinforce the hotel’s continued future operation. This will be complemented by a mixed-use building to the rear that will comprise both serviced apartments and residential apartments.”

Read the full article here.

Adelaide must lift building heights to drive more investment and get more people living and working in the CBD says the man who is helping to deliver what will be the city’s tallest building.

Chris Vounasis, director of Adelaide planning consultancy Future Urban, said the time was ripe to review building heights in the CBD, taking account of existing and approved buildings, and the renewed focus on Adelaide as a place to live.

“More attention is on Adelaide than ever before so we should be putting the necessary work in now to take advantage of this opportunity. If it means relaxing building heights in additional (appropriate) locations to contribute to a more liveable, active and safe city, then this is something I wholeheartedly support.”

Read the full article as published by The Advertiser here.