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.

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.

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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.