A green roof features on the wellness centre at the heart of Stella Maris, behind the Nautica House where apartments overlook Corio Bay.
The first residents have moved in and are enjoying the amenities on offer at the Stella Maris residential development at Rippleside.
To date, 80 per cent of the project’s 53 luxury waterfront homes have sold off-the-plan, with the remaining residences coming on to the market with John Moran of Whitford Property and Jodie Bliss Real Estate this summer.
The project from Melbourne-based developer Monno – which is backed by Geelong businessman Robert Costa – lives up to its billing as a landmark waterfront residential address, even as workers busily completed the finishing touches.
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The four components of the Stella Maris masterplan were built around landmark trees on the historic Rippleside site.
The vision to transform the 1848 St Helens mansion – one of the last remaining Geelong homesteads predating the Gold Rush which was also the Sisters of Mercy’s Stella Maris convent – into a luxury community has clearly come together.
An exclusive tour of the development with Monno managing director Geno Hubay and Rothelowman principal Chris Exner and senior associate Nick Williams puts the 1.2ha precinct into perspective.
There is so much to see beyond the quality apartments with 3m ceilings and high-end finishes, whether it’s looking out from the 3.5m-high, third-storey window of a Park Row townhouse across the centre of the community, across a wide paved area with gardens and a wellness centre including a pool, gym and steam room, or through the central areas of Nautica House.
The high-end finishes in the homes, such as stone kitchen benches and splashbacks, are used throughout apartments in the development.
Lavish views are available in every direction.
Ground floor apartments enjoy yard space overlooking the bay.
Every view line has been considered, offering glimpses of the bay or landmark trees at each level.
Residents will enjoy the relative tranquillity now that most of the heavy construction work has finished.
Though workers will return next year when the St Helens mansion is reimagined as a private home, to be sold separately.
The project has surprised the architects as it’s evolved as a building site, with bay glimpses and sight lines designed on paper even better in person.
“I think the master plan as a whole, how the buildings actually do fit pretty comfortably around the old homestead and around the trees and the way that you move through the site just feels natural. You know, nothing seems forced,” Mr Exner said.
High, 3m ceilings add to the sense of space in the homes.
A main bedroom suite also looks out to the water.
An oak tree is a substantial feature for rooms facing inside the development.
“We can get down to looking at the level of finish and the how the detail’s being pulled off. “But we don’t want to lose sight when you sit and look back at the whole master plan and go, you know what, the whole thing it all just works.”
Mr Hubay said he was blown away that 80 per cent of the homes had sold, including a $5.95m record sale, in a market at that price point Geelong buyer’s don’t typically buy off the plan.
“It’s come up better than we could have imagined, the quality,” he said.
“We always compare back to the original renders but the finished results are better.”
Mr Hubay said the project was the best residential project Geelong had ever seen.
“It’s a benchmark that simply won’t be repeated – from the irreplaceable waterfront setting to the depth of design thinking behind every residence.”
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