Built to Live, Designed for Legacy

WORDS: Annie Hourahane PHOTOGRAPHY Scott Eckel

Bastion Development Group is adapting to the evolving landscape, partnering with Studio Snell, to deliver design that’s more than just a commodity; it’s the very soul of the project

For years, Gold Coast developments have reflected the pressures of pace, market demands and trend-driven thinking. However, a new mindset is growing, where architectural design is created as the beginning of a legacy rather than just a commodity. Leading developer Bastion Development Group has long thought the idea that the Gold Coast deserves architecture that elevates its landscape and honours its growing cultural identity – that’s what Nera Residences is about.

Located at 8–10 Parneno Street, Nera will deliver 87 boutique apartments, six Sky Homes, a full-floor Penthouse, and The Residences – an exclusive trio of homes crafted for a lifestyle defined by design, wellness, and connection, anchoring the soul of Nera. Bastion has partnered with award-winning architecture firm Studio Snell, led and founded by celebrated architect Joe Snell, to create The Residences at Nera. With Studio Snell, Bastion is championing a new standard for the Gold Coast, one where design becomes the soul of the project. The Residences will form part of Bastion’s Limited Edition offering a bespoke collection that embodies exclusivity and craftsmanship, which also includes Nera’s Penthouse, Sky Homes and Ocean House in Palm Beach.

“The Gold Coast is entering a new era of luxury, lifestyle-focused living,” said Alex Wood, CEO of Bastion Development Group. “We at Bastion want to redefine what it means to call the Gold Coast home by placing emphasis on thoughtful design and lifestyle experience to enrich the lives of residents and the local community.” “Studio Snell shares the same ethos, and together we will create The Residences to not merely be a response to market demand but a lasting contribution to the city’s identity and future.” Studio Snell, led by Joe Snell, firmly believes that when architects are invited to collaborate fully rather than simply respond to a brief, the outcomes are richer and more meaningful for the city – “It’s architecture that leads from a position of strength,” Snell says, “not architecture that just reacts.” It’s this mindset, seeing design as the starting point of legacy rather than a step in a process, that aligned Studio Snell with Bastion. As Joe Snell often says, “A blank sheet of paper is already perfect. If you’re going to add something to the world, make it good.”

Joe Snell

Designed by Studio Snell and surrounded by a cascading landscape crafted by celebrity landscape architect Jamie Durie, The Residences embody the idea of design working in harmony, not hierarchy. The Residences, accessed through Burra Street, will be an exclusive collection of just three premium four-bedroom homes, each with en-suites, private rooftop entertainment areas with plunge pools, and full access to Nera’s suite of luxury amenities.

Each home spans three levels plus a rooftop terrace, marrying the privacy of a standalone home with the amenity-rich lifestyle of Nera. Their orientation, planning and façade language are meticulously designed to address the western sun, maximise privacy and the need for light with elegant architectural intelligence rather than compromise.

Snell draws heavily on the design language of Nera – its organic curves, its sculptural silhouette, and its vertical rhythm against the sky to craft the architecturally striking exterior of The Residences. Each home showcases vertical curves, with darker sculptural blades creating the profile of the building. “The Residences aren’t houses; they are sculptural dwellings shaped by light, landscape and intention,” said Mr Snell “Design is not an afterthought. It is the soul of a building, the heartbeat of The Residences.” With construction well underway on Nera by Bastion Built, the project is on track for completion in 2027.

For further on The Residences, please contact [email protected]