The Local Project featuring Lorient by Mosaic

Emulating the lapping waves of the Maroochy River, Lorient’s curvilinear design injects subtle luxury into the Sunshine Coast. Just a short walk from the pristine beaches of Maroochydore, the luxury apartments are harmoniously connected to the river, ocean and sprawling hinterland. “You’ve got this building that literally has a connection to all forms of nature in one location, yet you are in the heart of the Sunshine Coast CBD,” says Brook Monahan, founding and managing director at Mosaic Property Group, who designed, developed and built Lorient. “So, it was really important for us that Lorient felt like it was part of this landscape. It had to be organic and simple in its form – the curves were important, but so was the simplicity of material choices that would weather in time,” adds Monahan.

Just a short walk from the pristine beaches of Maroochydore, the luxury apartments are harmoniously connected to the river, ocean and sprawling hinterland.

A collaboration between Mosaic Property Group and architecture firm bureau^proberts, Lorient comprises 15 boutique residences with screening, balconies and room orientations carefully considered to provide privacy, while recessed levels set the development apart from standard flat-surfaced blocks. The generously sized homes range from 265 to 571 square metres and the building is designed to sit harmoniously next to Mosaic Property Group’s sell-out Avalon complex. Lorient also offers a gymnasium, pool, spa, steam room and sauna, and guests have access to a private pontoon and watercraft storage, with the block opening directly onto the river.

Given its pristine riverfront location, the design approach centres on instilling a sense of affinity between the apartment and its surroundings. This begins from the outside; the development’s facade is embellished with Rockcote Cerano European stone, echoing the organic forms of the environment. Entering from the street, one is immediately met with a mature Queensland Kauri pine that reaches part-way up the core of the eight-story building, once again embedding the building into the landscape. “When arriving at the lobby, you get a glimpse of the river for the first time … the view opens up until you eventually arrive at the pontoon,” says Monahan.  Materiality that relates to the coastal context is woven throughout the complex, which boasts more than 200 square metres of stacked stones, timber-composite battens and timber-look aluminium battens.

Walking through the residences, balconies create seamless indoor-outdoor connection and 2.6-metre ceilings and large windows leverage views of the river, Goat Island, Mount Coolum and beyond.

Connection to the surroundings continues inside the apartments. The interior design offers a more refined version of the exterior; the warmth of the American oak timbers through the cabinetry and flooring reflects the external colour palette of the screening, while the natural stone is reflected in the fluting around the island bench. Walking through the residences, balconies create seamless indoor-outdoor connection and 2.6-metre ceilings and large windows leverage views of the river, Goat Island, Mount Coolum and beyond. “Windows 6.6 metres wide and up to 3 metres high create this sense that you are out in the ocean, the river, the view,” notes Monahan.

Sustainability is also key to the design. The building relies on solar panels on the roof, a mechanical heating system adjusted to suit the size of each residence, rainwater harvesting and smart sensors around the garden irrigation system that change depending on the time of year and soil conditions. Meanwhile, a stacked design disperses sunlight and heat, and breezes have been mapped for cross-ventilation.

Given its pristine riverfront location, the design approach centres on instilling a sense of affinity between the apartment and its surroundings.

Lorient’s considered design and striking architecture sets a new benchmark for luxe coastal living on the Sunshine Coast. “The overwhelming success of this project has been that people can’t fully explain what it is that they love because it’s so many little things. But they love how it makes them feel, and I think the sense of how people feel is what’s really at the heart of creating residential projects,” says Monahan.

Architecture by bureau^probertswith Mosaic Property Group. Development and build by Mosaic Property Group.