Approval secured for innovative build-to-rent scheme in Perth, Australia

A new 26-storey build-to-rent development designed by Howells and Perth-based Plus Studio has been approved for a prominent coastal site in Scarborough, 250 metres from Scarborough Beach.

Planning approval has been secured for 200 West Coast Highway, a 246-home build-to-rent community that will combine 209 market-rate apartments with 37 affordable rental homes for eligible Western Australian key workers.

The project is Howells' first collaboration with Plus Studio in Western Australia, combining Howells’ build-to-rent experience with Plus Studio’s understanding of the local context.

At the heart of the design is a distinctive pinwheel plan, which divides the tower into four articulated forms. Rather than creating a conventional building with a clear front and back, the approach gives the development a strong 360-degree presence while opening up views towards the Indian Ocean and Perth city.

Howells Partner Dav Bansal explains how the form is as much about the experience of living in the building as its appearance. “The pinwheel plan gives the building a strong 360-degree presence, while elegantly articulating the form to open up framed views towards the ocean and the city,” said Bansal.

“It also supports the building’s environmental strategy by bringing daylight deeper into circulation spaces and enabling cross-ventilation. In this way, the articulation expresses a clear visual intent and a means to improve natural light, airflow, and the overall quality of the internal spaces, enriching the experience of its residents.”

Plus Studio Director, Will Schofield, said the ambition was to create a building for Scarborough rather than simply a build-to-rent building located in Scarborough. “The project needed to feel embedded in the daily life of the suburb, from the way residents move through the building to how the public realm responds to the West Coast Highway and the coast beyond,” said Schofield.

“Build-to-rent asks different questions of architecture. It is about long-term liveability and shared spaces that residents will genuinely use over time."

The design responds directly to Scarborough’s coastal setting, with curved balconies, horizontal banding and a warm material palette drawing on the movement and material qualities of the ocean, sand and coastal grasses.

The pinwheel arrangement also brings natural light and air into the building’s shared circulation spaces, while the wider sustainability strategy includes passive design, natural ventilation, rooftop solar, and water-sensitive landscaping. The project is targeting a minimum 5 Star Green Star rating.

At ground level, a landscaped pocket park will create a more sheltered edge to West Coast Highway, providing a place for residents and visitors away from the heat, noise and wind of the road. The podium will also include a ground-floor retail tenancy and resident amenities connected to the public realm.

Shared spaces continue to the top of the building, where the roof has been designed as a communal destination rather than private penthouse accommodation. A west-facing pool and lounge will give residents views towards the Indian Ocean.

The project is being delivered for Meadpoint and will form part of the ongoing evolution of Scarborough, an area identified for significant population growth and higher-density development.

The approval also unlocks a prominent site where existing height restrictions had previously limited its potential for substantial redevelopment.

For Howells, the project extends its international build-to-rent work into a new context, while creating an opportunity to explore how a significant build-to-rent residence can respond to its local setting, climate challenges and the everyday experience of its residents.