Brisbane's new Skye by Pikos apartments put the kitchen at the centre of living well. It's an approach to design excellence which goes hand-in-hand with V-ZUG.
“I’m a believer that everything we put in an apartment should just work seamlessly and not stand out as the feature”, says Pedro Pikos, managing director of Pikos. “It needs to work with all the other elements you have in your design of an apartment.”
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The group’s latest development in Kangaroo Point is no exception, with ample evidence of that goal of effortless integration having been front of mind throughout the project, which smoothly marries Conrad Gargett architecture with interiors by SentioCo. When it came to selecting an appliance partner, V-ZUG was the clear choice for several reasons.
“We know, as a developer, that you actually spend 70 per cent of your time in the kitchen, we realise the significance of togetherness, for a family, for a couple, and it all stems from how we interact within the kitchen,” says Pikos.
“It’s a process of not excluding anyone, including the person that’s cooking; if you are entertaining, they need to be in the centre of it not locked away. So the kitchen needs to be a showpiece as well as being functional and the V-ZUG appliances – not only with their colour range – but just how functional they were with the vacuum drawers, the flexibility with the Combi-steam ovens, it all just works seamlessly.
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Another key consideration was the development’s target demographic. Based on 30 years’ experience observing and responding to trends in multi-res, Pikos made a conscious decision to sculpt Skye by Pikos around a single buyer – the downsizer. Pikos says this cohort is increasingly health focused and informed, including being aware of the benefits of cooking with steam or sous-vide.
“We’re starting to become more conscious of what is more healthy and what is not as healthy,” says Pikos. “So those health and wellness options in cooking were something that I thought were quite unique to V-ZUG.”
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The brand’s sector-leading green credentials are a further appeal for the target resident. “We’re dealing with a demographic where all of those issues, both environmental issues as well as health issues are top of mind. And we found V-ZUG catered more to that type of buyer who was conscious of it than any other product.”
These various factors have seen the apartments feature a range of products from the Swiss manufacturer, including Adora washing machines, Refresh Butlers and Supreme Cooler fridges as well as the aforementioned vacuum drawers and the Combi-steam ovens.
It’s also one of the first developments in Australia to feature V-ZUG’s new Excellence line, which has been more than five years in the making and takes the company’s reputation for timeless design and superior functionality to new heights. New features include a pioneering user interface, auto-doors and carbon neutral production.
The environmental approach at Skye by Pikos deserves mention too, starting a three-tower form which allows breezes and natural light to penetrate on three sides of each apartment. Given that another developer’s earlier DA for the site included 128 units and Pikos have reduced that to 68, this was no small decision. A significant green wall then moderates the western sun in lieu of solid solutions which would block the breeze – and the views.
It’s a generosity that is evident at the macro level – with a rooftop restaurant and pool so that the public can enjoy the spectacular views of Brisbane as well – and at the micro with timeless, future-proofed interiors. Pikos says the target buyer is not interested in renovating anymore, and V-ZUG’s understated design helped achieve the aesthetic longevity the developers we’re aiming for.
“Everything is finished to a very high end, because that buyer is quite discerning,” says Pikos. “You need to be able to look at it in five years’ time and it still has to have a place in modern architecture and design – yet it needs to be comfortable. It has to be elegant.”
Skye by Pikos’s focus on meeting the needs and expectations of its market with quality details and purposeful technology solutions reflects the passion and commitment of all involved. It’s a masterclass in lifestyle excellence.
We think you might like this interview with V-ZUG’s chief international officer, Alberto Bertoz.
