Elizabeth Tilley, Property Journalist
A Brisbane developer has beaten some of the nation’s best for the second year running, with an apartment tower wrapped in more than 4000 plants taking out a prestigious national property award.
ARIA Property Group’s Trellis project has been named Australia’s Best Residential Development at the 2026 Property Council of Australia/Rider Levett Bucknall Innovation & Excellence Awards — just a year after its Upper House project claimed the same title.
Trellis by Aria Property Group has won a prestigious property award.
Trellis by Aria Property Group in South Brisbane. Image supplied.
The rare back-to-back wins, achieved with two separate apartment developments, put Brisbane’s evolving approach to high-density living in the national spotlight.
Trellis was recognised for its approach to subtropical apartment design, incorporating extensive landscaping, natural ventilation and architectural features inspired by traditional Queenslander homes.
More than 4000 plants cover the building’s façade, while a garden conservatory replaces a conventional podium.
The rooftop pool atop Trellis by Aria Property Group. Image supplied.
Apartments have also been designed to encourage cross-flow ventilation, reducing reliance on mechanical cooling.
Property Council Queensland executive director Jess Caire said the development demonstrated how higher-density housing could respond to Brisbane’s climate and lifestyle.
“Trellis feels unmistakably Brisbane. It doesn’t try to be Sydney or Singapore, it takes the best of the Queenslander, the deep verandahs, the breezes and the connection to the outdoors, and reimagines it for the way we live today,” Ms Caire said.
“We desperately need more homes, but we also need to be ambitious about the quality of the homes and communities we create.”
Jess Caire of the Property Council during a press conference in Brisbane. Picture: Tertius Pickard.
ARIA’s Upper House development claimed both Best Residential Development and Australian Development of the Year in 2025.
ARIA residential development manager Brent Liddell said Trellis had been designed to work with Brisbane’s subtropical conditions, rather than against them.
“For us, sustainability isn’t something you add at the end. At Trellis it’s built into the fabric of the development, with apartments designed for cross-flow ventilation and extensive landscaping throughout,” he said.
The developer said future projects would build on the design principles introduced at Trellis as more Brisbane residents embraced apartment living.
Inside one of the apartments in Trellis by Aria Property Group.
Queensland projects also featured among winners in other categories at the national awards.
The Electrolux Queensland Distribution & Experience Centre, owned by Port of Brisbane, won Best Business or Industrial Park and was named Queensland’s State Development winner.
Inertia Engineering’s LandAI platform, which uses artificial intelligence to test thousands of land development design scenarios, won the Product, Program or Service Innovation award.
Ms Caire said the results reflected the growing national profile of Queensland’s property industry as Brisbane continued its transition towards higher-density urban living.
Help us improve your reading experience
Got a minute? Your feedback will help us build a better experience for you.
