The lost art of Perth’s early apartment living

As Perth grapples with contemporary housing challenges, it’s worth remembering apartments have been woven into our city’s fabric for nearly a century. With housing affordability approaching crisis levels and urban sprawl stretching the metropolitan area’s boundaries, many are calling for increased density as though it were a novel solution. However, the Lawson Flats, which were constructed in 1937 and still standing proudly on The Esplanade, tell us something profound about how Perth once approached apartment development. Built during the Great Depression, these apartments not only provided much-needed housing but they were also an economic stimulus package wrapped in architecture. The Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society’s decision to use local labour and Australian-made products created a template for how housing development could serve multiple community needs simultaneously. This thoughtful approach to development feels particularly relevant today. Recent analysis from CoreLogic and Archistar identified the potential for more than 163,000 new strata dwellings across Perth – a number which appears daunting until we consider how our predecessors approached similar challenges. The report identified 66,062 potential development sites across the metropolitan area but only 15 per cent of these were classified as low complexity sites ready for straightforward development. What’s striking is the scale of development being considered – an average yield per site of just 2.5 units, which is far from the towering apartment blocks that often dominate development discussions. This missing middle approach actually harkens back to our city’s early apartment developments, which were typically modest in scale but rich in community consideration. The 1930s and early 1940s saw Perth embrace apartment living with developments that included thoughtful amenities and community considerations. The three-storey Marginata Flats built in 1941 in the Perth CBD demonstrated how medium-density living could be achieved while maintaining privacy and comfort through features like private balconies and varied unit sizes. Today, with 47 per cent of Perth’s potential development sites within 2km of train stations, we have a similar opportunity to enhance community living through thoughtful development. Areas such as Morley in the City of Bayswater, and Balga and Mirrabooka, show significant potential for new dwellings on low-complexity sites. These areas, with established infrastructure and community facilities, mirror the conditions which made Perth’s early apartments successful – proximity to amenities, transport links and existing community hubs. The task ahead involves more than just identifying sites between houses and high rises. Our predecessors understood successful development required a delicate balance – creating homes while strengthening community bonds and stimulating local economies. This holistic approach, not just the physical spaces, may be the true missing middle in Perth’s modern development story.