Property
Issue No. 42 - August/September 2008
Price point drives innovation
John Culshaw sets about property development challenges as he would solve a Rubik’s Cube, layer by layer, but there the analogy ends. John’s development firm, Pentroth Pty Ltd, engages in projects ranging
from boutique hotels to a sprawling coastal
residential project.
Told he wouldn’t get enough water for his $400 million coastal development project at Point Boston on Eyre Peninsula, John set about getting it himself. And his closed-site solution requires only 10% of its usage from mains water.
Point Boston shows the skills mix, lateral thinking and tenacity the civil engineer, builder and developer, brings to bear. His work is proof innovation can be successful within SA and his approach demonstrates the principle that building projects here can no longer be thought of as straightforward structural problems.
“Our approach is becoming greener and greener,” he says. “What we are looking at is the long-term sustainability of projects.”
Already having a strong solutions for water conservation, he’s also conscious of the looming requirements of emissions trading, noting that hotels “at some point are going to be charging for carbon offsets”.
“Energy cost is going up; we own a lot of properties and we have seen a 30% rise in energy over the past three years. It’s not just the greening side, it’s the monetary side.”
John’s construction CV is a parade of challenges and shows unmistakable evolution towards a holistic development approach.
The Point Boston Peninsula challenge was to develop a $400 million coastal housing project at Point Boston, 12 km from Port Lincoln and overlooking the immense natural harbour, which will ultimately comprise around 1300 dwellings and 3000 people. First stage land prices vary from $110,000 to $350,000 for sea view and beachfront allotments. SA architect John Diekman designed a gallery of 15 ‘coastal architecture’ homes, exclusively for the project...
