Sentinel Australia is about to commence construction works at the Lot 53 Build to Rent development at Bowden after mobilisation. The 240 homes will sit within a highly sought-after city fringe location, marking a new delivery model for apartment living in South Australia.

The scheme received approval from the State Commission Assessment Panel in 2024. Bowden is an award-winning urban renewal development by Renewal SA on the former Clipsal site off Park Terrace, around 2.5km from the Adelaide CBD.

Appointing Commercial & General’s construction division Tandem Building to lead the multi-million-dollar scheme delivery, the 12-storey development overlooking Bowden Park will offer shared amenities, in-house maintenance services and a diverse mix of apartments to support the varied and evolving needs of residents.

The site was formerly used for temporary car parking on the boundary of Second, Third and Gibson streets. The new, pet-friendly Bowden development will include a mix of studio, one-, two-and three-bedroom apartments, 250 car parks and 87 bicycle parks accessed off Second Street, along with a small retail tenancy at the interface with Plant 4 on Third Street.

Floorplans range in size from about 40 sqm for a studio apartment to 104 sqm for the larger three-bedroom homes. Amenities include a swimming pool, fitness centre, communal lounge, barbeque facilities and two landscaped terraces at podium level. Curated events will also be available.

Every home includes stone benchtops, energy efficient appliances including washers and dryers, water-conscious tapware, double-glazed windows, ceiling fans, LED Lighting and high efficiency heating and cooling systems.

When complete, the scheme will be managed by Sentinel Australia’s subsidiary Kinleaf, which currently operates two of its developed Build to Rent sites – The Briscoe in West Melbourne and The Elements in Subiaco, Western Australia.

Sentinel has approximately 29,000 apartments under management and platforms operating in the US, UK and Australia. As of 31 March 2026, over its 57-year history, the company has acquired and managed over $32.6bn of direct real estate investments, comprising 652 communities containing over 158,000 apartment and 194 commercial properties containing 3.14 million sqm of space.

“Single company ownership of an entire building provides residents with a level of certainty their home wouldn’t be sold after a single 12-month lease cycle.

“In a Build to Rent environment, things like whitegoods are managed as part of the service. If there is an issue, it can be addressed or replaced quickly.”

Peter Gatsios, Executive Director of Residential Projects and Assets, Renewal SA

Next door to the Sentinel site, work is advancing on a further 80 affordable rental apartments delivered by Renewal SA, which will be sold to and managed by a community housing provider. Lot 51, which is currently under construction by Hindmarsh, also includes four terrace homes for private sale and a 221-space multi-deck car park, with 170 spaces set aside for precinct visitors supporting nearby businesses.

Between the two developments, a revamped Field Street laneway will provide a direct connection from Bowden Train Station through to Plant 4 at the heart of the precinct.

Architectural designs incorporate reclaimed bricks from the site’s former Clipsal factory, repurposed into pathways featuring First Nations artwork, increased tree canopy and feature lighting. Bowden is continuing to progress toward completion in the coming years, with two large townhouse projects and one commercial building completed this year, and two large apartment buildings expected to be completed later this year.

In Australia, the sector remains in its early stages but is growing in scale with around 16,000 homes currently under institutional Build to Rent management, largely concentrated in Sydney and Melbourne.

Recent Federal reforms, alongside state-based incentives in larger eastern markets, are supporting growth in the Build to Rent sector across Australia. Sentinel’s third Australian scheme will rise directly opposite Bowden’s central park and is expected to be completed in late 2028.