Two new buildings in GuavaLime’s fast-developing Flinders St precinct will add 52 apartments to Adelaide’s skyline and feature roof top gardens made famous in the Big Apple.

Headed by architects and developers Michael Loucas and Con Zahos, GuavaLime has kicked off work on the $10 million, six-storey Zen apartments project which sold out in just ten weeks.

That will be followed by Zen2 – a $10 million, eight-storey project which has sold around half of its 26 apartments.

Mr Loucas said the two buildings offered Adelaide buyers a taste of New York with two of Adelaide’s first green roof concepts.

“We’ve introduced the roof garden concept and that’s been a very big success because it gives people a spill out space within their actual building,” he said.

“It will be a space where you can have an outdoor cinema, there’s various spots where you can entertain friends and family – it’s very New York style.”

“We did a trip there a few years ago and we did two days of rooftops – we went from rooftop to rooftop and they’re just everywhere – places that are beer gardens, wine bars and that inspiration drove a bit of this.”

Zen and Zen2 form part of a fast-developing precinct bordered by Flinders St, Tucker St and Dawkins Place and soon to become known as Flinders East.

The $22 million, 14-level Art apartments are nearing completion and GuavaLime has grand plans for the last piece of the puzzle – a 1500sqm site fronting Flinders St.

“The idea is that when you live in Flinders East we want it to be a spot that you don’t really have to venture too far from for your basic needs – to be able to get your coffee or your basic groceries,” Mr Loucas said.

“Zen2 is a critical project for us because we’re almost using Zen2 as a testing ground for the balance of Flinders East.”

“We’re playing around with different apartment types and each of those is giving us a different response. That’s giving us inspiration for the balance of the site which will be something impressive.”

“This was predominantly a commercial precinct,” Mr Loucas said.

“Next door we had Repco and we had a warehouse as well and because it’s been under-represented in terms of development around here, that’s been part of the secret of our success.”

Unlike the Art and Zen projects, Zen2 is not supported by the Federal Government’s National Rental Affordability Scheme.

It offers dual key apartments and a 24-month rental guarantee option, and comprises a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments priced from $299,000 to $585,000.