From private lifts to full-time security staff, luxury penthouses are comparable to compounds

Privacy is a must-have in luxury developments, where high-profile buyers demand high-profile security. Today’s multimillion-dollar apartments come with innovative features such as exclusive lift access, private entrances and number plate recognition systems.

Affluent buyers expect a lifestyle that will provide them with true sanctuary from the world outside, says Elaine Pitts, project director at CDMS, the developer of West Village in Sydney’s CBD.

“At this level of the market, security and privacy are not amenities – they’re actually non-negotiable expectations,” she says.

“Often, those buyers live very dynamic or high-profile lives. They are global citizens who travel frequently and value privacy, security and anonymity. And so for them, the true luxury in the level of security is not about being seen, but having the freedom not to be.”

The penthouse at Napier 235, in Melbourne’s Fitzroy, has security and privacy covered with a lift that opens exclusively into the residence and a spacious, secluded rooftop terrace.

“High-net-worth buyers want the privacy, they want the connection, but they want it on their own terms,” says Steven John Scalise, principal sales associate at Harcourts RPG.

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“Typical apartments have balconies, and you don’t have a choice about whether you are seen. You sort of get on the balcony, and you are on display.

“But with buyers at this kind of level, they’re looking for choice. They’re looking to make the decisions themselves.”

In addition to modern technology, the presence of a concierge and 24-hour security patrols will provide residents at the Jewel Private Residences at Surfers Paradise with reassurance.

Adrian Parsons, managing director of Total Property Group, compared the building’s security to that of a prestige hotel.

“It’s an assumption that you have security, but it’s not an assumption that you have manned security,” he says.

“So, that’s sort of a real level up in the Jewel building that they do have security patrols. It’s just another layer of quality, luxury and peace of mind for people.”

At the uber-luxurious Waruda penthouse in upmarket Kirribilli, Sydney, priced at $65 million, security has been comprehensively designed to protect residents, even in the event of a technology failure. The building has dual lifts – one for residents and the other for service professionals – as well as a lock-off feature that ensures service areas are physically separated from the main living quarters.

“So, you can have your concierge come up, deliver goods or items and not have to walk into your apartment whatsoever,” explains Oliver Stillman, associate director of residential at Colliers.

“And if for whatever reason in the very, very unusual case that the lift would either stop working or go to a different floor, all those lobbies would lock off too. So, no one can just walk into your apartment.”

At the 671 Chapel St project in Melbourne’s South Yarra, developer CASA has gone for a multi-layered security approach. In addition to a concierge who manages deliveries, the building’s lobby can only be accessed with a fob. Each apartment has a video intercom system with entry points, and the lifts are fitted with CCTV.