In the lobby of Alexandria’s 41 Birmingham you’re met with the words of a poem. Commissioned for this new building from writer Emily Daves, it’s been laser cut from steel and illuminated in feature lighting against a mirrored ceiling. It reads:

Minutes to hours,
The passing of time.
Be still the moments
where hearts are aligned.
Release all your cares
your truths you do own,
Return now to place
loving hands, hearth and home.

A playful lavish touch, it was created to make the space a personal one, and connect with the residents of 41 Birmingham on a daily basis. The stirring entrance is a taste of what’s to come for buyers and onlookers exploring these apartments. And it’s a hint of what to expect when a residential development team cares enough to be forward thinking. On site, we find all team members on the private rooftop for their latest unveil. For them, the top floor of 41 Birmingham signifies the culmination of years of collaboration, vision and work. They’re insisting it be perfect.

We’re overseeing a rooftop being turned into an authentic outdoor ‘living space’. This building doesn’t seem to be an ego-driven landmark. And it doesn’t feel like a cash-grab development. And they truly believe this penthouse will bring a new style of outdoor living to Sydney.

Developer, Greg Sheehy, of Rubicon Property, is directing final touches. With the rooftop of this penthouse including a Tucci umbrella and custom-made Robert Plumb furniture, he’s now adding ‘styling assistant’ to his credit list. The whole team is.

“That’s a Boffi sink trap,” he says, pointing to a barely-visible pipe under the outdoor kitchen. A minor detail perhaps, but it speaks to a bigger picture. It seems every facet of 41 Birmingham was conceptualised with utmost quality in mind. That ethos trickled into the workmanship of the construction phase. And now it’s being cemented in these final finishes.

“A lot of the time in Sydney developments there is no commitment to the design,” Greg says. “When you do see good design elements, it’s there for apartment presales and then tweaked and changed so buyers don’t receive what they thought they were getting.

“What we wanted to do is promise the type of building we envisaged from the start… and deliver it. That comes with great challenges and expense, but people know they’re getting an honest, robust building, and they get to see what’s been promised.”

Greg is garnering a history of seeing good urban design through to fruition. His second development was 19 apartments known as SOHO Alexandria. Conceived after a stint in Swedish metropolises, he speculated about whether Sydney buyers would go for a 65sqm 2-bed proposal. That size was more reserved for 1-bed designs at the time.

“I thought, if we do have these affordability issues, why don’t we design more efficiently and cater to people’s needs and price points,” Greg says. Those Alexandria apartments were sold out within the first week of marketing and the development went on to win the NSW Australian Institute of Architects 2012 Multiple Housing Award. Four years and a few developments later, the tight-knit team from the initial developments remains.

SJB Architects and SJB Interiors Adam Haddow won his first award with SOHO Alexandria. Now the SJB touch is considered one of the best design signatures in Sydney. That team is onsite at 41 Birmingham as the penthouse rooftop unfolds. Also making an appearance is landscape architect William Dangar, tasked with creating ‘Sydney’s best rooftop penthouse’. Arguably the best of his field in Sydney, he’s known for high-end residential landscapes around Rose Bay, Darling Point and Palm Beach. His is not a name often attached to apartment developments.

“He only did this because he likes our work, he likes what we do, and he knows we see the detail through,” Greg says. “That’s what buyers are buying into with 41 Birmingham – they get a design team that is out of reach for most people when designing a home. But it’s not about us. It’s about making sure the building can shine through, so the new owners can become the star.”

For penthouse buyers, the rooftops are where they will shine. The exterior encourages use of the outdoor space, perhaps even more than the interiors. The area has been compartmentalised into kitchen, spa/shower area and living/dining spaces. It feels much like the inside of a home. “Buyers are normally left with tiles and pot plants – that’s not functional or making the most of Sydney’s year-round climate,” says Greg.

“We thought about what makes a rooftop really special – get the landscaping and climate protection right. Get privacy between each rooftop. Have a lot of space. “You need an outdoor kitchen with water and a sink. If you’re going to add a shower, it needs to be an architectural detail. If you’re creating a living space, where are the TV and cable connections going to be? Once you have an irrevocable commitment to doing something right, all of a sudden you have this rooftop penthouse that’s unlike any other.”

Another rarity for rooftop design is 41 Birmingham’s dedicated service rooms. All gas meters, electricity and air-conditioners are hidden away. It gives owners more space. But more importantly, there’s no noise pollution to taint the outdoor experience. It begs the question why these building utilities and infrastructure are ever welcome on any apartment rooftop or balcony. They’d never be given a place alongside the entertaining space of a house.

The apartments take more cues from Australian house ideas. They read like homes with grand gated veranda entrances and nearby car spaces, all taking advantage of a northern aspect and views of the city. A rear communal courtyard is another William Dangar design.

“People have seen apartments as a transition period to purchasing a house,” Greg says. “But what’s happened is people are buying apartments as a long term experience. They want the convenience, they want the buzz, the cafes, the bars, the retail and the city. Importantly, they want highly designed and considered functional outdoor space because the traditional backyard is no longer a priority.

“We find we’re dealing with the type of buyer who understands and appreciates our differences. We’ve deliberately stayed in a boutique scale of development so we can put a lot of love and passion into designing for them.”

As an onlooker, you spot the building’s nuances the more you explore. Front services are detailed and concealed, showing a level of care at street level – the design considers the neighbourhood and the atmosphere of the area.

The concrete ceilings and beams continue this theme inside. It’s unique, textural, artistic. The cheaper option is avoided there again. Even moving to the upper roof is an experience. It’s a simple staircase flanked in white walls. But under a blue sky, it looks like something light artist James Turrell might construct for an exhibition.

It’s as if the block is someone’s work of art in its own right, before styling has even been thought about.

“Looking back, I was desperate to succeed when I started out,” Greg says. “From here on, I just want to make a really good contribution to the property landscape and give Sydney what it deserves on a global scale.

“I feel like we’ve mastered our craft with this one. Now we want to stay in this bracket, getting better and better at it. Perhaps this drive is why that Boffi sink trap was so important for Greg to point out. It’s a small part of something bigger.

“No one will ever see it,” he says. “But that ethos and attention to detail is what makes 41 Birmingham unique and the rooftop penthouses so perfect.”