05.12.23
After 20 years of delivering residential and mixed-use developments across Brisbane, Perth, and London, Claire O’Rourke founded Cohere Projects in 2023 with a clear purpose: to challenge the property industry’s short-term thinking and build developments that create lasting value for communities.
Claire’s career spans some of the world’s largest developers—Mirvac, Lendlease, and Barratt London—where she delivered projects ranging from $20 million to $700 million in value. In 2018, she co-founded Bluebird Projects, a Brisbane-based property consultancy specialising in strategic project advisory and due diligence. In 2021, she was recognised as one of Queensland’s Top 20 Business Entrepreneurs.
But scale and recognition weren’t enough. “I wanted to build a company focused on quality, sustainability, design, and genuine community benefit,” Claire explains. “Too often, development is driven by short-term returns rather than long-term outcomes. Cohere Projects exists to prove there’s a better way.”
A Different Approach
Cohere Projects takes its name from the dual meaning of the word: to form a unified whole, and to be logically consistent. “Every decision we make—from site selection to material choices—needs to serve the broader goal of creating developments that improve neighbourhoods, not just occupy them,” says Claire.
The company focuses on residential and mixed-use developments in sought-after locations, with sustainability embedded in every stage of the process. “Sustainability isn’t a marketing line. It’s how we work. It’s passive design, material longevity, energy efficiency, and building for climate reality, not climate optimism.”
Advocacy and Industry Leadership
Beyond her development work, Claire is a strong advocate for the property sector. She chairs the UDIA BCC Policy Advisory Committee and the ULI Queensland District Committee, sits on the ULI National Council, and serves as a Board Member for UDIA Queensland.
“I care deeply about the future of our cities and the quality of development we’re delivering. That means being involved in policy conversations, sharing what works, and pushing the industry to do better.”
What’s Next
Cohere Projects currently has 2 developments underway in Forest Lake. Each project reflects the company’s philosophy: strategic masterplanning, design-led thinking, and a commitment to creating places that last.
“Every site has a story,” Claire says. “Our job is to find its best chapter.”
