70 Foxs Lane is built by operators, not developers. Two founder-operators with complementary mastery across hospitality, architecture, and design — partnered with EXPI's capital infrastructure.
The 70 Foxs Lane leadership team brings together two individuals who have each built distinctive, enduring work in their respective fields — and whose skills compose precisely the disciplines this project requires: hospitality operations, community building, architectural design, and the creation of place.
This is not a developer-led asset with contracted operators. Tristan Grier and Luke Chandresinghe are the founders, the operators, and the stewards of this estate. Their skin in the game is absolute.
Founder of Harvest Newrybar, Sparrow Coffee, and Barrio — three of Byron Shire's most enduring and community-defining hospitality venues, each built from the ground up with a deep commitment to provenance, seasonal produce, and genuine Northern Rivers culture.
Over a decade of hands-on leadership spanning concept development, kitchen culture, front-of-house operations, and brand storytelling — building teams and spaces that feel effortless to guests and are built to last operationally.
A personal connection to the 70 Foxs Lane estate through family heritage gives Tristan a rare depth of relationship with the land — a genuine steward who has known this property long before it became an investment opportunity.
Tristan's approach is rooted in seasonality, authenticity, and community — the antithesis of hospitality theatre. Community over capital, provenance over pretension, and a track record in Byron Shire that speaks for itself.
Educated at The Bartlett School of Architecture, consistently ranked among the world's leading schools of architecture, where Luke was awarded the prestigious Faculty Medal for design excellence and graduated with First Class Honours.
Professional experience spans London and Tokyo's most respected design studios, including Hopkins Architects (Stirling Prize winners) and Sheppard Robson, alongside highly design-led boutique practices — before founding Undercover Architecture. Globally operating, with projects across the UK, France, Italy, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Australia.
Recipient of the prestigious Daiwa Scholarship and Japanese Government Scholarship, undertaking extensive research in Japan focused on Shinto spatial philosophy, wabi-sabi material sensibilities, traditional craftsmanship, and the architecture of impermanence. This research informs the material language and spatial philosophy of 70 Foxs Lane.
A craft-driven, land-responsive architecture studio creating designed environments for hospitality, wellness, residential, and lifestyle destinations — from concept through to construction. The studio has masterplanned all ten built pillars of the 70 Foxs Lane estate.
"Together, we envision a dynamic hub where elements intertwine: stunning accommodation with panoramic outlooks, wellness spaces flowing into social areas, energetic recreation meeting country club vibes, all fostering community."
EXPI brings its innovative neo banking platform and investment structuring expertise as an equity partner, providing the financial architecture and capital infrastructure to underpin 70 Foxs Lane's growth. EXPI's involvement ensures the investment is structured for institutional-grade rigour, clarity, and investor protection.
In hospitality and experience assets, operator quality is the primary value driver. The financial projections, the design outcomes, and the community culture that makes 70 Foxs Lane defensible are all downstream of the people running it.
Tristan Grier's track record of building beloved, lasting venues in Byron Shire — and his personal connection to the land — is not replicated. Luke Chandresinghe's architectural and research background brings a rare depth of spatial intelligence to the built environment. Together, they bring the skills that most hospitality projects have to hire in separately, and neither of whom can be easily replaced.
The project is structured so both founders retain operational control and significant equity exposure through the full development and operational phases — aligning their incentives with investor returns over the long term.