Developed in collaboration with Monash Art Design & Architecture (MADA) and NMBW Architects and supported by the Victorian Property Fund and an Australian Research Council grant, our St Albans began in September 2019 and was completed in 2021. It won the 2022 Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Award in the Multiple Dwelling category and was shortlisted for the National AIA awards and nominated for the 2022 UDIA Award for Affordable Housing category. The seven-apartment project is unique for multiple reasons. It is an innovative research project and combines high design principles, with a new approach to accessibility and ageing in place by incorporating moveable walls and joinery to allow owners to configure their own homes. It also enables flexibility to reconfigure rooms for a succession of tenants over time.
This project also explores a new affordable housing model that meets current regulations applicable to a standard single allotment in Melbourne’s middle-ring suburbs. Importantly, the design is focused on meeting the needs of the elderly but is not officially ‘elderly housing’. A fluid floorplan allows any apartment to accommodate a range of tenants of different ages and abilities, aiming for a mixed community.
Housing Choices
Developer: Partners:
Victorian Property Fund, Monash University Art Design & Architecture
Architects: NMBW Construction: Chancett Builders Budget: $3.25 million Density: 7 apartments
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