The three developments in Mount Druitt, Fairfield, and Liverpool are believed to be Australian firsts. Most strata apartments sold out before their completion in 2021. The social housing units are designed specifically for women over 55.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals that women over 55 are particularly vulnerable to homelessness. In 2021, almost 5000 women in this age group were on the waiting list for social housing in NSW alone. Meanwhile, 405,000 women over 45 were considered at risk of housing affordability stress and subsequently becoming homeless, as estimated in the ‘At Risk’ policy report by Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) and Social Ventures Australia.
“At their core, these residential builds are designed to be good neighbours – positively impacting both occupants and the urban fabric they inhabit,” GroupGSA director Lisa-Maree Carrigan said. “Anglicare prioritised strong external engagement and GroupGSA has embraced this in terms of spatial design, the look and feel of these buildings, the interactions they cultivate and the micro-communities they engender. Larger developments have public realm interfaces and spaces that can be made available to the broader public, enhancing the community’s experience and maximising the urban fit.”
Anglicare development manager Daniel Jukic underlined the need to give due consideration to the specific needs of residents when designing affordable homes – beyond creating efficient floor plans and making intelligent material selections.
“GroupGSA implemented this understanding into their design, with every decision considering ways to foster connections between people, from the design of communal spaces to the movement of people throughout the buildings. In doing so, they helped to create not just a building, but a home.”
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Lisa-Maree, a Director and multi-award-winning architect, is a design and thought leader with a global perspective. Her extensive industry knowledge from working in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Australia underpins her purposeful, visionary design excellence.