Community-led, contemporary living.
Quality, community and accessibility first. As it should be. Goulburn Street Housing is a 25-apartment public housing complex in Hobart created from a cluster of forms.
The outcome of a state government collaboration to identify suitable sites for new public housing projects, Goulburn Street specifically addresses the lack of housing for the elderly and disabled. Our design subverts the stereotype for public housing to prioritise natural light, ventilation and generous outdoor space.
CLIENT
Communities Tasmania
IMAGES
Adam Gibson
LAND OF
muwinina
COLLABORATORS
Fairbrother
COVA
Aldanmark
ERA Planning and Environment
Milan Prodanovic
Purcell
WT Partnership
RED Sustainability Consultants
Urban Initiatives
Green Building Surveying
AWARDS
2022 Tasmanian Architecture Awards, Ray Heffernan Award for Residential Architecture
2022 Architizer A+ Awards, Affordable Housing - Finalist
Context was an important consideration in our design approach, and the heritage surroundings inspired everything from materials to form to facade.
We’re proud of the subtle synergy in the development’s bricks and joinery. Most of all, we’re chuffed to know how many people enquired to become a resident. It’s felt meaningful to contribute to public housing’s improvement, and to create apartments where people can live contentedly.
Changing the face.
The development site is a former council car park, with two street-facing fronts. Goulburn Street has a micro-village, community-led feel thanks to its clustering forms.
We wanted the design to feel contemporary, yet also nod to the Georgian heritage residential surroundings. A red brick base offers a robust and tactile reflection of the heritage context, with brick colours and finishes varying across the development. Complementary brick tones both symbolise the sense of community and allow residents to easily identify which apartment is theirs.
Each apartment enjoys up to 29 square metres of private open space in the form of a courtyard or balcony. And, of course, each one is universally accessible - our design meets gold and silver standards of Liveable Housing Design Standards.
Contemporary, complementary.
