The importance of Social Housing in Australia
2 Formal CPD Points

Surging house prices in Australian cities and regions, over the past 12 months, have resulted in the highest price growth in Australia in more than 3 decades.

While comforting for those who already own their home, it’s a sobering reminder to others seeking secure housing tenure – long term renters, low-income earners, young people, and social disadvantaged groups, of an ever-widening economic disparity.

While the expectation of home and land ownership has long been embedded in the Australian psyche, for a growing number of Australians it’s a distant dream and, as price & housing supply pressures flow on to higher costs of renting many people have sought security in social housing accommodation.

Well-designed social housing can be both the saviour and enabler for people at so many levels by improving outcomes for mental health, social connection, education, and employment.

Well-designed social housing therefore has an important role to play in improving people’s lives.

Join our panel of experts next month as they share their experiences in designing, developing, and operating social housing developments.

The webinar, to be led by Sydney Architect and leading social housing designer, Anthony Nolan (Kennedy Associates) along with a group of social housing design and development professionals will include presentations and discussion on the following:

• What are some of the varieties and types of social housing models being built?

• What are the key demographics that need to be addressed? What is critical to delivering successful project outcomes – i.e., good housing outcomes for people?

• What are the key considerations for resident comfort - energy, flexibility, community issues, outdoor spaces, accessibility and being climate appropriate?

• How do we integrate social housing communities within the local area services and activities to imbue connectedness and equality of opportunity and amenity?

• What are the key considerations when designing for residents with special needs - health, accessibility, and cultural groups?

• What are the types of structures of Modern Social Housing Developments - Government, Developer & Non-For-Profit Housing Providers?

• How do architects best design for "sustainable social housing outcomes" that promote resilience against climate extremes and consider the ongoing operational and maintenance costs as well as the living expenses of occupants?

• What is the role for Innovative construction concepts for social housing - prefab/modular possibilities and materials?

• Case studies of various social housing projects throughout Australia.

Cost to attend is $90 per person plus GST. Save 10% when you buy 2 or more tickets. Purchase includes access to live studio recorded webinar, course notes, MP4 recording of the session and CPD certificate

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Anthony Nolan
Director, Kennedy Associates

Anthony is a partner of Kennedy Associates Architects, an architectural and urban design practice based in Annandale, Sydney, specialising in urban design and community, public, residential, and environmental architecture. Anthony has over 25 years’ experience in the design, documentation, and contract administration of a wide range of projects and is an acknowledged industry leader in the integration of sustainability and architecture, with a particular focus on the provision of social, affordable, and accessible housing. Anthony’s recent projects are heavily weighted towards the provision of specialist housing for social and affordable housing providers and for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The projects are spread across a wide range of typologies and scale and provide a good overview of the diversity of housing options for people with housing needs that fall outside of mainstream housing. Anthony’s work has received numerous industry awards. Anthony has been extensively involved in advocacy & has contributed to a wide range of AIA submissions and publications and is a regular presenter of papers at conferences and forums.

Lisa Garner & Andrej Vodstrcil, Lian Architects and Tobias Pond, KTA

Tobias Pond is a senior associate at Kerstin Thompson Architects (KTA) a Melbourne based practice focusing on Education, Civic + Cultural and Single + Multiple Residential typologies. Lisa and Andrej co-founded Lian Architects, a small Melbourne-based practice, following the success of their winning entry in the Victorian Government's Future Homes competition in 2020. Prior to this they collaborated on a range of projects and competitions centred around housing, research, and urbanism. As part of the Future Homes Initiative, Lian is collaborating with KTA to deliver the first Future Homes Demonstration Project for Homes Victoria, a government agency under the aegis of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH). KTA has in recent years been involved in the design of social and affordable housing for both government and non-government clients and is currently undertaking the planning and delivery of several multiple residential projects spanning the social, affordable, build to rent and private typologies. 

Debbie Lyn Ryan & Rob McBride
McBride Charles Ryan Architects

Debbie and Rob are founding Directors of McBride Charles Ryan Architects. McBride Charles Ryan (MCR) is a multiple award-winning practice with enterprise in education, healthcare, and master planning. Debbie and Rob will present a case study on the issues, considerations, and outcomes around PHRP 1 (Haines & Abbotsford Street, North Melbourne - about to commence construction) and compare and touch on PHRP 2 (Bangs Street, Plenary Bid submission). 
 
Some of the areas that they will cover include - 

The importance of these social housing models, what underpins them and how well they are meeting their aims and ambitions.

Integration of social and private housing as one - architectural and urban design strategies, touching on financial delivery models and how these have an effect on architectural outcomes.

The importance of tenure blind, identifying strategies and challenges for community integration.

MCR’s Architectural response and local expression for the North Melbourne project.

The many technical and contractual challenges of the project.

The diversity of housing of type and topology within the context.

The effect of Housing regulations, standards, the market, and areas for improvement.

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Charles Northcote

Chief Executive Officer, BlueCHP

Charles has been CEO over the last 9 years and has taken BlueCHP from $50m of housing assets to nearly $400m. BlueCHP is unique in the Community Housing industry in that it focuses on the delivery of housing supply. BlueCHP has been an innovator in the industry constructing the largest residential timber building in Australasia. In addition, over the last 3 years it has been the largest developer of disability housing under the National Insurance Disability Scheme. Charles will discuss the challenge of making social housing investments viable, how to make the cost of ownership as low as possible over the lifecycle of a home and how to keep the operational costs for tenants as low as possible.

CPD Learning Outcomes - at the conclusion of this webinar attendees will be able to:

1. Explain the different types of social housing models in Australia?
   Design: Schematic Design 4.1

2. List 3 strategies that foster integration of social housing into local communities
   Design: Conceptual Design 3.3

3. Explain how new building and material technologies can create better social housing outcomes for tenants
   Design: Schematic Design 4.6

4. Describe the key considerations in designing for residents with special needs - accessibility, culture, health.
   Design: Project Briefing 1.4/ Schematic Design 4.4