A social housing project in one of the toughest neighbourhoods has taken out a major design award for its ability to create pride of place without breaking the bank.
The project was one of 20 affordable home demonstrations that were built after a partnership between the Housing Partnerships Office, Building Asset Services and the Office of the Queensland Government Architect.
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REFRESH* Studio for Architecture took out the Job & Froud Award for their multiple housing design at Habitat on Juers, a sixteen-unit social housing project in the suburb of Kingston in Greater Brisbane’s south.
“Habitat on Juers is an affordable social housing project that sets a precedent for socially responsible design for the ‘missing middle’ typology – higher density housing that appears lower in density”, the jury said.
They praised the use of innovative, sustainable materials such as Cross Laminated Timber in the design which prioritised community, sustainability and cost.
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Located on Yuggera land, Habitat on Juers is a mini-community where 16 homes – 12 of which are one and two bedroom units and four townhouses with either two or three bedrooms – are joined by a central “heartspace” with gardens, playground and shared space for entertaining or relaxation.
The architects said “Juers feels different – it was inexpensive to build and manages high standards of accessibility, amenity and sustainability but most importantly it is a place to live happily with pride of place”.
The awards were issued Thursday evening at the Australian Institute of Architects’ Queensland Architecture Awards.
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