The Site
We were approached by Beyond Housing – a community housing provider for regional Victoria – and asked if we would be interested in assisting them with the construction of a new housing development in the rural city of Wangaratta. BY Projects Architecture has collaborated with Beyond Housing on a number of projects in the last decade, and we were more than happy to lend our services for this undertaking.
Wangaratta has unfortunately experienced a shortage of social and affordable housing in recent decades. A partnership between Beyond Housing and the Peter & Lyndy White Foundation has committed to providing safe, secure, and affordable housing in rural Victoria.
Previously occupied by the Max Parkinson Lodge – a single-building aged care facility in Wangaratta’s north – the site was purchased by Beyond Housing with the intention of reimagining it into a community housing precinct. Located at the end of a quiet suburban street and backing onto a beautiful leafy creek corridor, the site is the perfect location.
The Brief
Beyond Housing and the local council were keen to see the site maximised to provide as many one-bedroom and two-bedroom units as possible, without crowding the space and disrupting the serenity of the small suburb. We would need to design a precinct that complemented the existing streetscape, which was made up of single-storey brick houses. It also needed to have adequate spacing between unit blocks, to allow for the enjoyment of the creek corridor behind the site. Importantly, the structure had to be inexpensive yet reliable, since a limited budget was available for the project.
The Design
With the limited budget in mind, we decided on a precinct consisting of two-storey timber-framed units. 13 dwellings were able to be constructed on the site, allowing for generous open spaces and community gardens within the precinct. Every dwelling has access to a verandah or rear garden to soak in the sun and scenery.
Utilising lightweight cladding and brick, we were able to effectively capture the character of the surrounding neighbourhood and create a warm, comfortable, and safe community.
