Construction has begun on a social housing project in Melbourne’s West Footscray.
Footscray Lions Cooperative Village, which was designed by Tandem Design Studio, will be located on the site of the existing Footscray Lions Elderly Citizens Village. The project will create 49 one- and two-bedroom apartments for women aged over 55 in need of affordable and secure housing.
In a statement, Tandem said its design process involved researching international best-practice examples from the UK and Denmark and collaborating with the site’s past and future users.
Footscray Lions Cooperative Village by Tandem Design Studio.
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Tandem Design Studio
The complex will be arranged around a courtyard, which will contain a community garden and an orchard. Each apartment will have at least two aspects oriented north or east to improve solar-related sustainable design outcomes; onsite facilities also include solar power generation.
The project is a partnership between Unite Housing Cooperative and the Lions Club of Footscray and is funded by $17.3 million from the Victorian government’s Big Housing Build fund, which aims to deliver more than 12,00 new social and affordable homes.
The co-operative housing model allows residents to help run and maintain the facilities.
“This development will provide women at risk of or experiencing homelessness with the shelter, dignity and support they need when they need it most,” said Victorian housing minister Colin Brooks.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
