The project secured victories in the Heritage, Community Culture, Pioneering, and Civic Leadership categories, as well as claiming the coveted Judges Award.
The judges lauded Make Room for its exceptional leadership, suggesting that if similar initiatives were adopted by councils nationwide, it could significantly address homelessness on a national scale.
This groundbreaking $24.9 million project is a collaborative effort between the City of Melbourne, Unison Housing, the Victorian government, and the philanthropic sector.
The initiative aims to tackle chronic homelessness in Melbourne by providing tailored, short-term supported accommodation with 24/7 wrap-around services.
Gavin Salt, Associate and Residential Lead at i2C Architects expressed pride in the project: “As designers, we are using our skillset to improve someone’s life in a meaningful and tangible way. We are specifying high-quality products and materials that add value to the space and ultimately create a better experience for the people using it.”
The project repurposes a City of Melbourne-owned building at 602 Little Bourke Street, creating specialist accommodation for 50 residents at a time and includes a rooftop garden space.
The innovative funding approach involves contributions from various sectors, with the City of Melbourne providing the building valued at $12 million to Unison for 20 years.
Unison Housing CEO James King emphasised the project’s significance: “The current housing crisis demands collective action to create meaningful change.
“Make Room exemplifies the power of collaboration between a community housing organisation, local and state government, philanthropic organisations, and the private sector.”
As the first known adaptive reuse project in Australia to utilise a Council asset for supported housing for the chronically homeless, Make Room serves as a pilot for the City of Melbourne’s Adaptive Reuse Guidelines.
The project’s potential for replication could benefit communities across the country.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece of Melbourne commended the project team: “We commend i2C Architects and builders Harris HMC for leading from the front with each studio apartment undergoing a complete retrofit to the highest standards. Thank you for helping us change lives.”
With practical completion scheduled for September 2024, Make Room stands as a testament to innovative urban planning and social responsibility, setting a new standard for addressing homelessness in Australia’s cities.
Meanwhile, the awards saw Breathe Architects take home eight awards for their entries, including its Duckett Street by Nightingale Housing, which took out the Precinct rejuvenation and Civic Contribution, Technology and Innovation, Pioneering Award.
In addition, Australian Unity and FK Australia took out the Ageing in Place category for the Victoria Apartment Awards for Excellence with their innovative The Alba project.
Further, Australia’s first long term accommodation for domestic violence victims was recognised in both the Pioneering and Housing Diversity categories, entered by Launch Housing and ARM Architecture.
