Putting dignity into design

‘Summerhill Village’, completed in Victoria, Australia, is overturning existing notions about social housing. Designed by TANDEM design studio, the project will be completed in 2025, with community, sustainability, and the dignity of residents as its core values.

According to related industry reports, Summerhill Village went beyond simply providing affordable residential space and focused on forming a true community through 'design accessibility.' This is an attempt to break away from the uniform, function-oriented design commonly associated with social housing.

The fruit of integrated design collaboration

This project was completed through collaboration in various fields of expertise. ADP Consulting was responsible for service engineering and environmental sustainability (ESD) design, and Drew Rudd Engineers was responsible for structural design. Landscaping was handled by Pollen Studio, and urban planning was handled by Metropol Planning Solutions, resulting in a comprehensive village design.

The disabled accessibility (DDA) review was conducted by Before Compliance, the architectural supervision was performed by Codus Building Surveyors, and the transportation design was handled by Movendo, taking into consideration the convenience of residents.

Social housing, why is it attracting attention now?

The reason Summerhill Village is attracting attention is because the role of social housing is being reexamined as housing inequality is deepening around the world. In particular, in Australia, the residential stability of the low- and middle-income class is threatened due to the rapid rise in housing prices in major cities, and the demand for high-quality social housing is increasing.

This project is evaluated as an example of architectural proof that social housing can be beautiful, sustainable, and give residents a sense of pride. Tandem Design Studio's approach sets a new benchmark for social housing design and is expected to serve as inspiration for similar projects in the future.