dandenong sda housing 

Specialist Disability Accommodation _ Dandenong VIC. Australia _ Design Stage

This site responsive, four storey mixed-use development will provide Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and medical facilities to central Dandenong.

The ground plane of the development is to be activated via 510 sq.m. of publicly accessible medical and allied-health facilities, whilst the upper-three levels will accommodate 15 x SDA apartments (2 x two bedroom and 13 x one bedroom) and 2 x carers’ apartments that provide 24-hour health and safety monitoring and support.  Designed to NDIS ‘High Physical Support’ standards, the proposed SDA apartments and associated communal spaces are designed to enable individuals with disabilities (including those with mobility, sensory and cognitive disabilities) to live as independently as possible, while receiving the care they require. 

Access to apartments is via open, elevated walkways that ebb and flow to accommodate semi-private ‘front yards’ or ‘porches’ at apartment entries.  These elevated outdoor spaces are great for small neighbourly get-togethers and for basking in the midday sun.  They facilitate cross-flow ventilation to each and every apartment in the development, and incorporate built in seating and garden beds that encourage greenery to work its way up the building, providing a natural amenity that is not afforded to most apartment buildings.  In addition to these small, localised, elevated gardens, a generous central communal open space for residents is provided by way of a rooftop garden with outdoor eating and BBQ facilities.  Located in the northern corner of the development, this communal outdoor space is sited to facilitate all-year use.

The material expression of the proposal strikes a balance between expressing the structural efficiency of concrete construction whilst celebrating the domesticity and tactility of brickwork and detailed metalwork, particularly at locations where residents interact most with the structure, such as at entry points and balconies.  A generous solar array on the roof, double-glazed windows and in-ground water tanks reduce the environmental impact of the proposal.

At BENT Architecture, we are passionate about creating homes which enable, rather than disable.  This proposed development reinforces this mission and seeks to create a benchmark for environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive Specialised Disability Accommodation that removes the stigma of accessible housing and demonstrates that it's possible to design dignified and uplifting homes for people of all needs.

BENT Team:
Paul Porjazoski, Michael Germano, Lana Blazanin, Alison Hui