St albans sda housing 

Specialist Disability Accommodation _ St Albans VIC. Australia _
Under Construction

St Albans SDA Housing creates homes that enable, rather than disable — supporting independence, dignity and connection to community.

St Albans SDA Housing brings Specialist Disability Accommodation and allied-health facilities together in central St Albans, creating a setting where residents can live independently while remaining connected to care, community and everyday urban life.

Street-facing allied-health facilities activate the ground level, with ten SDA apartments and a carers’ apartment arranged above and behind.

Designed to NDIS High Physical Support standards, the apartments and communal spaces prioritise accessibility, dignity and choice, while open elevated walkways, shared gardens and generous northern light create a residential environment that feels open, social and connected to landscape.

Within each apartment, accessibility is integrated into the architecture rather than treated as an overlay. Generous circulation, adaptable layouts and carefully resolved kitchens and bathrooms support residents with High Physical Support needs while maintaining the character and comfort of a contemporary home.

Natural light, warm materials and direct connections to private outdoor space reinforce a domestic rather than institutional quality, creating homes that support autonomy, dignity and everyday life.

Landscape is woven through the building at multiple levels, creating opportunities for residents to connect with nature, family and one another.

Private balconies extend individual apartments outdoors, while the communal rooftop garden provides a generous shared space for gathering, cooking and everyday social life.

Planting softens the building’s scale and strengthens the relationship between the apartments and their surroundings, while open covered walkways support cross-ventilation and provide residents with outlook, daylight and a sense of connection beyond the dwelling.

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