Renewal SA partnered with the private sector on this project to investigate cost-effective construction techniques and designs with the aim of reducing apartment costs to increase affordability for home buyers.
- Project Type
- Residential
- Project Status
- Complete
About the project
The Apartment Construction Demonstration Project was an innovative and collaborative partnership between Renewal SA and the private development sector to investigate contemporary design and construction approaches to minimise building costs.
The aim of the project was to explore more cost-effective construction techniques and designs to increase affordability for developers and home buyers alike.
Renewal SA allocated a site suitable for the construction of a four-storey apartment building of 20 dwellings at the successful urban regeneration project, The Square at Woodville West. We worked closely with builders, architects and the wider industry on this project to find more cost-effective ways to build high-quality, affordable apartments in Adelaide.
Objectives and outcomes
The project objective was to deliver a commercially-replicable apartment building for public sale at affordable market price points for inner/middle-ring metropolitan locations.
To achieve this the building needed to meet a target construction cost per square metre that would result in a significant reduction in overall project cost.
It was hoped that, by demonstrating the ability to reduce the construction cost of apartments, smarter development could be encouraged, thereby reducing the cost of housing and increasing opportunities for South Australians to buy a home and live in their preferred dwelling areas.
Industry reference group
To help guide the Apartment Cost Demonstration Project an Industry Reference Group (IRG) was established to provide input and help share the findings with the wider industry.
The IRG was represented by the following stakeholders.
- Urban Development Industry Association (UDIA)
- Housing Industry Association (HIA)
- Property Council of Australia (SA)
- Master Builders Association
- Australian Institute of Architects
- Planning Institute of Australia
- Australian Institute of Building Surveyors
- Builder partner Mossop Construction + Interiors
- Design tender team, Studio Nine.
A builder partner and a design team leader were selected via a public two-stage Expression of Interest (EOI) process.
Stage 1 of the EOI process was to select a builder partner for the project. Mossop Construction + Interiors, who are licensed and experienced in building multi-storey apartments, was appointed.
Stage 2 of the EOI process was to find a suitably qualified design team to work with the preferred builder. Local architecture firm Studio Nine was appointed as the design team leader.
Stakeholders and community
One of the most important outcomes of the project was to share learnings with the construction and development industry, including how reductions can be achieved – particularly around techniques and practices for building layout, site layout, construction methodology and choice of materials.
Research conducted by Renewal SA, design partner Studio Nine and builder partner Mossop Construction + Interiors identified a range of cost-saving approaches to multi-storey apartment construction.