Diversity holds the key to density
The nature of residential development today is fast moving and complex. It has resulted in change, and with change comes fear, along with a heady mix of media commentary and vocal opinion.
Much of this is simply because apartments have never been embraced in our traditional national image of rural and suburban landscapes.
The place of apartments in our cities has been a subject of continual debate – held up as examples of developer excess on the one hand and almost alien examples of cosmopolitan living on the other and for some commentators regarded as ‘the slums of the future’.
Apartments represent big city life and the tangible reality of rapid metropolitan growth and densification, however a myriad of niche drivers are working to shape our housing.
Australia is now a very diverse society.
Statistical data and crystal ball forecasting reveals that more Australians are living in and will increasingly move towards apartments. The National Housing Supply Council has estimated that seven out of ten households can now be termed ‘non-traditional’.
Whilst traditional two-parent households will increase by 20% over the next two decades, the number of couples will rise by 36.7% and the number of single households will soar by 63.7%, with the 65+ age group being the fastest growing in Australia.
Of these, one in five will be single when they retire, and they will be mainly woman. We are also becoming increasingly Asian in our population makeup, with our stable political system and relatively clean physical environment being a desirable destination for migrants.
Our changing city economies based on professional and financial services and education has also played a role. The post-manufacturing-era economy has seen the advent of education as one of our biggest economies, with international students clustering around our universities in new apartment projects.Meanwhile the so-called ‘creative hipster’ set have assisted the revitalisation process of our urban areas, attracting cashed-up boomers and pushing up housing prices in the inner and middle suburbs, and in some instances, beyond. Our cities are now a series of villages of unique character and culture.
Proximity to jobs, education, entertainment and good coffee has been a major target of younger apartment renters, with investor-landlords doing well. Their attitude to the traditional urban fringe is now less attractive due to long commute times, the lack of jobs, infrastructure and services.
This has been highlighted by the Grattan Institute in its report “Getting the Housing We Want” that Australians do not all want to live in detached housing, with many preferring a much more varied mix of residential options. The downturn of project house-and-land packages on the fringe, along with an increasing shortfall in the supply of terrace housing, townhouses and apartments in established areas, are evidence of this shift.
The ability to deliver good quality commercial residential architecture within a tight financial framework is one of architecture’s greatest challenges.
Commercial apartment construction costs range from $2,500 to $3,000 per square metre and are increasing, compared to a cost of around $900 to $ 1,000 per square metre for detached housing in the fringe.
The typical Melbourne apartment now needs to sell for $8,000 to $10,000 per square metre to cover the cost of development, land and to provide a return commensurate with the risk of development. On this basis a small one-bedroom apartment can cost as much if not more than a new house and land package in an outer suburb.
As a consequence, apartments are increasingly being downsized to meet entry-level price points and budgets, with some projects offering micro apartments of 35 square metres.
But how much smaller can they go?
The crucial ingredients in residential architecture are unchanged. It is empathy for the occupants who are seeking a home that balances function and amenity, aspiration and budget. Getting this right is the basis of good housing to meet the needs of a very diverse and changing society.
Where and what we choose to live in and the financial options to develop, construct, own or rent will have a significant impact to the housing sector.
As architects, we are faced with doing things differently, driven by changing consumer preferences and desires, skyrocketing building costs and skill shortages mirroring today's more diverse, chaotic, networked society.
Innovation in prefabricated manufactured systems will assist reduce construction costs. Smaller apartments can be adaptable with flexible plan configurations, and beyond the front door, the provision of communal and shared spaces such as lounges and rooftop gardens provide different forms of residential amenity.
There will be no silver bullet, but many varied solutions required to deliver the type and quality of housing we want.
Rob Stent is a director Melbourne-based architecture, interior and urban design practice Hayball and is a past president of the Victorian chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects. Among the buildings he has designed is Lend Lease’s completed Serrata apartment building in Docklands, one of Melbourne's first apartment buildings to achieve a four-star Green Star rating.
