Case Studies
Wattle Apartments by Churches of Christ in Queensland

Design Feature

Type of project
Structure Plan
State
Queensland
Location
Urban
Completed in January 2017, Wattle Apartments provide 40 modern, purposefully designed, low maintenance homes for seniors who are under-occupying public housing family homes. Located in Acacia Ridge, Wattle Apartments is the third housing project to join Churches of Christ in Queensland’s (CofCQ) integrated community model where community housing, retirement living, residential aged care and community care services are co-located alongside other health and integrated facilities in the one location.

CofCQ’s innovative integrated community model enables residents to age in place with freedom, independence, privacy, dignity and security. The $15.6 million housing development, delivered in partnership with the Queensland Government, provides a practical solution to the issue of public housing not meeting the current and future needs of seniors.
Putting community first
To ensure support and acceptance of the project, Churches of Christ Housing Services (CofCHS) engaged with prospective tenants, the wider community and the existing Churches of Christ Care Brig-O-Doon retirement village and aged care service. Furthermore, CofCHS held several information sessions with local prospective residents to assess their housing needs and willingness to voluntarily transition from their long-term homes. CofCHS invited guest speakers to advise about downsizing and provide tips to support residents with the moving process. Occupational therapists also provided input, contributing to the effective internal design of the apartments.
An important consideration was for eligible seniors living in the Inala Housing Service Centre catchment area to be given first preference to transition to Wattle Apartments. The benefit to the transitioning residents was being able to remain connected to the community, friends, family and the services they currently access.
Churches of Christ in Queensland redefines the later years by providing an integrated model for housing that supports them as they grow older. The project features a range of shared communal spaces and outdoor recreational areas including a community garden, communal clothes drying area, off leash dog park, community centre, mobility scooter parking and charging bays, communal barbeque area and planter boxes. This co-location of community facilities and access to these shared spaces help promote a strong sense of place amongst the residents, and additionally fosters opportunities for physical activity, social engagement and interaction.
Churches of Christ Housing Services presented a Building Housing Options report to the Queensland Government, which was developed in collaboration with colleagues at Brisbane Housing Company. This valuable piece of research helps build on experience in providing modern, purpose-built housing for downsizing public housing tenants. This research will contribute significantly to the evidence base regarding the housing needs of older Queenslanders.
Project team
  • Churches of Christ in Queensland (Churches of Christ Housing Services)
  • Department of Housing and Public Works (Queensland Government)
  • Gatehouse architects and Ryall Smyth architects (Architect)
  • National Construction Management (Construction)
  • Concept Project Management (Project Manager)
  • McLean Consult (Certification)
  • Empire Engineering (Structural)
  • MRP (Hydraulics)
  • Flanagan Consulting (Civil)
  • I – Fire Engineers Pty Ltd (Fire)
  • Ashburner Francis (Mechanical)
  • Seed Landscape Design (Landscape Architect)
  • TD Planning (Town Planner)

Project Cost
$15.6 Million
Health Value
  • The apartments are designed in accordance with either Gold or Platinum standards as prescribed under the Liveable Housing Design Guidelines enabling residents to age in place.
  • At the entrance of the Acacia Ridge complex is a welcoming Community Centre that caters to the social needs and aspirations of the site community and the larger community of which Acacia Ridge Campus is part. The Community Centre also provides opportunities for physical activity for residents.
  • A community chaplain provides the Acacia Ridge Campus with an accessible pastoral care presence. The community chaplain program works in collaboration with community housing, retirement living and residential aged care to provide additional support and resources for residents. The chaplain works to nurture communities that are inclusive, safe, respectful and empowered.
  • Wattle Apartments is in close proximity to a range of desirable amenities including retail precincts, public transport, parks, libraries and medical services, enabling residents to remain connected to their local community. The close proximity of all these facilities allow residents to remain independent and consequently help to maintain confidence, self-esteem and mental wellbeing into their later years.

Economic value
​The public housing properties voluntarily relinquished by under occupying seniors are freed up for the Queensland Government to offer to families on the social housing register or to be redeveloped, providing new affordable housing for people in need. Additionally, residents can enjoy long term cost savings in energy and water through the implementation of environmentally sustainable design principles in construction.
Environmental Value
  • CofCQ is committed to creating purposeful and sustainable developments that are suitable to the community in which they are situated.
  • Wattle Apartments achieved the highest level of sustainability certification available from the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA).
  • The project was commended for exceptional performance across all six sustainability elements - ecosystems, waste, energy, materials, water and community.
  • Building orientation was used to maximise ventilation and minimise summer heat gains as well as make the most of natural light.
  • Residents benefit from an ‘embedded network’ electricity arrangement with Locality Planning Energy which supports the reduction in household running costs.
  • Other measures highlighted by the UDIA include over 80 per cent of the spoil from the site is recycled at a nearby waste station and local and drought tolerate plant species chosen to reduce the need for irrigation.

Social value
  • Wattle Apartments offers a range of communal spaces, including a shared drying court, mobility scooter charging bays, BBQ area and a community room which residents can use as a flexible space for meetings and events. The site incorporates multiple green spaces including a dog park and community gardens where residents can interact, and ultimately may help with reducing rates of isolation and loneliness within the community.
  • In 2015, CofCQ engaged Onward Consulting to complete a social outcomes evaluation of residents’ experiences of having moved to CofCQ’s Mitchelton Campus. The results show that Mitchelton residents experienced increased levels of health and wellbeing. A similar study is now underway for Wattle Apartments.

Use value
  • CofCQ Community Model for seniors, provides community housing that is co-located and integrated with retirement living and residential aged care accommodation. This model provides a range of accommodation options with on-site support services within safe and secure campuses.
  • At the Acacia Ridge integrated campus, seniors can access a range of health services, professional management services, tenancy support and communal facilities such as laundry, meals, community gardens, community care packages and occupational health.
  • The strength and appeal of the model is that once moved in, people can stay in one place and not have to move away from friends and family when they need more care as they age. This provides peace of mind for families, who know that their parents or other loved ones are cared for and supported.
  • By living in an integrated community, residents can volunteer and initiate or join social groups with others, leading to an increased sense of place and feeling of connectedness for residents. Activities people often participate in include community gardens, resident or volunteer run cafes, craft groups, physical activity classes or going to the on-campus hair salon.

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