Type: Mixed-Use Residential, Affordable Housing
Developer: Fresh Hope Communities and Nightingale Housing
Owner: Fresh Hope Communities (Churches of Christ Property Trust)
Designers: SJB
Site Size: 0.19 acres (0.08 ha)
Date Opened: February 1, 2024
Date Completed: December 31, 2023
Housing: 54 units
Parking (# of spaces): 4 (inclusive of 2 dedicated shared vehicles managed by Goget)
Open Space: 1,076 square feet (100 sq m)
In the Sydney suburb of Marrickville, two not-for-profit organizations—Fresh Hope Communities, the public benevolent institution entity of churches of Christ in NSW and ACT, and Nightingale Housing of Brunswick, Victoria—came together to develop a building that contains 54 units renting at 80 percent of market rates as well as two community-focused commercial spaces. The Churches of Christ Property Trust has provided a 99 year lease for the land, which allows the units to remain affordable far beyond a more typical 10-year period.
One of the ground-floor commercial spaces, dedicated to arts and culture, offers an affordable place for local artists to exhibit work and run creative workshops for residents as well as the wider community. The other commercial space houses a social enterprise café. Operated by a local restaurant, the café runs an exceptional dining experience, as well as community cooking classes, supports emerging hospitality entrepreneurs, and hosts other social enterprise activities outside of a standard café offering.
A community engagement manager and a residence manager both live on site and are tasked with actively cultivating connection among residents through events, workshops, and gallery exhibitions that take place in the ground-floor commercial spaces and throughout the building.
Sustainability weaves through nearly every aspect of the development. The nearby Marrickville train station puts residents within a 20-minute commute to the city. Material choices such as Paperock benchtops made from recycled paper, cocoa rubber flooring derived from leftover cocoa husks, and biodegradable plywood pegboard conserve resources and reduce waste. The building operates without gas (it is a gas free building), generates electricity using solar panels, and incorporates native plantings and green façades. A strategic mix of glass specifications, ceiling fans, and wall/slab insulation have been used. The designers left the concrete structural wall system exposed, and in those areas where paint is necessary, low-volatile-organic-compound paint avoids compromising air quality.
Fifty percent of the units are reserved for priority groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, single women over 55, individuals with disabilities, and key community contributors. All residents must meet income thresholds, with rents 20 percent lower than market value.
The units make highly efficient use of their small footprints by relying on clever joinery and shared community spaces. By taking advantage of the state government’s boarding house provisions, the project introduces a form of communal living rarely seen in the state.
As cities grapple with the high costs of housing, Nightingale Marrickville offers a replicable model that combines environmental sustainability, social cohesion, and economic accessibility while also providing a level of housing stability rarely possible in affordable housing.
