The Mount Waverley project – An elevated practice in affordable housing

The leafy postcode’s latest addition includes 96 apartments, ranging from 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms, just off High Street Road. Here, residents can enjoy communal facilities purposefully designed to foster more organic interactions, like: terraces, an indoor lounge, bike store, barbecue facilities, and meeting room.

The project was shaped by a detailed needs analysis conducted by Urbis, which highlighted the needs of those most vulnerable to housing insecurity within the area. Promoting stability and wellbeing, the Mount Waverley project provides seniors and women aged over 55-years with a sense of community, connection and belonging.

The site was originally purchased in 2017, with plans for a build-to-sell offering. However, follow up discussions with the National Affordable Housing Consortium (NAHC) resulted in a successful application for funding under the Big Housing Build initiative, financed by the Department of Treasury and Homes Victoria. Today, the project responds to one of the fastest growing demand cohorts on the Victorian Housing Register (VHR); women over 55.

Architecturally speaking, the building demonstrates how affordable housing can be woven into a suburban context, without compromising on quality or style. LIFE Architecture and Urban Design (formerly CHT Architects) in collaboration with SORA Interiors, selected materials and treatments to align with the established character of the suburb. The brick-look facade on the ground floor is not only aesthetically pleasing, but durable, contributing to the building’s overall longevity.

In terms of sustainability and energy efficiency, Pace’s Mount Waverley project sets the bar for affordable housing. Achieving EnviroDevelopment certification and a 7-star NatHERS rating, the build boasts an impressive 90% recycling rate for civil and construction waste, a 10kW rooftop solar PV system, and the implementation of an Embedded Network. The network allows tenants to access electricity and other utilities at reduced rates, enhancing the affordability of living well into the future.

Further, the building is filled with energy-saving LED lights and trimmed in a landscape of natural vegetation. Everything from orientation, layout and materials have been carefully considered to maximise natural light, ventilation and energy efficiencies, while creating a comfortable, aesthetically pleasing environment.

The Mount Waverley project exudes an innovative spirit, as the first of its kind in the area. Responsive to the needs of the community, the build reflects the diligent planning, collaboration and project management that Pace is known for.