NEW PROJECT RELEASE: Student housing offers potential to help ease affordibility crisis

11.06.17

Purpose built student housing (PBSH) has the potential to inspire a new form of Go Get or Uber-style accommodation helping to ease the nation’s housing aff rdability crisis, a leading Sydney architect said today.

Allen Jack + Cottier (AJ+C) Director Michael Heenan said new models of student housing being designed and built across Australia could be adapted for a significantly broader range of purposes – helping to meet the needs of a growing number of Australians squeezed out of the housing market.

“AJ+C has been exploring ways in which student housing models can be reimagined as innovative and successful new forms of affordable housing – an experimental Go Get or Uber style model if you like of collaborative consumption,” Mr Heenan said.

Accelerating and ongoing demand for student housing across Australia has seen it emerge as a major property sector growth area. In recent months alone, AJ+C has completed a range of projects for students and universities across Australia. These included two Urbanest buildings in Darling Harbour,

the fi rst opening earlier this year and the second due for completion by year’s end, along with student accommodation from Perth and Kalgoorlie in WA to regional NSW. “By its very nature, student housing is designed to be flexible, adaptable, affordable and sustainable – lending itself in our experience the potential to be reinvented for other markets.