The Canberra Times of 17 August 2009 has the following extract online:
The ACT Greens want the Government to run a design competition to turn the ageing Currong Apartments in Braddon into an ”environmentally sustainable social housing neighbourhood”.
The 50-year-old public housing towers were decommissioned in 2004 in the hope the site would be sold. But it has not been bought and the flats are now used for short-term student housing.
Greens housing spokesperson Amanda Bresnan will seek the Assembly’s support this week to stage the design competition, calling for ”adventurous, worthwhile” public housing architecture. ”It’s time our public buildings offered the lead in terms of innovative and worthwhile architecture rather than following in the footsteps of commercial housing development in the ACT.”
Her motion will urge the Government to hold a design competition to ”create homes for a social mix of residents, which are at the leading edge of energy and water efficiency, sustainable-building practice and healthy, inclusive design”.
She will also ask the Government to look at the example of the K2 Apartments in Melbourne, home to 150 people living in 96 units, about half of which are designed for people with a disability.
A complete background including a virtual tour of the complted K2 development can be seen on the State Government of Victoria, Department of Human Services, Housing website.
There are also articles on the Australian Institute of Architects website in their Architecture Gallery and on the Specifier Magazine website.
Note: copyright of the material in this clipping resides with Fairfax Media. Usage permitted in accordance with the Australian Copyright Act 1968, Section 42: Fair dealing for purpose of reporting news. Source: www.canberratimes.com.au