Henry Brooks
state

The village of 100 self-contained units reflects the relaxed lifestyle favoured by the Kanahooka/ Dapto community as many of the residents have come from the local area to remain close to family connections and maintain existing social networks. 

The master planned community of precincts of 20 or so units that together combine to make the village, is an innovative approach responding to the desire to belong to a community where there is support and social interaction. A core idea is that ‘community’ does not solely reside in the Community Centre. At the Estate, pocket parks within each precinct give the opportunity for communal activities, street parties, places for grandchildren to play or for residents to sit and simply watch the passing parade. Open spaces at the end of the internal ‘streets’ provide space for residents to make their own mark on their immediate neighbourhood.

Within the community is the Jasmine Grove co-housing precinct, co-designed with IRT and a cohort of older women at risk of homelessness. These compact units share common facilities such as a large kitchen, dining and living area, opening out to a large terrace and vegetable gardens. The women who live here have formed strong bonds, often meeting for meals together, showcasing the success of both the collaborative design process and co-housing model.