Project Introduction
City Collective partnered with Believe Housing Australia (formerly AnglicareSA) to unlock housing opportunities on a complex urban infill site in the suburb of Panorama, in Adelaide’s south. The project sought to revitalise outdated housing stock on a site with sloping topography, transforming it into a vibrant, inclusive community with a mix of two bedroom, accessible, improved liveability and adjoining apartments to provide diversity for Believe Housing’s tenant cohort.
Key Project Challenges
The site presented multiple challenges, including aging infrastructure that no longer met tenant needs and significant topographical constraints. The goal was to create a thoughtfully designed residential development that integrated seamlessly into its surroundings while offering diverse and accessible housing options with open space communal amenity and views to the surrounding Adelaide Hills.
Key Project Innovations
The development features a four-level apartment building catering to a diverse range of residents. A central communal landscape area connects the site with future development opportunities, fostering a sense of community and belonging.
Key design strategies included:
- Leveraging the site’s natural slope to minimise the visual impact of the buildings, ensuring a harmonious integration with the landscape.
- Creating a central courtyard that separates the apartments from the future townhouses, providing a high-quality semi-private space with community gardens and landscaped areas.
- Prioritising equitable access to green spaces, ensuring all residents, regardless of mobility, can engage with nature and enjoy year-round social interaction.
- Promoting mental and physical well-being by offering residents a low maintenance yet enriching outdoor environment.
Outcome
The Believe Housing Australia Panorama development successfully delivers a modern, safe, and welcoming living environment tailored to the needs of its residents, particularly those with disabilities or on low to moderate incomes.
With thoughtfully designed green spaces, including a community garden to enhance liveability, this project exemplifies how innovative urban design, and architecture can transform a challenging site into a thriving, inclusive residential community. It also contributes to addressing Australia’s housing supply crisis by offering high-quality, affordable housing solutions.
The federal Government’s Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) is directly supporting the construction of new housing around the country, making sure that the most vulnerable Australians are looked after but also increasing the supply of rental stock across the board.
On 4 April 2025, the Panorama Residential Development was officially opened, with the Hon. Nick Champion MP, South Australian Minister for Housing and Urban Development and Minister for Housing Infrastructure, and the Hon. Clare O’Neil MP, Federal Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness, in attendance.
The Ministers saw firsthand the transformative impact of the Housing Australia Future Fund and had the opportunity to engage directly with residents whose lives have been positively changed.
“Housing changes lives…. and the lives of dozens and dozens of people have been changed,” said the Hon. Clare O’Neil MP.
City Collective is proud to contribute to this important work, supporting affordable housing outcomes for vulnerable Australians through meaningful partnerships with housing providers like Believe Housing Australia.
Client
Believe Housing Australia (formerly AnglicareSA)
Location
Panorama, SA, AUS
Primary sector
Housing & Mixed-Use
Value
$13.7M AUD
Project years
2018 – 2024
Services provided
Urban Design, Architecture, Interior Design
Project team
Project Director – David Cooke
Project Architect – Caroline Adams
Design Lead – Sam Wiechula
