Mixed-Use Vertical Villages: The Future of Urban Housing

Abstract

A discussion of the architectural, urban design, economic and community underpinnings of the mixed-use village as a viable and sustainable urban housing type with practical examples carried out by Jackson Teece. The planning, architectural and urban design principles are distilled. Following a general discussion based on his interview with The Urban Developer, Daniel Hudson focusses in more detail on their Indooroopilly project in suburban Brisbane, as a case study. The mixed-use vertical village is posed as a model for housing provision that is community based, integrated into the urban setting and oriented to transit and walkability.

About the Author

Daniel Hudson is an Architect and Director at Jackson Teece. While primarily overseeing the firms varied portfolio of work in Queensland, he is responsible for the design and delivery of many of their major mixed-use projects Australia-wide. His work is driven by a commitment to creating meaningful community connections, integrating passive design principles and fostering a strong relationship between architecture, the urban context, the natural environment and the cultural history of place. Contact: dhudson@jacksonteece.com +61 732362771

Preface

This article submitted by Daniel Hudson includes an extract from his interview with The Urban Developer on “Mixed-Tenure Vertical Villages: The Future of Urban Housing”, published on 31 March 2025. As we search for solutions to the housing crisis Daniel Hudson presents to us, with built examples by Jackson Teece, the mixed-use vertical village as a possible model for the future.  The work of Jackson Teece goes far beyond the provision of housing units, which is a commodity- and delivery-driven objective. Rather, they bring architecture, economics and urban design together to create a whole environment for living. This means decent housing choice with a community and place identity, the revitalization of the street or district in which the development sits, access to transit, walkability and commensurate benefits for occupants. The approach of Jackson Teece is to work with developers and the community to find financially practical, and socially and environmentally acceptable, solutions to housing design and building within each context in a way that achieves these results. It is both human and practical. 

Raeburn Chapman, Editor, Urban Design Review.

An Overview: Discussion with The Urban Developer 1/

Mixed-tenure residential projects are gaining traction in the Australian market not only for the social benefit of healthier communities but also the financial returns developers can derive.  While that mixed-tenure stack has historically been eschewed, there are now live examples of where it is thriving on Australian shores, and there is more in the pipeline. The different housing tenure products provide diversity of revenue and investments streams with the opportunity to capture government funding to help unlock development opportunity further.

Jackson Teece’s multi-disciplinary design team is spearheading the master planning process to create multi-generational and mixed-tenure developments that work. The team is creating new vertical communities that fuse build-to-rent, build-to-sell, social and affordable housing 2/. A great benefit of multi-generational and multi-tenure development is having diversity of ages and healthier communities.

Northsea breaks the mould

For Northsea, a project for Traders in Purple in Wollongong and described as Australia’s first mixed-tenure community housing development, the Jackson Teece team collaborated with ADM, an architect based in Wollongong who we have a strong relationship with and are currently working on a number of city shaping projects in the Illawarra area. Traders in Purple are a reputable private developer with a diverse portfolio of work spanning from mixed use urban regeneration projects to lifestyle precincts and community housing in locations across Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania.

The Northsea project integrates multiple housing types in one structure: social housing at the base, affordable housing in the middle, and market-rate apartments with ocean views at the top. The design breaks up the form to maximise privacy and views for residents.

We’re seeing this direction where social housing, affordable housing and build-to-sell apartments can successfully coexist within the same building, creating more balanced communities.  In the past, there has been a perceived reluctance for buyers to purchase luxurious apartments in a development with social housing, but we see this project as a great opportunity to debunk that and show people that it can work.

This approach has attracted attention from social housing providers nationwide, who now view mixed-tenure vertical communities as viable models for future development.

In projects like Northsea the inclusion of social and affordable housing can unlock government funding or incentives 3/. Market-rate units with premium views generate strong returns and provide a more stable financial model that better withstands market fluctuations.

Economic advantages of diverse development

A diversity of commercial uses together with a diversity of demographics occupying a development means the facilities are patronized over a greater portion of the day. These spaces are more likely to be used from 6am until midnight, rather than if you were just concentrating on one demographic. Mixed use developments with retail uses at the base create interaction with the public and also act as an extension of the communal areas within. This constant activation generates economic benefits for retail tenants while fostering vibrant, safer environments.

Spaces populated throughout the day are a win-win-win. They become more welcoming and sustainable as community assets. This translates into stronger commercial lease returns, lower vacancy rates and more resilient long-term performance.

The multi-generational, mixed-tenure approach offers additional economic advantages that help developments remain viable despite rising construction costs and tighter lending conditions. Combining different housing types and tenure models diversifies revenue streams while maximizing land use efficiency.

Multi-generational development is also capturing the attention of retirement living developers looking to build vibrant communities.

There are great community benefits for precincts to co-locate seniors living developments with multi- residential and potentially student housing uses, fostering rich cultural connections.

Vertical villages that foster connection

Creating thriving multi-generational communities is about creating seniors living facilities that integrate and interface with broader residential offerings. This concept is creating a dynamic shift in the way seniors living assets are being designed and built. It has evolved from an aged care base and the seniors living tower above, toward assisted living where people can still live in their independent living apartments and start to have enhanced levels of care provided to them.

When these communities are incorporated into developments with diverse housing options, younger and older residents interact naturally through shared spaces, creating an authentic neighborhood experience.

Anglicare Woolooware Shores

The Jackson Teece-designed Anglicare Woolooware Shores development at Taren Point, a small waterfront suburb in southern Sydney, draws on these learnings to create an integrated community. Developed in stages, it combines independent seniors living apartments with residential aged care facilities. The first stage, which delivered 42 seniors living apartments and a 48-bed residential aged care facility, won the 2021 Urban Taskforce Award for Best Aged Care.

Its design set out to create a vibrant, multi-generational community with diverse new facilities, maximizing water aspects and district vistas. The strategic integration of community spaces and landscaped common areas fosters connections among residents and visitors, promoting a sense of community and well-being.

The art of creating community spaces

Central to successful diverse communities is Jackson Teece’s approach to communal space. The communal space is critical. Having high quality external and internal communal space that is activated and welcoming, with a variety of different uses, is key to having a healthy community.  Success occurs when you have people who interact.

Indooroopilly

Designing communal spaces in a mixed-tenure development has unique challenges. You need to provide communal spaces where people don’t feel exposed and feel comfortable utilizing them. Sometimes that means providing multiple different communal spaces with varying designs. In Brisbane’s Indooroopilly development on Station Road, Jackson Teece focused on creating public and private spaces across the project. Indooroopilly is presented in more detail below.

As housing affordability pressures mount and populations age, we believe that this integrated approach offers valuable lessons for future development creating stronger, more resilient and more authentic urban communities.

Urban context

These different developments are underpinned by a design response to their urban context and are intended to deliver urban design outcomes underpinned by key social and economic agendas. Together, they establish the preconditions for a community, a thriving precinct and a revitalized urban district. The design of the Indooroopilly project is a case in point.

Case of the Indooroopilly project

We believe that the Station Road development at Indooroopilly, one of Australia’s first mixed-tenure (social, affordable and build-to-sell) projects will be a catalyst for similar projects across Australians major population centers. The diverse program of housing and tenure, together with land use mix and community facilities, makes this possible.

The scheme

Keylin the developer, who focuses on city shaping projects which make positive community contributions, had already proposed a significant build-to-rent and build-to-sell development on the 6337sq m site, which has been approved, but last year it was identified as a key project under the State Facilitated Development Assessment process. The project was then redesigned to include at least 15 per cent affordable housing as part of the mix made up of 480 residential apartments, 45 short-term accommodation units and commercial, retail and office space. It is this scheme that is now put forward for Development Approval. There is in fact another parallel government approval which will reduce the car-parking by approximately 22 cars and increase the apartments by approximately 50 and reinforcing the transit orientation of the development.

A photomontage of the full development in its urban setting is shown below. It can be seen that there are two architectures: that of the podium which interfaces with the city and that of the towers which are linked.

Indooroopilly consists of four towers between 15 and 20 stories in height. Three of the buildings provide 432 build-to-rent apartments (including 39 “affordable” and 44 short-term accommodation apartments) in a consolidated development with community facilities and a mixed-use retail podium. The fourth tower provides 46 apartments designed for owner-occupier sales. The build-to-rent facilities have recreational areas, gym and wellness spaces, large co-working and meeting facilities, recording studios and rooftop areas with lounge and entertainment spaces and private dining areas designed with views to the city. A retail precinct at ground level has food and beverage as well as ancillary retail shops that act as an extension of the build-to-rent community.

Design principles and intended outcomes

-A mixed-use development based on housing choice and the creation of a community that breathes new life into the urban centre of Indooroopilly, making this an urban revitalization project. The provision of a diversity of housing alternatives and mixed tenure options of large number was aimed at creating a thriving precinct within the broader community of this established Brisbane suburb.

-A transit-oriented design (TOD) which is 2 mins walk from Indooroopilly train station, 100m from a bus interchange and a major neighborhood shopping complex. This development sets a pathway for a reduced need of car usage and ownership. A car-share program, green transport strategy, as well as cycle and running club facilities is intended to result in a community that is more likely to pursue active transport options resulting in a minimal impact on traffic generation and the environment.

-The retail arcade draws people into and through the site utilizing a travelator to access the plaza and creating a walkable transition along Station Road for less abled people. It further activates the space and provides opportunities for both residents and the public to pause and to escape the summer heat.

-The podium design has organic forms with hanging gardens and trees reflective of a steep river bank on the outer edge of a turn on the Brisbane River, softening and enhancing the built environment on Station Road. The frontage to Station Road acts as an expansive “verandah,” reflecting the architectural style of this suburb’s numerous classic Queenslander-style homes.

-The ground plane is permeable. It is punctuated by vistas and view lines through the development and is enhanced by greenery. It encourages pedestrian traffic, allows passive surveillance and encourages cool breezes to move across shaded thermal mass resulting in a reduction of the heat island effect.

-The buildings have been designed and oriented to maximise the number of apartments with a northern aspect (important in the southern hemisphere) which allows winter solar access. The tower facades feature extensive fenestration and screening which, together with horizontal slab extensions, provides a high level of solar protection necessary on the Australian continent, particularly in sub-tropical Queensland.

The compendium of drawings below (Figs 7-13) give a sense of the underlying analysis and design principles of the project proposal:

 

-Equity is an important consideration. The build-to-rent accommodation for the project accords with the Livable Housing Design Standards (LHDS) to provide equitable access to housing, meeting the needs of the community including older people and people with mobility limitations. Equitable access throughout the development’s retail and communal areas and to each apartment is achieved. All apartments have been designed to meet the circulation requirements and 40 percent have been designed to meet the LHDS internal requirements. A pool of fully compliant car spaces is assigned for flexibility and to meet the requirements of each resident.

-Consideration of environmental, social and corporate (ESG) governance has underpinned each facet of the evolution of the design. The development as a result should have a positive impact for residents and the broader community. Its biophilic design (balancing nature, people and the built environment) establishes a sense of place. It is responsive to the needs and aspirations of an evolving community into the future. The emphasis on activation and maximization of public interfaces and creation of publicly accessible spaces blend the public and build-to-rent community.  Diverse housing supply across the development provides varied apartment configurations for a multitude of family sizes and individuals of all ages. Build-to-rent residents have access to high quality communal recreation facilities, co-working spaces and health facilities.

-This creates a socially equitable and integrated community but one which connects to the urban environment in which the developments sits. The planned mixed-use development on Station Road is aimed at completely transforming Indooroopilly’s high street. The project’s unique blend of responsive place-making through biophilic architectural and urban design principles and the pedestrian-centric design makes for an engaging community hub.

CONCLUSION

The concept of bringing multiple modes of housing together in master-planned communities which can utilize various models of tenure and equity to unlock the opportunity for housing delivery is for us compelling. Jackson Teece is starting to look across the living sector at other models of tenure including the Shared Equity Housing model in the UK.

Architects and urban designers can play an important role in creating: well-planned housing with choice and views, a communal setting, a biophilic environment, development that is integrated with its urban context including a transit and walking orientation, a street life, a design response of the development to surrounding urban fabric and streets, permeability through the development and a development which helps revitalize streets, urban centres and places.

Our work necessarily involves participatory and negotiation process, finance and even governance. In this way we create living environments, a community and urban integration.

Acknowledgements

The first part of the text is courtesy of The Urban Developer, Australia.

All photos and drawings are by Jackson Teece unless indicated otherwise.

Notes

1/

The Urban Developer refers to an organisation which is the largest community of property developers and urban development professionals in Australia. It is a source of Australian property news, information, market research, education and events. As a platform that brings together a network of players with a focus on sustainable development, equitable communities and suchlike it aims to improve the quality of life in cities.

2/

Build-to-rent (BTR) is a real estate development model where developers build multi-unit buildings and retain ownership to rent them out to tenants, rather than selling them.
Build-to-sell refers to a type of property development where a developer or investor build homes or buildings specifically for sale to individual buyers.
Social housing is rental housing that is secure and affordable for people with low incomes who have a housing need and who struggle to secure this in the private rental market.
Affordable housing refers to rental housing options for low to moderate income households priced below market rates. It aims to ensure these households can afford basic living expenses while reducing housing stress. Affordable housing differs from social housing which is typically for those facing higher levels of housing stress and social advantage. It offers rent that is typically lower than market rate and is often managed by a registered community housing provide.

3/

There are a raft of opportunities to secure funding, increased yield or even subsidised land through the inclusion of Social and Affordable Housing in the State of Queensland and also under the Federal Government.

Federal Funding

The HAFF (Housing Australia Future Fund) is a $10Billion fund grants low interest rate funding through Housing Australia to Community Housing Providers (CHP’s) and Developers.

Housing Australia Financing provides long term low rate finance for CHP’s and Housing Providers.

State Funding QLD

The $2Billion Housing Investment Fund (HIF) provides subsidies, grants, and other support to encourage developers, CHP’s and investment funds to partner in developing social and affordable housing in Queensland.

The $2Billion Residential Activation Fund (RAF) aims to overcome hurdles in the delivery of critical infrastructure (e.g. transport, water, power) fundamental to getting more homes built sooner. Some significant housing supply is currently being help up due to slow or cost prohibitive construction of infrastructure. The government encourages all proposals which will unlock housing supply.

Incentives

Various authorities will consider the inclusion of Affordable or Social Housing as a type of community benefit therefore increasing the likelihood of higher yield being able to be achieved through impact assessable or design led proposals. These include Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) and State Facilitated Developments (SFD). There have been and still are incentives for Aged Care and Seniors living in various local council areas which provide additional height and yield for these typologies.

Other

We feel that there will be an increase in these funds and incentives across all jurisdictions and expect them to expand into Shared Equity housing funds. Many states have already started, Queensland having announced a policy this week to provide financial support under a “Boost to Buy” program.

The underlying issue however is labour and the actual capacity of the construction industry to deliver the projects even with the funding. Then the conversation moves to incentivising skill migrant workers, limiting the impact of obstructive Unions whilst working collaboratively with the Unions who want to help solve the problem.