MBA Lifestyle Housing for Seniors Award - 2003

This Award recognises best practice in the design and construction of affordable dwellings for Australia’s seniors with the aim of influencing members of the building industry to consider the housing needs of an ageing population.

Purpose Built dwellings – Class 1 and 2

Winner: Paul Hickson for Smith Residence Project
The designer and builder developed this house to meet the owner-specific needs. The allotment was small in size which added further design considerations. The two-storey dwelling has been built to an exceptional high standard of workmanship. All the materials used lent themselves to providing a comfortable and serviceable home. This narrow inner city block had complete paving around the exterior of the home with non-slip paving and ramps following land contours.

Purpose Built Dwellings – Complexes

Winner: Sitzler Brothers Darwin for Tiwi Village Project
The Tiwi gardens project consists of 34 apartments. The construction utilised lightweight steel frames on concrete slabs. The design incorporated lots of natural light and good floor plans and coupled with a bright colour scheme it gave the feeling of a vibrant fresh building to reside in. All bedrooms had ensuites and external doors that opened onto covered verandas of generous size. The materials used were considered excellent for seniors living, with trip and slip hazards minimised. Quality of fittings and workmanship was to an exceptional standard, and areas of the building were fitted with small emergency generators for power backup in the event of a blackout or other emergency. Finally, the landscaped gardens provided generous room for occupants to utlise the lawn and other external areas.