Citify Plots Prefab Test with Torrensville Townhouse Play

A 34-home development approved for the South Australian capital will test alternative construction methods, according to the developer.

Greenlit by the City of West Torrens for 8–10 Bray Avenue, Torrensville, the medium-density residential infill development by Citify comprises three-storey townhouses.

The approved scheme is planned for a site now home to a warehouse about 5km west of Adelaide’s city centre.

Construction will employ prefabricated wall and floor cassettes manufactured off-site using automated systems.

According to the project team, these structural components can be produced in as little as three days before being transported to site for assembly.

Prefabricated bathroom pods manufactured in Melbourne will also be used as part of the building system to standardise internal wet areas.

The delivery model shifts away from traditional sequential construction, instead adopting a parallel process where off-site fabrication occurs alongside on-site civil and foundation works, the team said.

While such methods are more commonly associated with large-scale developments such as student accommodation towers and highrise buildings, they are being applied here to low-rise townhouse construction.

The project team said it was targeting a construction timeframe reduction from around 12 months to approximately six months.

▲ The prefab construction is expected to shave six months of the delivery time of the Torrensville project.

It is also anticipated that the homes could reach a watertight stage within two weeks of slab completion if the sequencing of off-site manufacture and on-site works aligns as planned.

Potential efficiencies cited in the approach include reduced material waste, improved build consistency and tighter construction programming compared with conventional methods.

As part of the delivery strategy, the project team said that the construction process would be documented in full, including outcomes that differ from initial expectations, with findings intended to be shared more broadly within the industry.

Adelaide-based Citify, established in 2014, is active within the capital. Recent projects include its plans for the historic Buckingham Arms Hotel at Gilberton.

The 15-storey residential project was waved ahead in January 2025 on its third attempt and is now under construction, as is a commercial and office development at Bowden, 3km north-east of the CBD.

In April last year, the developer revealed plans for a site at Sellicks Beach, 46km south of Adelaide—a two-storey, mixed-use building including ground-floor commercial tenancies, a medical centre and 11 supported accommodation units.