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.
And while that mixed-tenure stack has historically been eschewed, Jackson Teece director Daniel Hudson says 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 investment streams with the opportunity to capture government funding to help unlock development opportunity further, according to Hudson.
Jackson Teece’s multi-disciplinary design team is spearheading the masterplanning process to create multi-generational and mixed-tenure developments that work.
Hudson leads the team creating new vertical communities that fuse build-to-rent, build-to-sell, social and affordable housing.
“The benefit of multi-generational and multi-tenure developments is having diversity of ages and healthier communities,” he says.
But it’s creating more than just a social good, according to Hudson.
The team collaborated with ADM for Traders in Purple at Wollongong to design what is described as Australia’s first mixed-tenure development.
The 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.
“We’re seeing this direction where social housing, affordable housing and build-to-sell apartments can successfully coexist in the same building, creating more balanced communities,” Hudson says.
“In the past, there’s 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 developments.
In projects like Northsea, including social and affordable housing can unlock government funding or incentives, while market-rate units with premium views generate strong returns, and a more stable financial model that better withstands market fluctuations.
“When you have diversity in a development, it means your facilities—the retail at the base of the building and communal spaces—are patronised over a greater portion of the day. They’re more likely to be used from 6am until midnight, rather than if you were just concentrating on one demographic,” Hudson says.
This constant activation generates economic benefits for retail tenants while fostering vibrant, safer environments.
Spaces populated throughout the day are a win-win-win according to Hudson, who says they become more welcoming and sustainable as community assets, translating to 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 maximising land use efficiency.
Multi-generational development is also capturing the attention of retirement living developers looking to build vibrant communities, Hudson says.
Hudson says 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 according to Hudson.
He says 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”.
And when these communities are incorporated into developments with diverse housing options, younger and older residents interact naturally through shared spaces, creating an authentic neighbourhood experience.
The Jackson Teece-designed Anglicare Woolooware Shores development at Taren Point, 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 delivered 42 seniors living apartments and a 48-bed residential aged care facility, winning the 2021 Urban Taskforce Award for Best Aged Care.
1 of 2
The design aimed to create a “vibrant, multi-generational community with diverse new facilities, maximising water aspects and district vistas,” Hudson says.
“The strategic integration of community spaces and landscaped common areas fosters connections among residents and visitors, promoting a sense of community and wellbeing.”
Central to successful diverse communities is Jackson Teece’s approach to communal spaces.
“The communal space is critical—having higher quality external and internal communal space that is activated and welcoming with a variety of different uses. That is key to having a healthy community where you’ve got people who interact,” Hudson says.
Designing communal spaces in a mixed-tenure development has unique challenges, Hudson says.
“You’ve got to provide communal spaces where people don’t feel exposed and are comfortable utilising them. Sometimes that means providing multiple different communal spaces with varying designs,” Hudson says.
In Brisbane, Keylin’s Station Road, Indooroopilly development, Jackson Teece focused on creating public and private communal spaces across the project.
The developer had already proposed a significant build-to-rent and build-to-sell development on the 6337sq m site at Indooroopilly, which has been greenlit.
But last year it was identified as a key project under the State Facilitated Development pathway.
The project was then redesigned to include at least 15 per cent affordable housing as part of the mix, which comprises 480 residential apartments, 45 short-term accommodation units, commercial, retail and office.
As housing affordability pressures mount and populations age, Jackson Teece’s integrated approach offers valuable lessons for future development, creating stronger, more resilient and more authentic urban communities.
The Urban Developer is proud to partner with Jackson Teece to deliver this article to you. In doing so, we can continue to publish our daily news, information, insights and opinion to you, our valued readers.
