1. Co-Designing Liveability through Collaboration
Liveable Cities Conference, Melbourne July 2018
Ms Gitanjali Bedi
Image courtesy of Nightingale Village
Acknowledge traditional owners of the land.
A unique urban co-housing project is underway in Melbourne where future building occupants, architects and developers are working together to create a customised development with liveability at its core. This project, known as 'Near and Tall', is a collaboration between the Urban Coup co-operative, Nightingale Housing, Architecture Architecture and Breathe Architecture. In what is the first collaboratively designed inner urban co-housing project in Australia, 40 future residents of Near and Tall are working with architects and developers to realise their dream to create a shared home that enriches its residents' lives, fosters a resilient, positive and diverse community, and contributes to a healthier world.
This project represents a significant departure from current urban development practice. Traditional legal and financial models have been altered to reduce the cost of finance, and therefore the ultimate cost of housing, within a comfortable risk profile for the community. 1

2. Co-designing liveability through collaboration
Who and what is Urban Coup?
What do we seek to achieve?
Partnership with Breathe Architecture and Architecture Architecture to deliver a Nightingale Housing project
The project, timelines, built form
What makes our model unique? Environmental, social and economic outcomes
Co-designing liveability through collaboration processes
Collaboration with Resilient Communities (Melbourne)
Q & A , get involved
Media release:
An urban coup: Melbourne based cohousing project to create unique climate-resilient, community-focussed, affordable housing
A unique urban cohousing initiative in metropolitan Melbourne, being driven by community collective Urban Coup, is bringing the future occupants of a new multi-residential development together with architects and developers to create 31 sustainably designed, affordable homes, in an effort to boost community resilience and respond to the challenges of climate change.
This project is a partnership between Urban Coup, Architecture Architecture and Breathe Architecture, in what is the first collaboratively designed inner urban cohousing project in Australia.
The development, once built, will form part of the broader Nightingale Village precinct in Brunswick, and will become the home for 31 households, 20 pets, and several chickens. The Urban Coup initiative will boast 100% fossil-fuel-free building operations, a minimum 7.5 NatHERS thermal rating, water harvesting and productive gardens. With significant amounts of common space, residents will share a ground floor dining/living room and kitchen, internal courtyard, and a rooftop vegetable garden and laundry. Other common spaces will include guest bedrooms, a bathroom, and several flexible spaces for meetings, gatherings, yoga, music, craft or play.
In a further partnership announced today, Urban Coup will join the Resilient Communities project with Resilient Melbourne, part of the 100 Resilient Cities network — pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation. This partnership will see the Resilient Melbourne team work alongside Urban Coup to explore how communities and local and state government can work together to empower residents to take part in the decisions that shape their neighbourhood identity.
Resilient Melbourne's Chief Resilience Officer Toby Kent said Resilient Melbourne was delighted to work with Urban Coup: “This project will make a significant contribution to the urban development field and offers a unique model for others to learn from. It is a great example of community-driven approaches to designing buildings that are able to withstand future shocks and contribute to healthy, resilient, and sustainable communities.”
One of the founding members of Urban Coup, and future resident of the Near and Tall development, Alex Fearnside said: “This partnership will boost the capacity of our project to share the lessons of our cohousing project with the wider community. We have an innovative project, and it’s taken us years to develop it to this point; we want others to be able to leapfrog the challenges we’ve faced so cohousing becomes available to everyone.”

3. Urban Coup (UC) - background
A 10 year old initiative of a group of Melbournians, who share a vision of creating community through cohousing (~2008).
UC aims to pioneer urban cohousing for Melbourne: creating a community that is inclusive, sustainable and diverse, using socially and environmentally responsible forms of urban design.
Currently pursuing two projects that reflect complementary approaches to cohousing (‘Near & Tall’, ‘Far & Wide’)
65 households are signed and paid up members + many provisional members.
Cohousing is a participatory model of housing development whereby our residents have significant control over their living environment, which includes both private dwellings, communal spaces and shared resources. It aims to recreate a village-like atmosphere in contemporary housing developments.
(Adapted from McCamant and Durrett, 1996; Meltzer, 2005)
UC in existence for 10 years. Working on building community for that long – high social capital as a result.
We built community before buying the land.
Established new legal structures.
The process is not for the faint hearted!

4. How does ‘community’ inform UC outcomes?
UC builds capacity of its members to meaningfully participate in its decision making processes.
E.g. through fortnightly meetings, quarterly residential workshops, an online blog and specific tailored workshops for its members (Alternative to Violence Project, communication and facilitation, conflict resolution, governance and media training).
Currently exploring our relationship with the Indigenous owners of the land and consultation with the Wurundjeri Peoples.

5. Urban Coup partnership with Breathe Architecture and Architecture Architecture to deliver a Nightingale Housing project (2017)
Partnership: formalized between Urban Coup and ‘Breathe Architecture’, ‘Architecture Architecture’ to deliver a Nightingale Housing project (2017)
Site context: Deposit ($2.7 m) paid on a site in Brunswick East as part of ‘Nightingale Village’ (2017)
Project timelines: Jan–June 2018: 4 collaborative design workshops
2018 – 2019: Proposed designing and planning
2019 – 2021: Build project. Move in 2021
$20 m project, $2.7 m invested of our own money. 31 dwellings – 29 have names on them!
This project represents a significant departure from current urban development practice. Traditional legal and financial models have been altered to reduce the cost of finance, and therefore the ultimate cost of housing, within a comfortable risk profile for the community.
Joint planning application with 7 buildings to ensure success of total project. Much interdependency.
Currently in planning with Moreland council.
Built form outcomes: Anticipate 7–8 storey, medium density on 770m2 site, with common spaces throughout for up to 31 dwellings.
Image courtesy of Nightingale Village

6. Urban Coup partnership with Breathe Architecture and Architecture Architecture to deliver a Nightingale Housing project (2017)
Will form part of the broader Nightingale Village development in Brunswick (7 buildings, 200 apartments)
Become the home for 31 households, 20 pets, and several chickens!
Will feature significant amounts of common space (300 m2) that will be shared by residents (ground floor dining/living room and kitchen, rooftop garden, internal courtyard, and a rooftop vegetable garden and laundry)
Other common spaces - guest bedrooms, bathroom, flexible spaces for meetings, gatherings, yoga, music, craft or play. 
The Near and Tall project, once built, will form part of the broader Nightingale Village development in Brunswick, and will become the home for 31 households, 20 pets, and several chickens! The Near and Tall development will feature significant amounts of common space that will be shared by building residents, including a ground floor dining/living room and kitchen, rooftop garden, internal courtyard, and a rooftop vegetable garden and laundry. Other common spaces will include guest bedrooms, a bathroom, and several flexible spaces for meetings, gatherings, yoga, music, craft or play. 
Image courtesy of Nightingale Village

7. Urban Coup partnership with Breathe Architecture and Architecture Architecture to deliver a Nightingale Housing project (2017)
Environmental sustainability outcomes:
Long-term environmental sustainability, requiring a minimum 7.5 star NatHERS rating
100% fossil fuel free and carbon neutral in operations (including solar PV array)
Passive ventilation and the incorporation of low embodied energy materials
Rainwater harvesting, productive gardens
Solar arrays feeding back into the building
High thermal insulation, which enables the buildings to have no air-conditioning
Car share and cycle facilities.
Env sustainability outcome must be achieved to deliver on Nightingale’s licence.
Located in well-located urban areas in terms of accessibility to public transport, cyclist facilities and other local amenities.
Ensuring a high thermal insulation, which enables the buildings to have no air-conditioning.
Long-term environmental sustainability, requiring a minimum 7.5 star NatHERS rating.
100% fossil fuel free and carbon neutral in operations (including solar PV array)
Passive ventilation and the incorporation of low embodied energy materials.
Low VOC finishes.
Rainwater harvesting.
Productive Gardens.
Solar arrays feeding back into the building.
Source:
Nightingale 1 has a NatHers average of 8.2 stars, Nightingale 2 has 8.6 stars. Urban Coup is likely to be a minimum of 8.3 stars (check).
Image courtesy of Nightingale Village

8. Co-designing liveability through collaborative processes
Social sustainability (resilient) outcomes:
Critical component of Nightingale buildings is consideration of social sustainability of community created.
Deliberative design process adopted asking future occupants questions about how we want to live; Nightingale Housing architects then used our feedback to design apartments and common spaces that truly work for our community (300 m2 common spaces).
: 5 deliberative design workshops implemented with more to follow post planning process (31 households, Nightingale Housing, Architects, videographer).
Long-term occupation of apartments by NDIS being explored.
Very challenging process. UC pushed this process beyond Nightingale’s usual model. Strong social capital developed first by UC. Commons spaces that other nightingale villages don’t have (300 sqm shared).
Beyond environmental and financial measures, a fundamental component of Nightingale buildings is the social sustainability of each community created. By foremost recognising that each apartment project is creating a new community, rather than a disassociated body of neighbours, design decisions become more considered and specific for future residents.
Deliberative design asks future occupants questions about how they want to live; Nightingale Housing architects then use this feedback to design homes that truly work for the person who is going to live there.

9. Urban Coup partnership with Breathe Architecture and Architecture Architecture to deliver a Nightingale Housing project (2017)
Economic sustainability outcomes:
5% price reduction in contract of sale price through members’ up front investment ($2.7 m).
Use of the ‘Baugruppen’ financial model is being explored.
Baugruppen financial structure involves giving future homeowners the ability to invest their funds in the development of their own home, the project requires less capital from investors.
Less interest is paid to project investors which represents a project saving.
All savings are returned to the UC members to reduce the price of their apartments.
Nightingale seeks to deliver housing at cost, be transparent with margins earned. Working to reduce ‘cost’ is one of their primary drivers
This project represents a significant departure from current urban development practice. Traditional legal and financial models have been altered to reduce the cost of finance, and therefore the ultimate cost of housing, within a comfortable risk profile for the community.
How do the financials work for Baugruppen?
By giving future homeowners the ability to invest their funds in the development of their own home, the project requires less capital from investors. This means less interest paid to those investors and that represents a project saving. As this is a Nightingale project, all savings are returned to the baugruppen members to reduce the price of their apartments.
On formation of the Baugruppen the members go on title of the land and then engage Nightingale to manage the development for them. As such Nightingale does not sell them an apartment, just manages the process. With no ‘sale’ involved Nightingale does not have to pay GST on sales revenue, this becomes another project saving that reduces the cost of the apartments.
Because there is no ‘sale’ there is no Stamp Duty to be paid on any of the properties regardless of first/second home owner status and/or price.
A standard Nightingale aims to deliver between 10 and 20% less than market value. A Nightingale baugruppen project aims to deliver between 20 and 30% less than market value.
Risks: While this affords significant savings, unlike a traditional ‘deposit’ which is held in a secure account by a solicitor it means your funds could be at risk. If the project were to fail, there is no guarantee that your funds could be returned.
On the surface it would appear that having funds involved in the development is a risk, however the baugruppen model actually significantly de-risks the project reducing the likelihood of failure.
Baugruppen’ is a housing model developed in Germany and used around the world; the name translates simply to ‘building group’. The Nightingale model is in essence already baugruppen, being led by architects and residents with a focus on intentional community, environmental design and affordability.

10. Resilient Communities (Melbourne) collaboration (2018-2021)
The collaboration seeks to inform and enhance UC’s efforts to develop and showcase a replicable co-housing model at local, national and global scale.
Document and share these lessons from UC’s journey to challenge and disrupt existing models of urban development and promote co-housing as an inclusive approach to create positive, healthy, diverse, flourishing, connected resilient communities. 
Explore the contribution of participatory decision-making and collaborative co-design to successful co-housing development.
Share lessons across metropolitan Melbourne, nationally, 100 Resilient Cities network, and beyond in order to inform and inspire further replication and inform policy and planning.
UC first to sign ahead of commercial developers.
Urban Coup Near and Tall is a partnering with Resilient Melbourne to help document this inspiring case study about the potential of participatory decision-making and community-driven collaborative urban design to help create healthy, sustainable, resilient, liveable cities. 
Resilient Melbourne is a collaborative project with input, guidance and support from organisations and community groups across Melbourne, including, but not limited to: Melbourne’s 32 metropolitan councils, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria; , Emergency Management Victoria; and the Municipal Association Victoria. The Resilient Melbourne project is delivered by the City of Melbourne in collaboration with the 32 metropolitan Melbourne councils, and associated partners. The project is led by the Chief Resilience Officer who is funded by the 100 Resilient Cities initi.
Project Objectives
Resilient Communities Objectives
To identify and create innovative methodologies that encourage partnerships, enable positive engagement, and generate mutually beneficial community and commercial outcomes.
To build capacity within the Urban Coup, Near and Tall membership and to meaningfully engage neighbouring communities and other relevant stakeholders
To support Urban Coup to identify and realise opportunities to build community connection and resilience within their Near and Tall development
To work with Urban Coup to undertake research that will contribute to learning to inform emerging best practices in collaborative and participatory development, design and decision-making. This will provide a critical point of reference nationally and internationally, which will support scaling of methods
Urban Coup Objectives
To deliver a high quality building that fosters and facilitates long term wellbeing and connection for Urban Coup members and the broader community.
To meaningfully connect with Traditional Owners, the Woi wurrung people
To create a flourishing and resilient co-housing community at the Near and Tall site
To work with Resilient Melbourne to undertake research that will inform both the Urban Coup model and contribute to local, national and international best practices in collaborative and participatory development, design, decision-making and co-housing urban development
ative – pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation. The City of Melbourne  provides the project team and additional investment

11. What makes this project unique
Urban Coup formed in 2008 and have been developing its community before buying land
First urban cohousing project in Australia
5 mins for Q & A
Image courtesy of Nightingale Village 11

12. Questions? Thank you for your interest!
For further information / want to get involved:
Urban Coup
Nightingale Housing
Resilient Communities’ Projects
5 mins for Q & A
Image courtesy of Nightingale Village 12