The “Open House Without a House”, held at 8 Rifle Range Road, Atherton, in August, was a great success, despite the lousy weather, as one might expect for the Tablelands.
Hosted by the collaborative partnership of StartUp Tablelands, PeoplePurposePlace and OnNaturesEdge, the event will showcase a new cost-friendly flat-pack home concept alongside a broader vision for collaborative living in regional communities.
OnNaturesEdge team, beautifully interpreted in pen & aquarelle by Celia Jakubowicz our official ONE team artist.
A steady flow of interested community members came through during the event, keen to learn more about alternative approaches to affordable housing and the innovative cyclone-rated flat-pack home being trialled by the project team.
One particularly interesting observation was the strong interest from older couples considering downsizing. For some, the attraction was not simply moving into a smaller, more affordable home themselves, but the possibility of transforming their now-too-large family home to create additional accommodation.
“This was something we hadn't necessarily expected to see so strongly,” says project lead Christine Doan. “People are looking at their own housing situation and asking: Could I downsize, and at the same time make better use of the home I've raised my family in? There is a real opportunity to create more housing without necessarily having to build everything from scratch.”
The discussions highlighted the potential for two solutions to work alongside each other: affordable, well-designed new housing such as the flat-pack model, and thoughtful remodelling of existing family homes to create additional accommodation. Both approaches could play a role in responding to the region's growing housing insecurity, including the shortage of accommodation for essential workers.
And finally, the house is coming!
After months of shipping delays and uncertainty, the team has now received information that the flat-pack home finally began its journey.
The date of arrival may continue to be a movable feast.
Once it arrives, the project team will be able to move forward with the next stage of the demonstration project and showcase what this type of housing can offer in the Tablelands context.
“This has certainly been a lesson in patience,” says Jana Mueller. “We were joking about holding an Open House without a house – but now the house really is on its way. We’re looking forward to being able to see it here to demonstrate what is possible. We hope for a November arrival.”
The project is a collaboration between OnNature’sEdge, PeoplePurposePlace and StartUp Tablelands, exploring practical ways to create housing that is more affordable, attractive, environmentally appropriate and faster to deliver.
The team sees the flat-pack demonstration as one part of a broader conversation about how regional communities can think differently about housing – from new construction through to making better use of existing homes.
Rethinking Housing. Rebuilding Community.
For further information, please contact the project team.
Janie (Ambassador): 0415 462 418
Jana (Ambassador): 0439 229 169
Christine (Investor): 0419 656 247
This initiative is part of ST’s Member Projects innovation for Tablelands startups or innovative small businesses working toward a better Tablelands through innovation.