Our Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) project in Koondoola is progressing nicely toward its expected completion mid-2025. Designed for our client Habilitas to meet robust standards, and built by Cloudbreak WA, this development will provide three ‘forever homes’ to three residents and their OOAs (On-Site Overnight Assistance).
It’s great to start 2025 with site visits to two of our Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) developments. Designed for Habilitas, they have an expected completion in the 1st quarter of 2025.
Gosnells:
Designed to meet Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible, and High Physical Support SDA standards, the development comprises 2 x houses, which will provide a ‘forever home’ to six residents, as well as two OOAs (On-Site Overnight Assistance).
Armadale:
Already fully tenanted, this SDA is designed to Robust standards and comprises 3 x villas, which will provide a ‘forever home’ to three residents, as well as three OOAs (On-Site Overnight Assistance).
Congratulations to Dale Alcock Projects for winning the Housing Industry Association (HIA) 2024 Western Australia Specialised Housing award for the KPA-designed Brightwater Care Group Huntington’s Disease Campus in Piara Waters. This follows the 2024 Perth Specialised Housing of the Year award win in October.
KPA Architects are proud to have been involved in this world-class project.
Read more here.
The passage of the new Aged Care Bill in Federal Parliament this week is good news. Providers and their architects can now confidently proceed with important reforms like the new Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines. KPA Architects have prepared for this moment by having a range of design options to enable more home-like environments that better meet the needs of residents in Western Australia.
Read more here.
What a way to finish the year!
We are very proud to share the KPA designed Brightwater Care Group Huntington’s Disease Campus won the ‘2024 Perth Specialised Housing of the Year’ Award at the Housing Industry Association (HIA) Housing Awards!
Congratulations to Brightwater, Dale Alcock Homes, Adam Roebuck and the broader team for their work on this amazing, world-class project.
Full joint media statement here.
Full list of awards and winners here.
It looks like the specialist housing sector is leading the way in delivering genuine dwelling diversity, based on recent supply data for new disability accommodation. According to the NDIS quarterly report for the year to September, 60% of new SDA in the pipeline for Western Australia are detached houses, and the remainder is a variety of villas and apartments. It is also good to see WA’s share of planned new SDA dwellings has finally risen in line with its population. There are 755 SDA dwellings currently in the development pipeline in WA, which is 11% of the national supply pipeline. However there remains a significant shortfall in overall supply of SDA in WA.
More details about the NDIS report are available here.
KPA Architects are looking forward to the new Aged Care Act and we are studying different approaches to implementing the ‘person-centred’ design model that is recommended. Options range from campus-style developments designed for specific needs like dementia care, through to clusters of specialised care in multi-story developments for inner city locations. A particular focus for KPA will be meeting the challenge of implementing the design innovations in refurbishments of existing larger aged care homes. We are reaching out to clients to get feedback on various approaches.
KPA Architects look forward to working with participants, carers, and housing providers in creating new Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in line with the funding reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which were passed by Federal Parliament recently. According to KPA director, Todd Paterson: “It’s good to know the NDIS is on a sustainable growth path. The changes to the design of SDA, like the phasing out of large group homes, will create a healthier environment for both participants and carers.”
[Pictured: KPA designs for upcoming SDA developments]
KPA were thrilled to attend the Brightwater Care Group Ltd. Huntington’s Disease Campus in Piara Waters yesterday, where the Hon Don Punch, Minister for Regional Development; Disability Services; Fisheries; Seniors and Ageing; and Volunteering, officially opened the homes.
It was great to see the homes already in operation and the ceremony attended by many of the residents. It’s an incredibly special project and one we’re extremely proud to have been involved in with Dale Alcock Projects, Adam Roebuck, and the wider team.
Read more here.
Pictured above: Todd discusses the design with the Hon Don Punch and senior Brightwater staff.
What is the strategy to take a great property idea and turn it into a real place loved by its users? It starts with due diligence and a feasibility study to investigate and assess whether an idea is viable and what the risks may be. Once an idea is deemed viable, it then involves a culture of embedding project planning into the design process from the very start to ensure the clients’ needs are met and risks avoided.
This is a benefit of KPA Architects’ decades of experience delivering projects in Western Australia – by joining a project’s journey from its inception, we can help our clients get their projects delivered on time and on budget.
A good example is Italian Aged Care’s ‘Villa Terenzio’ in Perth’s northern suburbs, successfully designed and delivered by KPA in 2020. The complex brief required attractive high care dementia accommodation built within an existing care facility.
Start your project on the right foot. Reach out to KPA today to discuss your project’s due diligence and feasibility needs.