How These Sustainable Apartments Have Been Designed for People, Not Investors

[@keithronson2624]

SD, thank you once again for featuring a Nightingale development. The future! I have followed the Nightingale project via You tube and the like. As a single male on a modest income this is perfect. [Note, nothing like it in the UK.] Ground breaking design and sustainability. A quality build and a sense of both purpose and community. Another illustration that designed properly there is no need for a vast sq metre space. Thank you again. Brilliant content.

[@okaychegs]

They are such a fantastic company! I love their designs just fantastic

[@maddalenasegato]

As a Real Estate broker I completely disagree with his statement at the end. The majority of my clients looking to buy and live want more bathrooms and definitely want their own laundry. Most people don't like sharing bathrooms, be it with their guests, or with a growing child that becomes a messy teenager. They also hate sharing laundry as they fear wait times and lack of privacy. I have yet to come across one person who prefers less bathroom and no shared laundry, they always pick those features over a larger living room when given the choice. Other than that, I really love this project, it's very serene and intentional.

[@margaretcampbell2681]

Good points. I would not like to share a Laundry

[@Clove_Parma]

I drove past Nightingale two weeks ago after hearing about it for years. Great to see positive development that adds to local areas and improves the community rather than another concrete cruise ship for speculative ownership

[@drysavy12]

Does anyone else think it is sad that we have gotten to a point that we are all applauding apartments designed for people living in them instead of investment returns....Hoping for more units like this and a time when this won't be celebrated.

[@MegaCityOne]

I hate how new stack 'n' pack apartments in the U.S. all have oversized kitchens & not enough room in the living room to even fit a couch. Plus the thin walls where you can hear your neighbors sneezing & stomping around.

[@bakeraus]

This is a wonderful project and I see they are getting more spaces going. This really seems what good architecture can be, and with the Homeless in Melbourne something needs to be done.

[@luedch8460]

This is so beautiful. I wish these ideas would spread and be more popular across the world. Thank you

[@alienpoh]

How i wish one day could get involved in non-for-profit, sustainable projects like this, as an interior designer. Thank you for the inspiration.

[@susanr5546]

This development is beautiful, serene, people-centered, and encourages community. Years ago I visited Hong Kong and was given a tour of the kind of high-rise housing the Hong Kong government set up in the wake of the wars in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Thousands of people fled the wars and I recall seeing news reports of people having dog kennels in an aircraft hanger as their designated "home." The lower floors included grocery stores, meat and fish markets. The next levels were used for daycare and then kindergarten and if I recall correctly, up to the 6th grade! Seeing the small serene space for the family, very small sleeping areas, kitchen and bath wet room combination. It was so interesting to me to learn from the home owner how he and his family got the very high down payment together. I was amazed and humbled, realizing I live in a country that has so much space. Delightful. I wish this kind of housing was the norm all over the world.

[@misterdeluxia5948]

what i love about this project is that it looks like it will hold up over time. we often make cheap buildings (which isnt necessarily a bad thing) and one downside is the buildings dont last that long

[@PostImperfect]

This building has captivated me since it was built. Thanks for the great exploration of both it and the underlying ethos

[@JonathanHoltOnGoogle]

Thanks!

[@SimpleDwelling]

Oh wow, thank you so much Jonathan!

[@Teetee554]

Looks much nice, and lots of thought into the product. Unlike American builders, always building small boxes with cheap material for lots of money.

[@Noxioon]

What an amazing project and video. Modest, with a true purpose of community and sustainability. great job!!

[@MrPelikan500]

materiality is so well put together ... frugal and yet has touches of luxury like with the timber frame at the lift openeings ... 👍😀 .

[@MatthewStinar]

It's exciting to see someone acknowledge the difference between value (utility and experience) and valuation (the currency received in exchange).

[@Emi-ro5ew]

It looks awesome, I hope they also do versions for disabled people, like wheelchair friendly because there are never enough houses for them, particularly with an ageing population.

[@Teetee554]

Exactly

[@mopslikvonstein]

the exposed utilities on the ceiling are cool until you realize you have to dust all those cables and pipes

[@timmer9696]

Great design, I like the industrial look. Kind of like NYC lofts.

[@Mmeme2023]

I don't need 2 full bathrooms but a guest loo is a must for me

[@aleyaartim3096]

love the colour choice too. neutral, natural and warm 😇

[@comealongcomealong4480]

@Aleya Artim I also felt the materials and form of the building occupied the site with true visual balance and harmony. Quite tricky to achieve - with the C20th timber built railway station abutting. (A station which perhaps will be redeveloped in the near future.) Their philosophies of where to save and where to spend are well developed. I applauded the wholesale electricity arrangement and solar panels 👏

[@ReynaSingh]

This is a great project. Keep it up!

[@thegrapefruitmoon]

If only all the apartments in Melbourne were to this standard 🙏

[@SalvadorCiaro]

This is a beautiful example of modernist architecture.

[@joannabusinessaccount7293]

Amazing aesthetics. Bravo.

[@melissagorgeous16]

Great initiative.

[@Chronomatrix]

oh wow it's beautiful! I love the combination of materials.

[@alessiman]

Be interesting to hear what the noise would be like when a train arrives or departs from the station

[@SimpleDwelling]

I can provide some insight. While at uni I lived in a student-focused building right near a train station, but the glass was single-glaze. You could noticeably hear the noise, and the first few months living there, it was deafening. After a while you get use to it... Having said that, I spent a day here filming, with plenty of trains coming and going. With the windows and doors closed, you barely hear it from the living areas. Of course if you open the balcony door, and windows, you will notice the noise. I suspect the owners are at a similar point where they are probably use to the train noise.

[@maxnewts]

To be honest it’s a minimal problem if the outcome of local train travel opportunities arrives. Clearly a 90,000 kilogram train is unlikely to make no noise, but imagine if that was right next to a car expressway. Twice if not three times the noise level. It also means that (if the train itself is run well and reliable enough to link to important places around - and outside of - peak periods) there will be lower local car traffic. Again another benefit.

[@lokesh303101]

Yes, Sustainable Apartments.

[@chrishydahl4580]

Beautiful project, and love its features!

[@GhostedStories]

Love the colours!

[@lstcloud]

Just out of curiosity, what does the rent for these units (1br & 2br) go for in comparison to other (1br & 2br) apartments in the area? Does Australia have communal utilities in their apartment complexes, or is it like it is in most apartments in the states where each unit is responsible for their own consumption? I'm just kinda curious what the difference is in utility prices with the solar and rain catchment, and whether or not that translates into an actual offset in the rental rates or if any decrease there is cost absorbed into those rates.

[@Zaihanisme]

This was developed for owner-occupiers, not renters. That's what sets it apart, as explained by the architect, and informed the planning and design decisions. From 6:48, it's explained that owners pay a lower rate for electricity from an "embedded network" powered by renewable energy, further offset by output from the solar panels on the building itself. As for the collected rainwater (7:08), it's used for irrigation of the greenery in common areas, and to flush the loos of the retail units at the ground floor. The decision to have the communal laundry is to allow more living space for residents (8:45), which works as they're only 20 units (1:48)in total sharing six washer/dryers.

[@Freshbott2]

The communal laundry is a shame. Sustainable/affordable urban living should be about the benefits. It shouldn’t be about compromises. There’s ample space, laundries or laundry cupboards could have been included. Especially when talking about young families. All the other shared spaces are nice though.

[@rowan986]

the communal laundry encourages a sense of community by facilitating "incidental interaction", as the guy put it, with other residents in the building. It was also said it makes living there more affordable for families

[@user-vo3ku2sf2d]

@@rowan986 what a crock of shit. Shared laundry does not foster community, it just sucks. Adding a small closet in-unit for a washer and dryer would not cost that much more money. Nothing more annoying than having to wait for a washing machine to be free when other people are using it.

[@Freshbott2]

@@rowan986 The thing about dense living is you're already exposed to incidental interaction in the building and out and about. Add to that when residents are based around transit and walkability. I find it a bit hard to believe an entire laundry saved more money on the project than including the space for machines even if in a cupboard or in the kitchen like is standard in places where living smaller is normal or about practicality - and that the residents are feeling those savings meanwhile the building is high end and with rooftop gardens. When it's about taking a loss for a cause it's not really about the benefits. It's a small thing on one project but you find this across the board in Australian projects where living less means families living like students.

[@sharonadlam3195]

@@Freshbott2 point well made 😊😊

[@ronisworld2916]

love the design. subs!

[@karstdeviz3858]

I absolutely love the way these look

[@Demian1]

Beautiful building

[@Alvio64]

They are beautiful apartments and the part at the end was music to my ears. The number of small, two bed apartments I've seen where they've shoehorned a second bathroom/shower room in makes me so mad. Even as a renter I'd much rather have a bigger living space and share a bathroom.

[@SimpleDwelling]

I've been looking at two bedroom apartments as a future purchase, and honestly, the 'ensuite' just takes up so much unneeded space. Please put that area into the living/dining so I can actually have an okay-sized dining table and living area.

[@SimpleDwelling]

Website article with photographs and the floor plan; simpledwelling.net/episodes/homes/nightingale-2-six-degrees-architects Join the Simple Dwelling newsletter to have new episodes delivered straight to your inbox; simpledwelling.net/newsletter-signup Support what I do by becoming a channel member or saying 'Thanks'; kzbin.info/door/e1R0tqKeEZmbCMPZzH5M2gjoin Six Degrees Architects www.sixdegrees.com.au/ instagram.com/sixdegreesarchitects Nightingale Housing nightingalehousing.org/ instagram.com/nightingale.housing

[@kylestewart3053]

Where did you get that bookshelf in the corner?

[@SuperPOPPiano]

Amazing project

[@outofthefoxootf979]

Nice project but I would love to experience how well the interiors of these units preform against the obvious challenge of the noise produced by the adjacent railway.

[@SimpleDwelling]

As someone who experienced it during filming, I'll offer my thoughts. When windows and exterior doors are closed, it performs incredibly well. It isn't complete silence, you still hear some noise, but it is reduced significantly.

[@TheICEgirl6100]

beautiful apartments all electric heating is expensive though

[@sharonadlam3195]

Not so much with the thermal capacity of the building and the solar power system which means lower utility bill for the owners. And further on the plus side - no nasty fumes and particulates from gas 😊😊

[@Lightning-speed27]

Good job!!!

[@mahalkoseventeen6087]

I would love to love here.

[@harperwelch5147]

Is the overall street impression that this project is designed for people? Are the interiors warm and homey? This seems very minimal in appeal. Maybe high on function will be enough.

[@cathyshinkoskey125]

Excellent

[@desertdaisymarie6951]

I would need a separate toilet for my family, my son is old enough to need privacy in the bathroom and his stepdad is a very shy man.. I find the lack of this not terribly family friendly 😔

[@xlukas93]

I wish i could afford apartment like this once in my life. Keep dreaming

[@buseyasar1]

how inspiring🙏✨

[@soniawoolley366]

Love it !

[@solssun]

Bravo :)

[@Todmeinerlust]

This building features an episode on Never Too Small channel if I'm not wrong.

[@SimpleDwelling]

You're not wrong, they also featured Nightingale 1, which will come out this month on my channel.

[@cyrilroxas]

such an amazing space

[@Ayasegaki]

Give it a time then it will become an investment.

[@katrussell6819]

I like everything except the black and red pipes on the ceilings. They are obnoxiously obvious. Why not paint them white like the ceiling?

[@sharonadlam3195]

Each to their own. Personally I quite like them. You could paint them yourself upon purchase of the apartment if you wanted.

[@maramma4780]

wonderful

[@sebdiaz1852]

Beautiful building. but that train station next to it is a big no no.

[@sharonadlam3195]

Why? Surely it means easy access to public transport thus negating the need for a car. Also all apartments are double glazed thus deadening the sound associated with the train station.

[@omer452]

Add music guys

[@carolz5090]

Lovely mission and nice esthetic that should age well. I can see the proximity to mass transit, but no parking space for cars would be a deal breaker where I live.

[@urielalbertosanchezm]

Se ve muy cómodo y de buen gusto

[@sambradley6548]

Where is the building? What city,

[@SimpleDwelling]

It’s in Fairfield, a suburb in Melbourne, Australia

[@qwuzzy]

Makes me depressed living in the US!

[@aleenaprasannan2146]

Having more shared amenities in apartments are something that really needs to be seriously promoted. Not just a shared laundry, a lot of home appliances and tools can be turned into shared amenities. It promotes engagement and builds community, provides better living standards for lesser cost and could possibly help pick up sustainable habits like mending.

[@akalion213]

Mate where's the ceiling

[@katella]

Just wondering why the ceilings have been left so industrial. Not a very comfortable look to live with.

[@anaalves3658]

I think that it was too keep costs down. It has a more industrial feel to it, I personally like it, but it will not appeal to everyone. The wood floors are a beautiful and warm contrast to the ceiling.

[@katella]

@@anaalves3658 yes, I thought of that. I am currently living with ceilings that look unfinished and I hate it. You're right, the rest is lovely.

[@samevea]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z33QdmOCmtemfKs It also helps reduce energy costs, because the exposed concrete holds heat.

[@quinnm.3127]

can we all have one?

[@ardent.arch93]

Exposed ceilings are not really my cup of tea...

[@tanayganguly1251]

it will be a good anime building

[@danny7690]

Really like this channel, but something bit off putting with the (I'm guessing) channel owner acting/pretending to be living in all these spaces. Fell it would be more authentic with actual owners or designers walking around the properties.

[@SimpleDwelling]

Initially I stepped in because the architect was only available for the interview. I continued as I understood architects are often time-poor, so to save them time on site with me, I’ll open the doors. I also saw it as a way where I became a “stand in” for you/my audience, where I’m experiencing each home for you. I never try to act like I live here, but I have received a lot of similar comments and will think about reverting back to the architect.

[@5kgxistiouvockzit7r94]

"designed for people, not investors" ye these train tracks are very much people friendly- supporting calm and relaxing environment at home for sure 🤦

[@sharonadlam3195]

The train access is indeed people friendly, no need for individual cars and if you notice, all apartments have double glazing which would deaden the sound of the trains - a win-win I would have thought 😊😊

[@Pete-sf8wv]

😀

[@alterego157]

Bro... you forgot to finish the ceilings

[@ayonmukherji]

Dimple Swelling

[@jimdavid7710]

The cost of all this carbon-neutral I bet is the same as any other development as the builder & investors have to get their return on investment. The water saving, such as collection is expensive & just one bathroom, is pecuniary & is exorbitant when I bet looking at the sales price. Regarding shared laundries (where you’d have to wait your turn) its basically socialist template of living & that’s %100 counter to what people want, privacy & independence when you cannot afford a house with a yard. If building cheap affordable housing & what people want, do it like this but don’t add the colorful Jo Goodman to it & drop the price. The tricky argument about the utility of space - you want one bathroom or larger living area is more likely total gobshite. Every development has to make $ so it’s more likely about maximizing people into a development space. Saying people want larger living areas is just a normal truism, we ALL want more space, an extra bathroom (where you could sub-let a room for income or have for the kids have a bathroom IS just a good idea, not all of us want to live in a socialist cabal). I think this project at the end of the day, will be full of rich-kids & SJW who I wouldn’t want to be neighbors with, & let’s face it where they can feel good about themselves & in any case, they’ll move out when they can get something better, that provides more privacy & independence, rather than live like “houso’s” sharing things - but they’ll know the’ll have paid a premium for it (or via M&D)

[@SimpleDwelling]

Hi Jim, you're clearly not a fan, and that's okay, these aren't for you. However, I think the waitlist of 1,000s, and the fact that only a few Nightingale apartments have gone on the market in the last 7 years, shows that people want and love these apartments.

[@victor11rus38]

Neighborhood is a ghetto I assume. Looks extremely inconvenient. Sorry, but no.

[@andressy182]

We don't typically have ghettos in Australia (in the North American sense). This is a fairly middle class suburb, not especially built up or densely populated.

[@user-ed7et3pb4o]

Inconvenient? How? It's right next to a station

[@PostImperfect]

Curious why you think it's a ghetto? Fairfield is a pretty nice suburb (and is fairly expensive). There are beautiful parks and the main river in Melbourne runs through it. It's only about 8kms from the CBD, so it's a desirable area. On the other side of the railway is a great shopping strip, which includes community spaces and a library.

[@sharonadlam3195]

@@PostImperfect Exactly Z3lda, think the OP is just someone spouting an opinion with no actual knowledge of the situation. Thankyou for the info.

[@ebrooklyn5736]

love it all