Traditional Land Owners: Land of muwinina

Goulburn Street is a group of 25 public housing apartments in the heart of Hobart designed to address the lack of accommodation for the elderly and disabled in the city.

Each apartment has a considered balance of indoor and outdoor spaces, prioritising natural light, ventilation, and individuality — a combination that subverts public housing stereotypes in our communities.

Centred on the concept of a micro-village rather than a dense urban complex, the visual scale of the development is broken down, allowing the forms to sit sympathetically within the streetscape. The interiors are simple, calm, and inviting, and feature subtle colours that provide relief from the otherwise austere material palette.

Developed on a former council car park as the result of a government collaboration, the project tackles issues of undeveloped blocks in Hobart and highlights how a considered approach to higher density living can complement the unique character of the city.