Designed by Woods Bagot with landscape architecture by Tract, the new Tucker Street housing development contains fifty new studio apartments, including five fully-accessible studio apartments designed to universal standards to accommodate residents with specific mobility requirements.

Owned by the SA Housing Trust and supported by not-for-profit organisation YWCA Australia, the project provides accommodation and wrap-around onsite services for women facing hardship.

Woods Bagot Principal Alex Hall says Tucker Street studio apartments provide a safe and comfortable urban home in the heart of the Adelaide CBD, supporting community, connection and certainty for some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.

“Well-designed public housing is essential for social inclusion and to sustain vibrant, diverse, and accessible neighbourhoods,” says Hall. “We’ve designed comfortable, practical and beautiful residences that support safety, dignity, security of its users, all the while being open to natural light, connected to landscape, and a part of the neighbourhood fabric.”

Brick was selected for the building façade for its robust nature and ability to age well, alongside a material expression that evokes established association of home.

Each apartment includes its own private balcony, internal laundry, modern kitchen and bathroom, air-conditioning, energy-efficient appliances and a dedicated on-site bike space.

Onsite amenity includes a common area, a courtyard, flexible-use rooms and a communal garden, creating a setting for connection and wellbeing.The architecture is designed for resilience and futureproofing; through modular joinery and simple detailing, the structural design allows studio apartments to be adapted into larger configurations to address changing community needs over time.

According to Minister for Women of South Australia Katrine Hildyard, older women are now the fastest growing cohort to experience homelessness, often preceded by domestic violence or financial hardship.

“After a lifetime of economic and community contribution and often raising families and caring for others, it is unacceptable that older women face housing insecurity,” says Hildyard. “I am so proud that Tucker Street will provide women with a foundation for healing, stability and rebuilding a life with dignity.”  

“These homes and the embedded support will provide women with a roof over their head and so much more,” continues Hildyard. “A sanctuary, a safe place to call home, empowers women to experience belonging and security and move forward with confidence.”

The landscape shapes everyday experience, transforming the ground plane into a sequence of attractive, comfortable and shaded outdoor spaces. A landscaped courtyard at ground level provides a welcoming communal heart, encouraging outdoor activity, rest and informal social interaction. These spaces foster a sense of physical and visual connection between residents, and to the surrounding neighbourhood and public realm

“Thoughtfully integrated into the architectural design, the landscape creates opportunities for connection,  quietly supporting a feeling of community that nurtures wellbeing, and provides a sense of belonging,”says Tract Principal Landscape Architect Tara Graham-Cochrane. 

“Through shade and textures that change with the seasons, residents can feel grounded and secure in the everyday – offering moments to pause, breathe and heal.”

The Tucker Street site benefits from close proximity to essential services and transport, including high-frequency bus routes and the City Connector Bus.

The project is delivered under the South Australian Government’s plans for A Better Housing Future, delivering an estimated 3,600 homes over the next five years.

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