A Glebe social housing redevelopment by Homes NSW is set to become one of the first and largest cross-laminated timber (CLT) social affordable apartment (Class 2) buildings in New South Wales when it is completed in early 2025.

The $65 million development at Cowper St and Wentworth Park Rd will provide 75 new fit-for-purpose social homes across two eight-storey towers and separate three-storey terraces.

Designed to achieve a 6 Star Green Star rating, the renewal project will set a precedent in construction methodology for future built forms using CLT, while addressing critical housing needs in Sydney’s inner west.

GroupGSA was engaged as the executive architect to deliver the pioneering project from tender to construction, in partnership with the builder, Kane Constructions. Since the initial concept, designed by Johnson Pilton Walker, the project has undergone several DA amendments to accommodate the use of CLT.

GroupGSA Associate Director and project lead Noura Thaha says that the built form would comprise 85 percent CLT, which was manufactured offsite. Less than five percent of the whole building was steel.

“There tends to be a stigma associated with social, affordable housing, but this project is going to break that,” Thaha says.
“This building is a high-end product in terms of sustainability and achieving a 6 Star Green Star rating. It will be a precedent for future CLT Class 2 buildings.”

Thaha highlights the project's role in advancing CLT adoption within residential density developments in Australia, contrasting it with established usage in Nordic and Scandinavian countries, and even the UK.

“Australia has been cautious in adopting CLT due to cost and regulatory nuances,” she says.

“However, this project demonstrates CLT’s safety and environmental benefits, positioning it as a sustainable option for future residential developments.”

The Cowper St social housing project is classed as a Type A construction under the Building Code of Australia regulations, requiring the highest level of fire resistance as a high-rise, high-occupant building.

“Not many have ventured into this space, so it was a great opportunity for us to deliver CLT Class 2 building,” Thaha says.

“Only when more builds take it up will it become more mainstream and cost-effective. For now, CLT is a premium product.”

Working closely with the fire engineering team to develop the right solution makes CLT a suitable residential system, Thaha added.

To date, the project has required meticulous planning and technological innovations to ensure compliance and efficiency in construction.

“It’s easier to do commercial buildings [in CLT] as the fire rating requirements are less onerous. For that reason, not many want to construct residential towers from CLT,” Thaha says.

“This project challenges those conventions and demonstrates its viability. CLT is one of the most sustainable building materials; it is a renewable resource and has a smaller carbon footprint compared to concrete and steel.”

GroupGSA used BIM software to create a federated model with input from consultant teams. The firm also used clash detection software to create a detailed analysis to identify potential clashes prior to construction.

“Normally some of these incidents become visible only during construction, but because the building is CLT and manufactured off-site, every wall and penetration had to be accounted for to the millimetre,” Thaha says.

“The level of documentation was exceedingly detailed, and we didn’t have many precedents to work from. Future CLT apartment buildings will be able to use this; they will have the precedent and will benefit from this pioneering work.”

In addition to its architectural innovations, the project honours Glebe’s rich heritage by retaining heritage sandstone kerbs along Wentworth Parade and Park Lane. It transforms the existing social housing site into 70 affordable apartments, offering studio, one- and two-bedroom configurations, plus five three-bedroom terrace-style dwellings.

“The terrace housing serves as an acknowledgement of the site’s past and acts as a transition from high density to medium density,” Thaha says.

“The project offers a unique proposition in housing diversity from studio apartments to three-bed terrace houses with great amenity, including a rooftop garden.”

The ground levels of the towers will feature commercial and retail tenancies, enhancing local amenity and the public domain. Situated within walking proximity to public transport hubs and designed as a zero-car parking site, the development encourages green travel modes with dedicated bicycle parking for residents and visitors.

GroupGSA has a longstanding history in the design and delivery of 804 mixed-tenure residential and social housing apartments of equitable scale, design and amenity at Eden St, Arncliffe. The multidisciplinary practice has also delivered multiple projects for Homes NSW, formerly known as the NSW Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC), as well as innovative housing models for Anglicare.

The firm’s expertise in delivering high-quality, socially responsible developments has earned recognition from the NSW Planning Department with its Homes NSW Chester Hill project acknowledged for exemplary design.

Image: Supplied

Clémence Carayol

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