It is often noted that Australia’s approach to housing needs fixing; that we have allowed home ownership to become an investment strategy, that we need to abandon the notion of ownership as a universal ambition, and so on.

And it’s also said that we fail to learn from overseas experiences and approaches to housing. We fail to look to various European experiences, for example, where renting for life is accepted as a viable (and attractive) option and build-to-rent (BTR) housing is more common.

If Indi Footscray, a major multi residential development, located adjacent to a major transport hub in Melbourne’s inner-west is anything to go by, these attitudes may yet change.

One of the most noteworthy things about this three-tower development is that all its 702 apartments are BTR, which makes it one of the largest projects of this kind in the city.

SJB, a multi-disciplinary, multi-studio practice known for everything from large urban projects to rural residential dwellings, was responsible for the development.

SJB approached Indi Footscray as an opportunity to champion the emerging BTR notion; and reframe as a means of urban repair.

“Our ambition was to contribute meaningfully to the evolving urban tapestry of the area,” says Nigel Morris, Director at SJB.

In line with this, beyond the (studio, one, two and three-bedroom) apartments, the complex includes elevated shared spaces, onsite services, and community experiences.

Residents can make use of private dining rooms and resident lounges; of a co-working zone, wellness facilities, a basketball half-court, and rooftop gardens.

Apart from the transport connections, and the 12-minute commute into the city, they find themselves in a vibrant metropolitan setting with everything from an established café, bar and dining scene to local markets, a community arts centre, and the recently upgraded Whitten Oval at their disposal.

The three towers are arranged around a heritage listed Moreton Bay fig tree and are conceived to have distinct yet aesthetically cohesive identities.

The podium’s detailed brickwork draws inspiration from local heritage buildings and provides a sense of robustness and civic character, while the sculptural tower facades use textured precast concrete and façade fins to add visual interest in the skyline as the changing light activates the building forms.

As Morris puts it “…Indi Footscray sets out to demonstrate design excellence to its future neighbours.”

In this way, the development perhaps represents one part of the puzzle that is Australia’s housing future.

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