With demand for affordable, sustainable and human-centric housing on the rise, and in response to Melbourne’s need for increased density, Nightingale Housing has launched its latest multi-res development, marking its debut in the northern suburb of Coburg.

Nightingale Umarkoo Wayi, designed by Kennedy Nolan in collaboration with Nightingale Housing, reframes what sustainable, budget-conscious multi-residential design can look like. Named ‘All of us’ in Woi Wurrung language, following consultation with Wurundjeri Elders, the 48-home apartment complex has been designed to honour people, place and architectural integrity.

With a distinctive red brick façade and three commercial spaces at street level, the development contributes to the bustling Sydney Road precinct and provides a range of apartment types to suit different residents.

Making more from less

Nightingale’s brief to the architects was ‘to achieve the most with the least’. Rather than adopt a stark, minimalist approach, Kennedy Nolan curated a palette of rich textures, high-impact colour blocking and functional durability. The residences are made to be lived in, after all, not preserved as display homes.

“The brief that Nightingale always seems to start with, is, to achieve the most with the least, nothing extraneous, but sustainable, cost-effective [and] just enough love that they feel like someone’s special home,” says Victoria Reeves, director of Kennedy Nolan.

The new apartment complex features subtly varied layouts and thoughtful design touches, catering to the wide variety of residents that call Nightingale Umarkoo Wayi home. Featuring all the elements that make Nightingale homes so sought after, the building is fossil-fuel free with an embedded electricity network running 100 percent green power. Having achieved a 7.6-star NatHERS rating, the building uses high-efficiency AC heating and cooling, certified carbon neutral appliances, and rainwater collection for landscape irrigation. The building also features amenities such as a shared productive rooftop garden, communal laundry, bike parking and a barbecue area.

Not afraid of a bit of colour

Within the apartment interiors, Kennedy Nolan chose custom Laminex Moroccan Clay kitchen benches paired with timber detailing and Laminex Daintree for the cabinetry doors. The matte finish and earthy tones create an atmosphere of warmth and care. Kennedy Nolan played with materials to find the best ‘friends’ tonally and texturally. The clay and green tones reflect the local landscape and create a harmonious home environment, particularly when combined with tactile cork, terrazzo and brass finishes.

Laminex products played a key role in realising the design vision. They feature extensively across the homes and communal areas in bold, natural colours, creating a distinct yet cohesive identity across the development.

“The extensive use of matte, solid-colour Laminex wasn’t just a stylistic choice, but a rigorous response to longevity, ensuring these community spaces are genuinely built to last,” says Rachel Nolan, director at Kennedy Nolan. “We use Laminex, not just because we find it beautiful – the matte, block colour of it – but because it’s a tough product, and we’ve used it for a long time through a whole variety of building types; schools, retail, housing, it’s there to stay.”

“We will always use a local product where we can,” says Reeves. “Projects such as these need to use materials that can be easily supplied for a budget and at scale.”

Using Laminex products, Kennedy Nolan was able to achieve its design goals while appealing to the needs of Nightingale and homebuyers – simple, sustainable and durable products with high design impact.

Homes for the community

Umarkoo Wayi has been crafted with both its community, and the community at large, in mind. Rooted in timeless design, quality living and sustainability, the new homes achieve a high-end quality while staying true to Nightingale’s priorities of affordability and high performance.

Kennedy Nolan’s ability to focus on what’s essential while retaining design integrity has created better outcomes for residents, championing the ethos that good design is for ‘all of us’.

Architecture: Kennedy Nolan

Build: Cobild

Developer: Nightingale Housing

Feature product: Kitchen, living room, hallway and laundry joinery – Laminex Moroccan Clay; Wardrobes – Laminex Daintree

Images: Kate Longley.