As Australia’s population continues to rise, the demand for housing continues to intensify. To meet this demand, apartment buildings are building built at a rapid pace. Most high streets around the country are growing 6 storeys taller above the existing 2 storey row houses. In some streets, you might notice a single house being torn down to clear space for 2 or 3 townhouses on the same block. All of these types of developments increase housing density. While this meets the need for more houses, it is also increasing the number of people who want to use services like public transport, library’s, and schools. While there’s so much focus on getting the houses built, there’s a parallel need to make sure all the extra people in a community don’t exhaust the services and amenities in an area. As our cities as towns continue to grow, we need to make sure that while we make buildings that accommodate everyone we don’t reduce the amenity that made an area so good in the first place. 

In this episode of Hearing Architecture, we’ve asked architects from around Australia if high-density developments are being planned with communities in mind.

This episode of Hearing Architecture featured the following guests: Damian Madigan, Jane Wetherall, Jefa Greenaway, Rod Simpson, Shaneen Fantin, Belinda Allwood, Rob McGauran, Amelia Borg, Timothy Moore, Jane Caught, Andrew Maynard, Professor Philip Thalis, Lee Hillam, and Dik Jarman.

The interviews in this episode were produced around Australia by EmAGN committee members: Jamileh Jahangiri, Daniel Hall, Kirsty Volz, Kali Marnane, Chris Morley, Sam McQueeney, Reece Currey, Brad Wetherall, Jess Beaver, Bede Taylor, Rebecca Webster, and Daniel Moore.

The Australian Institute of Architects production team was Daniela Crawley, Stacey Rodda, Monique Woodward, and Thom McKenzie.

Produced by the Australian Institute of Architects Emerging Architects and Graduates Network, in collaboration with Open Creative Studio.

Written and Directed by Daniel Moore.

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