Nightingale Bowden

Design Feature

Type of project
Infrastructure
State
South Australian
Location
Urban
Nightingale Bowden is the first South Australian project from Nightingale Housing, a not-for-profit organisation that builds socially, financially and environmentally sustainable homes. This apartment block, which is situated on a unique island site in the master-planned Bowden development near the Adelaide CBD, comprises 36 compact apartments that offer cost-price purchases and affordable rental options for people from all walks of life.
Where modernity and history collide
Bowden is a mixed-use urban community located on a former industrial site near the Adelaide CBD. Nightingale plays homage to this industrial history with recycled brick along the street-facing ground level, fluted precast concrete facades with copper motifs above, and a distinctive saw-tooth roofline that conceals spacious communal rooftop areas.

Putting people and the environment first


The Nightingale building reflects Bowden’s contemporary aspirations as a medium-density, highly walkable and wheelable environment with an emphasis on sustainability. Its fossil-fuel-free design includes the use of low-embodied-energy materials, rainwater collection and vertical greening. Shared rooftop gardens, a guest house for visitors and ample secure bicycle parking, coupled with its location right next to bike paths and train lines, put Nightingale at the centre of the active lifestyle opportunities and community connections that Bowden promises its residents.
Project team
Housing Choices South Australia
South Australian Housing Authority
Renewal SA
Nightingale Housing
Breathe Architecture (architect)
Landskap (landscape architect)
Openwork Studio (landscape architect)
Project cost
$13.2M. The average sale price for one- and two-bed apartments for owner-occupiers is $366,450.1
Health value
  • Nightingale’s proximity to Bowden’s highly walkable neighbourhood, coupled with secure bike parking and easy access to nearby bike paths, encourages residents to walk and cycle. Physical activity is associated with a wealth of health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health2 and better mental wellbeing,3 among others.
  • A shared rooftop garden invites residents to connect with nature. Research shows that access to green space is associated with better overall health.4
  • The building’s shared garden and eating areas, open stairwell and other communal features create opportunities for social contact, which has been shown to improve health outcomes.5


Economic value
  • Proximity to Bowden Railway Station and tram routes significantly reduces car dependence and lowers the costs associated with car ownership. Uptake of public transport can also decrease congestion on nearby roads, leading to a reduction in infrastructure and lost productivity costs.6
  • Nightingale was designed as affordable housing development. The average sale price of apartments was 12% lower than the affordable housing benchmark rate, while 18 social and community rental properties, managed by not-for-profit housing provider Housing Choices South Australia, are offered with income-based rent capped at 75% of market value.7
  • The project leverages the economic benefits of adaptive reuse of industrial land that increases urban density near existing infrastructure.


Environmental value
  • Both Nightingale and the broader Bowden precinct have been designed for reduced car use. Walkable design, car-parking strategies and traffic-calming features support pedestrian activity and reduce the carbon emissions and energy usage associated with private vehicles.
  • Nightingale has an average 8.2-star NatHERS rating and a 5 Green Star rating. These outcomes were achieved through fossil-fuel-free development that incorporated the following sustainable design principles:
    • The use of low-embodied-energy materials
    • An embedded electricity network that produces 100% green power
    • Energy-efficient heat pump hot water systems
    • A 22kW photovoltaic array
    • Rainwater collection for common area use
    • Vertical greening via climbing plants and a rooftop garden that enhances biodiversity across the development


Social value
  • The building’s communal features (described above) create opportunities for social interaction between residents.
  • A ground-floor café, which activates the street front and provides an interface for the broader Bowden precinct, is a natural meeting place for locals.
  • A priority ballot system ensures a diverse mix of residents, creating a welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities.

Use value
  • Nightingale’s sustainable design, coupled with Bowden’s high-quality lifestyle offering, has attracted significant interest from purchasers and renters alike. It has also resulted in high levels of tenancy retention, with residents staying in the precinct for an extended period.
  • Operable sliders on the roof can be adjusted to the wind and climatic conditions, allowing residents to adapt the building to meet their changing needs and preferences across the day and seasons.

References

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