Wirra Mikangka

JPE, in collaboration with Hill Thalis, has developed Wirra Mikangka for Housing Choices Australia. This innovative build-to-rent project comprises 152 apartments, offering a mix of social, affordable, and market rental options.

The residences are integrated with thoughtfully designed community spaces, including shared dining, community and meeting rooms and a retail tenancy available to residents and the wider community. The design expression takes inspiration from Eucalypt trees in the adjacent parklands, while spatial planning prioritises fostering a strong sense of community. The project is divided into two buildings; a north building with views of the parklands and a south building overlooking the hills.

Apartments are organised into clusters around three central cores, creating vibrant “neighbourhoods” that encourage social connections and a sense of belonging. A wide, raised courtyard separates the north and south buildings, providing residents with access to edible gardens, cooking facilities and versatile spaces for meeting, relaxation, work and play, surrounded by deep soil planting as a green buffer.

Designed with sustainability in mind, the project is benchmarked as Wirra Mikangka - Multiresidential 6-star Greenstar equivalent. Apartments in the north and south buildings achieve average NatHERS ratings of 9 and 8 stars, respectively, reflecting a commitment to energy efficiency and environmental performance