Mari-Mari-Ba receives Malcolm Middleton Award

At the recent QLD Minister’s Awards for Urban Design, Mari-Mari-Ba received the Malcolm Middleton Award for Outstanding Liveable Design.

The award recognises contemporary Queensland residential projects where accessibility and liveability are the centre piece of the highest quality and design excellence underpins all aspects of the development.

We are very proud of our work on Mari-Mari-Ba and the recognition it has received- thank you to the Department of Housing and ATSICHS and to everyone who worked on the project.

Thank you also to the Minister’s office and judging panel for this fantastic recognition.

The citation reads:

“The Mari-Mari-Ba Affordable Housing Project at Eight Mile Plains by Deicke Richards is a successful reimagining of the old Joyce Wilding Hostel, which served as a refuge for vulnerable First Nations women and children since the 1970s.

The project is an example of a challenging project brief on a sensitive site – one with a long history of cultural engagement – and all within a tight public housing budget.

An initial site yield project approach was rejected based on the amount of site clearance proposed. A new and more compact Masterplan was prepared to meet the brief, budget and cultural challenges.

A simple plan that is functional for all orientations was prepared, which allows for consistent site management in plan form as well as a solution that delivers excellent community enclosure within and between accommodation blocks.

The external imagery is simple and effective with massing and robust material selections that offer higher standard finishes and were deemed to deliver an overall benefit for the project.

The reimagined complex sits comfortably on the site that has now maintained significant planting. The solution embodies passive design principles and excellent accessibility, both physically and culturally.”