One of the country’s leading community housing providers, Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust (ŌCHT), was awarded a “Category A” award for the three-community development in Brougham St, Sydenham.

The Category A award section is open to projects that “made a material and beneficial change to the city environment, involving either development on a new site or re-development of an existing site or structure”.

The ŌCHT Brougham Street community is the first such recipient of a Christchurch Civic Trust Award since the awards started 44 years ago.

The citation says the award “recognises the social enterprise in re-establishing a community housing amenity in Sydenham that is environmentally sustainable”.

The Civic Trust also noted that ŌCHT approached the development with its objective of providing warm, dry, healthy housing in mind. “In its construction there has also been consideration of the safety and longevity of materials,” the citation reads. “The attention to window location, insulation and heat recovery systems has contributed to making the homes as energy efficient as possible.”

ŌCHT Chief Executive, Cate Kearney, says the award is public acknowledgement for a project that has tenants and sustainable tenancies at its heart.

“The project team actively sought ideas from tenants and ŌCHT staff, and looked closely at existing complexes, as part of the design process. We wanted to know what in the past has worked and what hasn’t, to develop socially and environmentally sustainable communities. I am really thrilled for everyone involved and of course our tenants who live in these lovely homes surrounded by green spaces, safe areas for children to play and communal gardens,” she says. “We wanted the project to show what community housing can be, not what it used to be. I believe we have achieved that.”

Ms Kearney adds that ŌCHT is building for the long-term. “We want these homes to be great homes for decades to come.”

One hundred and fifteen people now live in the three interconnected communities comprised of 1-4 bedroom homes on the Brougham Street site.

Southbase delivered the South by Southeast Architects-designed project for ŌCHT.

The first community, Korimako Lane, opened in January 2021. Karoro Lane opened in April 2021 and Hoiho Lane opened in July, 2021.