Deicke Richards

Some great photos of our newly opened housing development with Churches of Christ, Banksia Apartments at Little Mountain.

Banksia Apartments is a social housing and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) development which responds to the extreme need for more affordable accommodation on the Sunshine Coast for seniors and people living with disability. It comprises 40 community housing units for seniors and 10 SDA units.

The development aims to create a sense of community incorporating a well-used pool, community centre, and a cafe along with the apartments.

Banksia Apartments is Churches of Christ’s largest mixed-tenure development. We are proud of our work on this, and have enjoyed having the opportunity to continue working with Churches of Christ.

We will share more about this development over the next few days.

Images: via Churches of Christ

Yesterday Magda attended the blessing ceremony at Stella Maris church for the Duffy Room, named in honour of Father Joe Duffy.

Father Joe was the parish priest at Stella Maris when we worked on the new church design, parish office and presbytery, wellness centre and adjacent St Vincent’s aged care facility at Maroochydore over ten years ago.

Stella Maris remains a highly significant project for the practice. We were initially engaged to look at options to develop a care community, which led to master planning and then the design of a new church, aged care facility and wellness centre.

The design responds to the subtropical coastal location and many local artisans and artists were engaged to design and create the furniture, lighting and sanctuary items. Father Joe and the rest of the parish community were ambitious and visionary in what they wanted for their church and the buildings are testament to this. It’s fantastic to see how well the designs continue to serve the vibrant Stella Maris parish community.

Hello, it’s me ! . I am an Architectural Graduate and Social Impact Lead at Deicke Richards. I’m signing off on behalf of DR for the week and wanted to end with a few words of thanks and thoughts on the week.

Firstly, thank you to Justine and the whole Parlour team for having us! And thank you to everyone who has watched along and engaged, it has been wonderful to see.

Secondly, I would like to thank Deicke Richards for allowing me the time to reflect on our practice and the dilemmas we face in our profession. As I have been producing the content for the week, I have realised how important this reflection time is. I am lucky enough to work for a practice that has allowed me to work flexibly and even create a new role for myself based on my aspirations for architecture and social impact. In such a fast-paced industry, this time and flexibility is rare and I do not take it lightly. By spending this week considering the dilemmas and conundrums we face in our practice, I have not only developed my understanding of the complexities of our role, but also gained a renewed desire and sense of urgency for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. We are in a time of political, economic and social turbulence. We must work together to do the best we can for the communities we work for. I am looking forward to having many more conversations with my colleagues and extended industry.

So, see you for now! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or conundrums to tell me about!

We work in an exclusive field. Some publications suggest only around 2-5% of buildings are designed by architects. We are a luxury service. But everyone deserves high quality design. So how do we ensure our skills are lent to people who need them but maybe cannot afford them?

We have structured our business to allow for Pro Bono projects. One such project that we are incredibly proud of being involved with is Sharing with Friends. Sharing with Friends ( ) is a foundation powered by women, helping older women to self-organise and build affordable co-living homes. It has been a pleasure to build a relationship with this group and we are so excited to see their first project commence construction this year! Here is what our Eloise Atkinson has said about our relationship with Sharing with Friends:

Deicke Richards has been involved with Sharing with Friends since 2020. We have advocated and designed social and affordable housing for government and community organisations since the practice started 30 years ago - it is in our DNA. We could see in the SwF model something innovative and replicable. We were inspired by the intelligence, energy and determination of this extraordinary group and were happy to offer our skills to help prove up the concept.

The SwF co-housing model is not only about providing affordable and safe housing for women at a time in their life where they may be very vulnerable- but about creating an environment where they can genuinely develop friendships and support. It is not just about living beside others but living with them. It is a project very close to the hearts of everyone at DR.

Magda is our Senior Interior Designer who spends a lot of her time in the Aged Care Sector. Here’s what she had to say about her dilemma and her ‘solution’:

My dilemma is around truly understanding the people we design for and imparting that knowledge to our designers and architects. In most of our projects, we interact primarily with operators, developers, project managers, builders, but we rarely engage with the actual occupants of the spaces we design – the end users (a term I dislike!).

Personally, I’ve learned that the best way to understand our future residents is by spending time with them. However, this often isn’t included in our scope, so we end up doing it voluntarily, which builds empathy among those already inclined to be empathetic, or as part of the company’s investment in marketing and business development.

Through personal exploration, I’ve discovered the incredible power of art to delve deep within oneself and articulate emotions visually that are difficult to verbalize, identify true values, reminisce and express gratitude while really slow down, focusing and getting in the flow. Collaging, in particular, is a creative tool that can elicit responses from people without direct questioning and doesn’t require formal creative skills. It’s about letting go.

That’s why I’ve been offering collaging workshops for residents in the retirement and aged care homes we are designing or refurbishing as a starting point for our projects. We sit with the seniors, using prepared images that depict the world around us and imagery tailored to their context. Together, we recreate landscapes based on memories, values and meaning. This process allows for storytelling, observing the spatial requirements needed to motivate and create comfort, assessing their mental and physical abilities, and understanding the behaviours of caregivers. All this information is invaluable for informing our design decisions for these homes. Additionally, the participants have a memento they can take away and keep to reflect upon, making the experience even more meaningful for them.

Sustainability must be a priority for anyone working in the built environment currently. We all know that construction significantly contributes to the world’s carbon emissions and pollution. However, we primarily work with clients who require safe and functional spaces that are cost effective. At the moment, the most sustainable materials are more expensive and often require more maintenance which our clients cannot always afford or manage. So, what do we do? We learn!

Dominika is the leader of our Sustainability Action Plan working group and was also an architect on our recently completed Bob Marshman Construction Training Centre, the first educational purpose built Passiv Haus project completed in Australia. It is not only a first for the country, but also for us. This was the first project we completed with a Passiv Haus certification and we learnt so much in the process! This is a great example of using curiosity to fuel our work. We are open to new ideas and expanding our knowledge. We recognise the importance of sustainability in contemporary practice and intend to continue our growth in the area.

Here is what Dom had to say about her experience on the Bob Marshman Building:

Deicke Richards was commissioned to design a construction training centre for a client passionate about sustainability and innovative building practices. The Bob Marshman Building embraces the concept of a Living Laboratory in which the innovative elements within the building are communicated to the occupants via digital technology. As the building is the first commercial Passive House certified in the Australian sub-tropical climate, the project team was presented with several challenges including the gaps in the current industry knowledge, application of new construction methodologies and extensive research into sustainable materials and products. The result is a climate-controlled building that is quiet, comfortable and tells an important story to educate its occupants on best practices as related to the global climate crisis and Net Zero.

So, what are we doing? This week we have raised just a handful of the dilemmas and conundrums we face in our field of work. These dilemmas range from practical to ethical. While, most of them don’t have a black and white answer, we thought we would use today to ask some of our team how they respond to these dilemmas!

Most of the dilemmas we have posted this week have been very multifaceted and rely on input from engineers, politicians, planners, bureaucrats, economists and more to be able to scratch the surface of a solution.

However, we also face every day dilemmas that can be resolved through design.

One simple example that we think about as Architects and Urban Designers is ‘activation’. If we look at Mari- Mari-Ba as an example, one can see that the planning is slightly atypical for a new housing project. As Urban Designers, we are often advocating for activated streets and entries. Most of you will remember this principal from studying Jane Jacobs ‘The Death and Life of Great American Cities’ in architecture school. By activating dwelling entries and street corners, we can encourage neighbourly interactions and foster a sense of safety by drawing eyes to the street.

Yet, Mari-Mari-Ba does the opposite of this. This housing project is specifically designed for First Nations women fleeing violent or unsafe situations. When we were tasked with this brief, and through engaging with our client, it became apparent that our usual stance was not appropriate. Instead, the project faces inwards, creating a micro-community within the suburb. The people living in this project are vulnerable and need to feel safe. By facing their dwellings inwards, the residents can occupy their balconies and entry spaces without feeling that members of the public are watching.

This is a great example of the flexible mindset we must hold when designing for such a variety of people. While our studies might have taught us one thing, it is not always the most appropriate or compassionate approach.

How can we look at innovative social/affordable housing models to suit a broader range of people within the community, which may lead to cheaper and more housing stock, when we are led by prescriptive guidelines? This is one of the questions on Luke’s mind at the moment.

Our local building regulations and guidelines ensure that the built environment is equitable and safe for all people. They are thoroughly thought-out pieces of literature that we have ourselves contributed to. As designers, we use them daily and appreciate the role they play in guiding the future of our cities and suburbs.

However, at critical times in the sector, including currently, we often wonder what results could be found without such intensive regulation. Many of the countries we see innovative housing and architectural models coming from have less regulated construction sectors. This, of course comes with its own downfalls!

As a designer, do you have a regulation or piece of legislation you wish didn’t exist?

In November of 2023, housing data was released revealing that 43,074 people were on the social housing waitlist in Queensland alone. This figure is incredibly alarming and heartbreaking.

So, surely we should be building as many homes as possible? This means high density housing solutions. However, high density designs often raise issues in social integration, cost and insufficient infrastructure provisions (including green, blue and social infrastructure). Many housing providers have turned towards the ‘missing middle’ model. A housing typology that increases the density of a typical Queensland suburb, yet allows for social integration by infilling social housing in smaller sites within mature suburbs.

Similarly to standard private residential, there is no singular correct way to approach affordable housing. The waitlist is full of diverse people with varying needs. A large part of our role is understanding the people who we are designing for to decide what the most appropriate solution is. Each client, site and future resident is unique and deserves individual consideration. While we might want to produce as many homes as possible, sometimes high-density housing is not culturally safe or environmentally and socially sustainable.

On the other hand, in situations as dire as the current housing crisis, maybe a roof over everyone’s head should take precedence? This cyclical thought process is one that goes through our mind with each project we begin. How do you approach this complex situation?

Housing is one of the most pressing issues in today’s political, social and economic landscape. Witnessing a housing crisis as members of the built environment field and as human beings is upsetting and distressing.

We have been lucky enough to consistently work on affordable housing projects for the entirety of our 30 years of practicing. Despite our extensive experience in, and commitment to affordable housing, we still face daily dilemmas when designing this typology.

Many of our staff and leadership team are very experienced in this sector, but today, we asked our Principal Luke Watson about his recent experiences.

One of Luke’s most recent projects, Mari Mari Ba, has attracted quite a few awards at the Brisbane and Queensland Institute of Architects Awards. The project was recognised in the Multi-Residential, Small Project, and Social Impact categories. We are so proud of the whole team who worked on it (big brag!).

Follow along to hear about some of the regular conundrums we face in housing!

Project images from Mari-Mari-Ba by

Pedagogy is ever-changing. Yet our buildings have to stay relatively still. How do we manage this? This is another dilemma we often face when designing educational spaces. Highly tailored spaces for specific pedagogies seem ideal, yet for many reasons we want our buildings to have longevity for the school. So, do we then choose flexibility over everything and risk our designs not suiting the current teaching styles and methods? Let us know how you would deal with this issue!

Project images from All Hallows’ School and Sunshine Coast Grammar School.

Today we want to highlight one of the most important issues in education today.

In September of 2023, the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability published its final report, outlining 222 suggestions. One of these was the phasing out of specialised schools by 2051. At DR, we have worked extensively with specialised schools that have embodied dedication and determination for quality education for all students of all abilities.

However, as we learn more from people with disabilities and from educators, we have also learnt the importance of integration. Having students of all abilities together at the same schools has been shown to be beneficial to the entire cohort. So, should Special Schools stop growing and building? Or do we attempt to design all school facilities to a standard that accommodates all abilities? This sounds like the best idea, but with education budgets, there is seldom extra cash left over for the required equipment.

Students with a disability need and deserve to learn in a space that welcomes and supports them. For this reason, integration of schools must be designed. We are not writing this to take a stance or suggest the best solution, acknowledging that the solution requires governmental guidance and support. We simply want to highlight some of the complex and sensitive dilemmas that architects must be considering now if they are working in the education sector.

Project photos from Mt Ommaney Special School and Logan City Special School

The most common dilemma when working on school masterplans or new buildings is the payoff of new amenities in exchange for a loss of open space. Schools are deeply embedded in communities, both socially and physically. We are currently seeing our schools rapidly grow and prepare for more and more students. However, they often do not have more space to build extra classrooms or amenity buildings. So, we must build up, or use land once dedicated to outdoor play spaces. We are seeing a great increase in the vertical school model, which absolutely allows for schools to maintain their open space, but also raises issues of access and cost. It is a constant weighing up of risks and benefits, individual to each school. What would you love your child’s school to look like? What are the most important factors in the built environment for children? Let us know below!

Project images from Aquinas College, Sunnybank State School and Sunshine Coast Grammar School.

Education projects have made up a large part of our work for some time now. They are challenging, rewarding, and diverse. They also come with many quandaries and dilemmas! Our Principal Tim Zieth has led many education projects including the construction phase of the recently completed CTC Bob Marshman Centre. We asked Tim about the most common conundrums he faces on education projects.

It’s very easy to jump on one aged-care typology bandwagon when presented with the options. A home-style facility that empowers its occupants sounds wonderful! However, cost, labour shortages and personal preferences might persuade you otherwise. This simple diagram shows the way in which one must weigh up the options and priorities before commencing a design. A home-style facility might be the most welcoming and interactive typology, but a complex plan is harder for staff to manage and can result in less face time with nurses, physios and other allied health professionals. On the other hand, a simple floor plan can allow for efficient staffing and potentially more time and personal care for each resident. It’s never simple!

Tell us what type of aged care you would like to live in?

Before beginning on some of the dilemmas we face as designers working in Aged Care, I thought we would first highlight the dilemma that someone transitioning into aged care faces. Choosing how and where you would like to live if you need care is daunting and complex. Ingrid’s Churchill scholarship is particularly focusing on home-style aged care. But what are the other option? Swipe to see just a few.

We believe Aged Care is an incredibly important facet of socially sustainable communities. In 2021, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was delivered. It revealed some confronting and upsetting realities of the Aged Care system in Australia. While we have been involved in Aged Care projects for decades now, the idea of aging in place has grown in prevalence in recent years and there has been an increase in conversations surrounding best practice in Aged Care.

Our Principal, Ingrid Marshall is currently undertaking a Churchill Fellowship investigating international house-like residential aged care models. Ingrid is a founding member of Places for Ageing, a trans-disciplinary organisation aiming to promote innovative solutions for housing Australia’s growing elderly population. She firmly believes design can minimise the impact of health issues such as dementia, reduced mobility and declining acuity, creating environments where seniors can remain engaged. Ingrid supports the development of small house-like models of residential aged care; familiar settings facilitating residents maximising their potential.

So, today, Ingrid will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about Aged Care! Let us know in the comments if you are curious about anything about the design process or the aged care system in Australia.

Project photos from our recently completed Tricare Williams Landing project in Melbourne/Naarm.

The nature of architecture requires us to make decisions on the built world in which every person inhabits. What a responsibility!

A few years ago, when I told a first date that I worked in architecture they promptly responded with “wow, I’ve always been curious about architects and what sort of arrogance a person must hold to presume they should design the world for everyone else”.
This line has stuck with me ever since. As brutal as it was to hear, he was right. The responsibility is huge!

Every day we come into the office and make ‘small’ decisions that will play a role (however small) in the lives of many people for decades. While these decisions can seem trivial and become second nature to us, they have huge implications for the people occupying our buildings. So, this week, I thought we should give some airtime to those decisions; the series of conundrums that make up our everyday lives.

At Deicke Richards, we work across many sectors, with the only prerequisite being that our projects serve a social purpose. So, this week, we are going to linger a little longer on some of the dilemmas we face across the housing, education and aged care sectors. We would love to hear your insight or ideas, after all, there is rarely one correct answer to these dilemmas!

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At Deicke Richards, we use design to achieve social purpose. Working across ageing, cities, education and housing, we listen, share and care.

Our team works across Australia. We are known for our collaborative processes, responsive approach and inclusive culture.

Deicke Richards provides integrated services to public and private sector clients, schools and universities, housing and aged care providers, not-for-profit and faith-based organisations and local, state and federal government agencies.

Our vision is to be valued for creating effective outcomes that respond thoughtfully and beautifully to the needs of people and place.

We would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which our offices lies, the Jagera and Turrbal people. We would also like to thank the many people on whose land and waters our work has extended over. These are, the Barada Barna, Danggan Balum, Darambal, Gubbi Gabbi, Jagera, Kombumerri, Quandamooka, Turrbal, Widjabul Wia-bal, and Yugambeh people. We would also like to thank all First Nations people we have worked with, connecting to all parts of the Country. We are grateful for your trust, perspective, knowledge, and custodianship and look forward to our continued learning. We pay our respects to elders past and present and extend our solidarity to all people suffering from the harm caused by colonisation.

In our next post we will introduce our theme for the week. Our Marketing and Communications manager Frances and our Architecture Graduate and Social Impact Lead Genevieve will be hosting this takeover. (Pictured in last slide). Feel free to say hello, we are eager to hear all opinions and approaches to the questions we will be raising!

This morning we attended the Minister’s Award for Urban Design awards ceremony, where 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!

To celebrate NAIDOC week, we’ve been sitting down as a team every day and watching films from First Nations Australians.

One film we particularly enjoyed was Putuparri and The Rainmakers. Filmed over the course of ten years in and around Fitzroy Crossing in WA, the film is an incredible depiction of the sacred relationship between people and country. The country the film depicts, Kurtal, was handed back to its Native Title Owners in 2016.

The Ngurrara canvas seen here is referenced in the film and was used as part of Native Title claims over a large stretch of the Great Sandy Desert.

We recommend reading about this incredible collaborative artwork and watching the film!

The Construction Training Centre Bob Marshman building was completed earlier this year and has welcomed its new tenants already.

The building is intended to operate as a living laboratory that explores emergent passive thermal design principles and sustainability and the impacts of these on construction education pathways.

The building is Australia’s first commercial Passive House built in a sub tropical climate.

It was fantastic to work on this project with such a passionate and engaged client and we are proud of the final outcome. The team has learnt a lot about sustainability in design and we look forward to applying this knowledge to our design practices in the future.

To read more about the project, follow the link in our bio!

Photos by

Yesterday Magda, Ian, and Julia attended the official opening of the new Sunshine Coast Grammar School canteen building.

The Canteen creates an open and contemporary space for students to gather. It has an excellent outlook and blends into its beautiful bushland surrounds. We are proud of our work on this building and look forward to sharing more about it soon.

We are looking for an experienced bookkeeper with attention to detail, Xero skills and knowledge of accounting principles.

Deicke Richards is a people-first practice committed to nurturing our team and shaping a responsive, inclusive and equitable world. If you or someone you know is interested in joining our team, please email your application to [email protected].

Recently Deicke Richards took on a tutoring role at for a Masters Design Studio focusing on affordable housing. Led by Cameron Davies and Luke Watson, members of the DR team assisted the students in developing their proposals for an affordable housing precinct in St Lucia.

Last week the students presented their work to the team from , their course professor Dr. Mark Jones, and a group of industry professionals including Cam, John Ford from , and Karen Ognibene from .

Congratulations to all the students on their fantastic work, and thank you to Dr. Mark Jones for involving us in the program!

Recently John, Eloise, Luke, and Frances travelled to Darwin to continue exploring work options in the NT. It was a fantastic trip and we are excited to further our plans and relationships in this area. Thank you to everyone we met with for their generosity and time!

A highlight of the trip was revisiting Village@Parap, our large mixed tenure housing project with , pictured in the first two images.

Watch this space for more updates!

Mari-Mari Ba Affordable Housing and Bushland Communal Hub has won a number of awards at the QLD State Architecture Awards, including the State Award for Residential Architecture- Multiple Housing, the Hayes&Scott Award for Small Project Architecture, and the inaugural Social Impact Prize, an initiative of the Queensland Awards Jury.

We are very proud of this recognition and are very proud to have been able to work with First Nations communities to deliver appropriate housing for people who need it.

To read more, follow the link in our bio.

Recently John, Cam, Eloise, Gen, and Julia travelled to India for our Graduate of Architecture Mandar’s wedding celebration.

Here are some of the architectural highlights of their travels, from Delhi, Pune, Jaipur and Udaipur.

They will be sharing more of their highlights with the team this week at a Show and Tell- keep an eye on our stories for more images.
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At the end of last year our Seniors Housing team explored the possible future of aged care design by entering the Reimagining Where We Live design ideas competition run by the Department of Health and Aged Care.

The competition was designed to test the National Draft Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines, which have recently been released.

Our entry was entitled ‘Gardens in the Sky’. It explores vertical development and small household models, which our team has a particular interest in due to past experience.

To read more about the competition and our entry, visit the link in our bio.