What do Nightingale residents think?

Nightingale initially set out to be a triple-bottomline development with apartments that are environmentally, socially and financially sustainable. We asked some residents about their experience and whether their expectations have been met.

Architecture Australia: What attracted you to buy a Nightingale apartment?

Nicola (Nightingale 1): All of the things… We were renting in The Commons and wanted to be part of the model longer term for all the benefits we enjoy: a quality, sustainable, affordable apartment.

Cara and Jim (Nightingale 2): We knew it would be well built and we liked the architects. But, ultimately, we were attracted to the motivations behind the building: good design, living sustainably and building for homes, not investment properties.

Maureen (Nightingale Brunswick East):* Community, in the first instance. When I made the decision, I was a single, older woman with a daughter at home in her late teens. I guess I wanted to ensure that I was part of a community of like-minded people. It also felt pretty good to be making a personal commitment to sustainability. AA: In your estimation, has living at a Nightingale project reduced your environmental footprint? If so, how?

Nicola: Yes, we do not have a need for fossil fuels to cook our dinner and maintain a comfortable temperature in our home. At the moment, that is progressive; I hope that it will be the norm at some point very soon.

Cara and Jim: Absolutely. For starters, our energy costs have gone through the floor. The apartment is ridiculously well insulated. Living next to a train station and along bike paths has meant we’re driving the car so much less.

Maureen: Yes. I live in a much smaller space, I use significantly less energy and it is – as I understand it – 100 percent clean energy. Just being part of this community also encourages more sustainable purchasing and eating, and despite being in a much smaller space, I’m even composting better. AA: Is the level of social engagement with your neighbours higher or lower than in other places that you have lived?

Nicola: We like a chat and have a bit to say, so we are very grateful for the understanding that we all engage and acknowledge each other! It’s more than we’ve known in other places and it really works for us. My daughter, who is five, expects people to have a chat with her wherever we go because she has had so much engagement with our neighbours since she was born. I want that expectation to continue for her because we all need to talk more. We have a lot still to understand about each other’s experiences, both in this community and certainly more broadly.

Cara and Jim: Far higher. [The block] has the same sort of feel as a caravan park during holidays. Everyone has their own discrete private area, but there are shared spaces and we’re constantly bumping into neighbours in the laundry or on the roof or cooking up projects to improve the place. It’s great.

Maureen: That’s a tough question. I think social engagement also relates to where you are at in your life. For example, when my kids were little, I was very engaged with other families in the neighbourhood I lived in. But I strongly suspect, if I’d stayed in that neighbourhood, growing older and living on my own would have been a very isolating experience. I think being in this community mitigates that sense of isolation. I love that I have made friends here who are the same age as my older son. I love that there are babies on my floor. I have a courtyard right outside my apartment where kids ride scooters and where we gather for drinks. During “iso” [enforced isolation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic], there were corridor drinks and we sang happy birthday to one little guy from our balconies. People arrive at Nightingale with a commitment to community – that’s a pretty good starting point, I think. In any other neighbourhood, you’re just not sure how communityminded people are or want to be.

AA: Would you describe your apartment as affordable (considering both initial cost and lifetime running cost)? How did the price compare with what was available on the market at the time of purchase? Was the financial covenant a factor in your purchasing decision?

Nicola: The covenant was a factor because I think that housing should be a basic right rather than a commodity and so I am proud to be part of a housing model that is explicit in its intentions to limit speculation on property. The apartment is affordable for us – we can afford our mortgage and the bills are low. When we bought, and even now, we would not have been able to afford a home of equal quality and sustainability.

Cara and Jim: Our apartment is affordable to run as it is incredibly thermally efficient, so we do not have air conditioners and we don’t need to use the hydronic heating very often. We also have the benefit of solar power to reduce our electricity costs. The apartment was affordable when purchasing, especially considering the quality of design and building.

Maureen: The financial covenant was, in all honesty, my biggest fear (as an older, single woman). I have a huge commitment to affordable, and equal access to, housing, but it’s a scary position to adopt in a society that makes your housing your biggest personal investment. So far,

I think [the apartment] is affordable, but it’s too soon to say, as the overall costs for body corporate fees etc. aren’t clear.

*Nightingale Brunswick East was completed in 2019.