UNSW architecture students tackle affordable housing for Landcom's Annandale project

Architecture professor Philip Oldfield, head of the University of New South Wales Built Environment school, led a group of 30 master's students in a real‑world competition to redesign the second and third stages of Landcom’s Joinery development in Annandale, Sydney. The challenge required designs for 357 affordable rental units, plus shops, a central plaza, native greenery, shaded seating and public art, aiming to improve amenity, livability and affordability.

Landcom chief executive Alexander Wendler highlighted the competition’s focus on community and street‑level quality, noting loneliness as a growing problem. To mark Landcom’s 50th anniversary, the developer offered a $10,000 prize and invited students to envision what housing and urban life could look like in the next 50 years. Participants such as Raphaela Challita and Javni Dave stressed the need for colourful, welcoming, and inclusive environments, especially in the affordable‑housing sector.