29 July 2005

A competition to design three two-bedroom houses at Hillcrest for those with spinal cord injury will be launched TODAY by Minister for Housing and Disability, the Hon. Jay Weatherill.

Around one hundred victims are admitted to spinal units every year in South Australia with half of them never to walk again.

Archicentre and PARAQUAD SA have formed a partnership to build the development, in Ramsay Avenue Hillcrest, which will provide housing for individuals and their families as they adjust to life after suffering an injury to the spinal cord.

Archicentre's State Manager, Christine Teichert, said the project will exemplify excellent design from an accessible, sustainable and affordable point of view. The project will showcase best practice and provide the opportunity to take lessons learnt and promote them more widely across the development sector.

The Royal Australian Institute of Architects and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects endorse the competition, and encourage collaboration between the professions. Registrations of interest from competitors closes on 29 August, submissions are due 19 September, and the winners announced in early October.

The winners of the design competition will be involved in developing the design with the clients, PARAQUAD SA. The Ramsay Rebuild project will be constructed during 2006. Once completed, the homes will be open to the public, allowing them to understand the benefits of excellent design.

The project budget is $1 million, and the 3 homes will provide transitional accommodation for people who have suffered a spinal cord injury, their family and friends, as they learn to rebuild their lives.