New Models for Living | September 2026
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
NEWS / SEPTEMBER 2026 SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
HOUSING / MARKET OUTLOOK
New models for living
01 CONTEXT
Australia's housing market is caught in a difficult contradiction: demand for new homes remains acute, yet the conditions for delivering them have become increasingly challenging.
The recent default and administration of a major NSW residential developer has exposed the fragility of conventional delivery models built around presales, rising values and increasingly expensive debt. Higher and uncertain interest rates, elevated construction costs and tighter funding conditions continue to test project feasibility across the sector.
At the same time, tax reform and new incentives for build-to-rent point to a gradual shift towards housing models supported by long-term ownership and operation. The question is no longer simply how many homes we can deliver, but whether the financial and design models behind them are resilient enough to perform over time.
Against this background, build-to-rent, co-living and purpose-built student accommodation are becoming increasingly relevant. Two current deBLANCO projects explore this change at different scales: an approved co-living development in Leichhardt and student accommodation in Chatswood.
02 INSIGHT 03.09.26
BRISBANE / RETIREMENT LIVING
Retirement and aged care: insights from Brisbane
Last Thursday, I joined more than 200 industry leaders at The Urban Developer's Retirement and Aged Care Summit at The Calile Hotel in Brisbane.
The discussions explored the forces reshaping the sector: an ageing population, increasing demand, constrained new supply, capital and feasibility, policy reform, evolving care models and changing consumer expectations.
One message came through clearly: the next generation of seniors living cannot be considered simply as accommodation or care. Successful communities must support independence, connection and wellbeing while remaining operationally and financially resilient.
It was encouraging to hear the sector focusing on the same question that drives much of our work at deBLANCO—how design can translate demographic need into places where people genuinely want to live.
THE URBAN DEVELOPER RETIREMENT AND AGED CARE SUMMIT / BRISBANE
If you wish to know more about the ideas discussed in this article, please reach out.
03 PROJECT LEICHHARDT
CO-LIVING / DA APPROVED
76-room co-living DA approved in Leichhardt
We are pleased to share the DA approval of our 76-room co-living project at 409–415 Parramatta Road, Leichhardt.
The design brings new housing to a well-connected inner-city location while retaining and restoring the character of the existing Parramatta Road buildings. Above the heritage streetscape, the new architecture is deliberately calm and recessive, with deep window reveals, landscaped terraces and a clear rhythm that gives individual rooms a sense of identity.
Shared kitchens, lounges, landscaped areas and rooftop amenity extend life beyond the private room. At ground level, commercial and communal uses contribute activity to Parramatta Road and strengthen the connection between the building and its neighbourhood.
With the right balance of privacy, shared space and architectural quality, co-living can offer more than compact accommodation—it can create a genuine sense of belonging within the city.
If you wish to know more about this project, please reach out.
04 STUDY CHATSWOOD
STUDENT ACCOMMODATION / EXPLORATION
Exploring student accommodation in Chatswood
We are exploring the potential of this well-connected Chatswood location for purpose-built student accommodation—an important part of Sydney's changing housing landscape.
Our early design thinking considers a clearly defined podium and an articulated upper building. Deep façade bays, a staggered precast rhythm and landscaped terraces would give the building depth and identity while establishing a more human scale at street level.
Generous shared spaces would be fundamental to the everyday experience—not simply supplementary amenities. Places to study, meet, eat and relax can help create a supportive residential community for students living away from home.
The opportunity is to combine the efficiency required by student accommodation with warmth, dignity and a genuine sense of place.
If you wish to know more about this project, please reach out.
ENTRY STUDY MATERIALITY + ARRIVAL
05 POSITION
More than one answer to housing
Co-living and purpose-built student accommodation serve different communities, but they share an important principle: housing should support connection as well as provide shelter.
For us, alternative housing is not about reducing expectations. It is about reconsidering how private and shared spaces work together—and creating buildings that contribute positively to their residents and the wider city.
deBLANCO design studio
ARCHITECTURE
MASTER PLANNING
Level 17, 1 Denison Street North Sydney NSW +61 439 695 945 deblancostudio.com
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