What Can Australia Learn from International Social Housing? Housing Choices Australia hosts international social housing architect, Manuel Der Hagopian
Leading not for profit, community housing provider, Housing Choices is excited to be hosting Swiss-born, Singapore based, social housing architect, Manuel Der Hagopian of G8A studio at this year’s Oswald Barnett Oration to be held at The Capitol in Melbourne’s CBD on 7 March.
“As Australia faces its biggest challenges yet in supply, affordability and the effects of climate change on how we design homes, we thought it timely to look to overseas practitioners, like Manuel, who are innovating at scale in a range of challenging environments,” said Managing Director, Michael Lennon.
Hosted by Housing Choices, the event is named in honour of Frederick Oswald Barnett (1883-1972), a Melbourne civil servant and social campaigner who lobbied for the abolition of the Melbourne slums and was instrumental in the establishment of the Victorian Housing Act and the Victorian Housing Commission.
Michael Lennon, connected with Manuel last year at the 12th Global Affordable Housing Conference in Singapore. In his keynote presentation, Manuel shared his passion for sustainable design and showcased examples of G8A social housing projects in Singapore, Switzerland and Vietnam.
The OBO as it’s been affectionately coined, has emerged as a keynote speech event for Melbourne’s social housing, planning and academic communities and generally attracts 200-300 guests. This year, Housing Choices is collaborating with RMIT School of Architecture and Urban Design and the Victorian chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects.
Housing Choices General Manager of Property Development, James Henry, will lead a post presentation discussion with Manuel and industry experts:
“We are really pleased to be partnering with RMIT School of Architecture and Urban Design and the Victorian chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects and look forward to drawing more thought leaders and emerging practitioners into the conversation and ultimately, the social housing sector, which is experiencing unprecedented growth, diversification and opportunities.”
About Manuel Der Hagopian
Born in 1971 in Geneva, Switzerland, Manuel Der Hagopian graduated from the Geneva Institute of Architecture, Geneva, Switzerland (IAUG) and Belleville School of Architecture, Paris (ENSAPB). He is one of the original Partners of group8 architects in charge of operations at the Singapore office as well as co-managing offices in Geneva, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Manuel coordinates touring exhibitions contributing to architectural and cultural exchange and purses a strong interest in the consequences of a rapidly growing population’s impact on the residential housing situation in South East Asia.
About Housing Choices Australia
Housing Choices Australia is a national, not-for-profit housing provider that exists to create safe, quality and affordable housing for people struggling to find a home in Australia’s challenging private rental market. Managing and owning over 7,400 social and affordable homes for more than 7800 residents across Australia, Housing Choices has won numerous architectural and other awards for the quality of its housing and services for people living on low incomes, many of whom live with disability.
This is a free public event,. Registration required: