The Commons

Building well-designed, community-oriented housing for owner-occupiers, rather than investors.

Completed in 2014 by Breathe Architecture in Melbourne, Australia, The Commons is a 24-unit multi-residential building with a focus on sustainability and community. Following the German Baugruppen movement and in the face of prolific speculative development in the city, the solution was to change the financial model – using architects as the owners and investors, thereby keeping the building quality high. However, due to the poor economic environment of 2007, the project was ultimately taken on by ethical developer Small Giants. The Commons has served as a prototype for many of the ideas inherent to the Nightingale Housing’s subsequent model, from material reductionism to the social impacts of shared facilities. The Commons’ unique approach has gained widespread attention, sweeping national awards and inspiring numerous alternative housing delivery models in Melbourne.

Overview

24 units	40 bedrooms
5 stories Midrise	2,000 SF Footprint
35,000 Total SF	350 SF/Occupant

Proposal Origins

Designed Melbourne, Australia

Produced Melbourne, Australia

Located Melbourne, Australia

Design

Construction Type	Site Built
Architecture Style:
Utilities	Electric and Gas
Approvals
Designations
Sustainability
Inspiration

Budget

Total Unit Materials
Total Unit Labor
Total Unit Delivery
Onsite Estimates
Additional Costs
Total	$5,493,000
$ / Unit	$228k / unit
$ / Bedroom	$228,875

Quoted by:
Built Costs

Budget Notes:
7.1 million AUD = $5.493 million USD

Submitting Group Leads:

Outside Vendors:

Delivery Method:

Current Production Capacity:

Additional Info

All Design Showcases from Nightingale:

Nightingale 1

The Commons

Innovations

• Coliving
• Community Wealth Building