Gresley to design $28m homeless facility

The state government has selected local architect Gresley Abas to design a $28.1 million apartment complex in Mandurah intended to house those affected by homelessness.

It’s one of two Common Ground facilities under development, with the first to be built in East Perth.

Mandurah Common Ground will have 50 apartments, communal areas and on-site support services, with funding for the complex included in the 2021-22 state budget.

John Carey said the facilities were among top priorities for the housing and homelessness minister.

"The Common Ground facilities are one the key pillars of our long-term response to addressing homelessness in Western Australia, and it's fantastic to announce Gresley Abas will be overseeing the design of our facility in Mandurah,” he said.

"Gresley Abas have an outstanding reputation for working closely with stakeholders and delivering quality designs including many government contracts.”

Based in Perth, Gresley Abas Architects has designed a number of state government projects, including a rooftop for North Metropolitan TAFE’s Northbridge campus and a new traffic bridge in Mandurah.

The suburb’s Common Ground will be built on Allnutt Street, bordered by Dower Street and Gray Road.

Meanwhile, the $45.4 million East Perth complex will be located on the corner of Hill and Wellington streets and include 112 apartments, also with communal areas and on-site support services.

Its funding was covered in the federal and state government’s (Perth City Deal) $48.4 million homelessness initiative.