Wellington

Frederick Street Social Housing (Te Kī a Alasdair)

Architect

Archaus Architects

Builder

McConnell Dowell

Location

Wellington

Completed

2023 / 2024

Project type

Residential

Profile

Mono200

E100

E200

E Random

Colour

Dulux Duratec Ironsand Matt
Interpon D25/25 Viper Green
Interpon D25/25 Anise Matt
Interpon D25/25 Soft Apple Matt
Interpon D25/25 Groovy Smoke Matt

Photographer

Andy Spain

A vibrant inner-city housing community designed to support dignity, stability and belonging.

Social housing is about more than providing shelter. It shapes dignity, belonging and the way people experience their community every day. Designed by ArchAus, Frederick Street Social Housing (Te Kī a Alasdair) reimagines what community housing can be. Through confident architecture, thoughtful urban design and a vibrant material palette, the development creates homes that contribute positively to both the lives of residents and the identity of Wellington's inner city.

Located in Wellington’s Te Aro neighbourhood, the Frederick Street development delivers 75 permanent homes for vulnerable residents, including people who have experienced homelessness.

Homes that strengthen community.

Providing secure, long-term housing was only part of the ambition. The project was conceived as a place where residents could feel connected to both their neighbours and the wider city.

Organised around shared spaces and a strong relationship to the street, the development encourages interaction while maintaining privacy and independence. Rather than treating social housing as purely functional, the architecture creates homes with generosity, permanence and a strong sense of identity.

Colour that helps creates identity.

Colour plays an important role in how people experience community housing. Rather than relying on a single uniform material palette, the façade uses carefully selected colours to distinguish building forms, create rhythm and help residents identify with their home. Nu Wall's powder-coated aluminium system gave the architects the freedom to work confidently with multiple colours while maintaining a consistent finish across the development. The result is a streetscape that feels welcoming, legible and enduring, where colour contributes as much to identity as it does to architectural expression.

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