���������

WANDANA APARTMENT BLOCK

PERTH WA | 1954-1956

Krantz & Sheldon (architects) and John Oldham (landscape architect) for the State Housing Commission

Wandana Apartment Block was the first multi-storey public housing project built in Western Australia. Flats were seen by champion Herb Graham, the Minister for Housing, as more suitable to the needs of couples and small families in need of affordable housing. The high amenity of the site, being walking distance to the city and overlooking Kings Park in an area with established services, was also favourable to higher density living. The inclusion of a children’s playground, shops, community facilities and high-quality native vegetation and landscaping further added to the project’s amenity. 

Wandana was designed in the post-war functionalist style, using robust materials with limited ornamentation. The design minimised maintenance costs relative to rent returns, reducing the likelihood the building would deteriorate, the contributing factor the Minister felt led to slum development.