Kenwick SDA recognised with Judges’ Award at UDIA WA Awards for Excellence

September 14, 2026

Foundation Housing’s new Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) development in Kenwick has been recognised with the Judges’ Award at the 2026 UDIA WA Awards for Excellence.

The award recognises a development that demonstrates the impact that can be achieved when housing, disability support, design and construction partners work together around the needs of the people who will ultimately call a place home.

For Foundation Housing, the Kenwick development has always been about much more than bricks and mortar.

Delivered in close collaboration with Ability WA, the project was designed specifically around the residents who will be moving into the new homes. Their needs helped inform the development from the earliest stages, including the configuration of individual homes and the accessibility and technology incorporated throughout.

The development comprises five specialist disability homes accommodating up to 10 residents, as well as two overnight support-worker rooms.

The homes incorporate universal and adaptable design principles alongside assistive technology, accessible kitchens, private ensuites and courtyards, provision for ceiling hoists, automated blinds, smart lighting and home automation.

Importantly, the residents who will call Kenwick home are relocating only around 500 metres from their existing accommodation.

Rather than requiring people to leave the neighbourhood they know to access housing better suited to their needs, the development enables residents to remain within their existing community, maintaining important connections, relationships and supports.

The homes have also been designed with the future in mind, supporting residents to age in place and reducing the likelihood that changing needs will require another relocation or significant modifications to their homes.

Foundation Housing CEO Chris Smith said the award was recognition of the collaborative approach behind the project.

“This project demonstrates what is possible when we start with the people who will live in the homes and bring the right partners around the table to make it happen.

“Working alongside Ability WA meant we could understand what residents needed not just today, but into the future, and translate that into the design of their homes.

“For these residents, moving around 500 metres up the road might not sound like a significant distance, but that is exactly the point. They can move into homes designed for their future without having to leave behind their community, connections and supports.

“That is what a home should enable.”

The Kenwick SDA project was delivered through the combined expertise of Foundation Housing, specialist disability partner Ability WA, Development Manager Corbel Property, Project Manager Pulse Property, architect mCarbone Design and builder Tricrest Construction.

Foundation Housing looks forward to officially opening the development and welcoming residents into their new homes.