Haven House Kingsford Phase 2 Complete!

On Thursday 25 July, the Property Industry Foundation gathered with key supporters to officially open Haven House Kingsford in Sydney, with a much-needed renovation adding a new kitchen, bathroom and three new bedrooms for homeless youth, along with transformed living areas.

The home will be operated by our charity partner St Laurence House Youth Services, who provide stable housing for 13–18-year-olds leaving crisis care in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, as well as support programs for 18–24-year-olds experiencing homelessness.

This second phase of the building project focused on providing a more functional kitchen, including brand new appliances, repairs to the stairs and windows, and a fresh design and furniture for the living zones. New furniture was kindly donated by King Living, with painting supplied by Dulux. Architectus provided the designs for the kitchen and AW Edwards came on board as the Major Building Partner to support this phase of the project. Other key suppliers include Barnwell & Cambridge, Versatile, Light Project, GWA Bathrooms & Kitchens and Milliken.

“AW Edwards was involved in the removal of the existing kitchen, making good of the existing floor, manufacture and installation of new kitchen and equipment. We also installed the mesh screen over the staircase window, making good (welding) the existing steel handrailing to the stairs and infilling the stair risers for each stair tread. AWE organised the electrical and hydraulic contractors to adjust existing services to align with the new kitchen equipment and then connect new equipment,” says Andrew Merchant, Construction Manager at A W Edwards. “We especially wanted our apprentices to be involved in the process and be able to give back to their peers … other youth possibly less fortunate than them.”

Knowing they have contributed to a secure and welcoming home for at risk young people is all the reward the A W Edwards team needs. “We hope that by providing a place that is the heart of the home, the youth that live there feel supported and not forgotten about,” says Andrew. “That there is a village out there that does see them and does want to support them and if this in some small part helps them to realise their goals and dream, then that all we can ask for.”

Jessica Pickford, Architect at Architectus was delighted to provide the kitchen design. “The work St Laurence House Youth Services does – providing secure and safe housing and support to help young people build a strong foundation for the rest of their lives is so powerful. I truly believe in the power of the spaces we inhabit to shape and change our lives for the better and it was a privilege to have the opportunity to help create a beautiful space for people who may not otherwise be able to access those design services, but who deserve the dignity of a wonderful home as much as anyone.”

Key to the success of the Haven House Kingsford project was industry collaboration. “A huge success of this project is the work the Foundation have done around bringing together industry partners to support this kind of work. Every single industry partner I worked with was excited to be on board, happy to help, and willing to work together to find solutions in line with the overall vision for the project,” says Jessica. “There was a very capable and passionate group of people working on this job and the process ran smoothly from our end. The success is clear when you see the space. The new kitchen has made such a huge difference to the whole look and feel of the home.” 

St Laurence House Youth Services couldn’t be happier with the transformation of the home, which gives young people a fresh start in life. “Thank you so much for what you are doing for SLH and for every other charity organisation you help,” says Jenny Piaud, Acting Executive Officer – St Laurence House. “Without organisations such as yours, we would be dealing with broken cupboards, broken fridges, broken dishwashers and run down everything else. Your donation, and those from everyone you work with, really does help our young people to feel like they matter. Heartfelt thanks and gratitude.”