We’ve committed to a triple-bottom-line. We’re committed for the long haul. We’re building tomorrow, sustainably.
Imagine a world where you can have affordable, flexible living options that fit your needs. A world where you don’t have to pay for space you don’t need, and where you can share resources with like-minded people. A world where homes are built sustainably and efficiently. That’s what we’re all about – creating smaller and more diverse options, supporting co-living, and helping each other out. We believe in managing our properties with integrity and kindness and partnering with not-for-profit organizations to provide support when it’s needed. We’re not just about providing a home, we’re about creating a community where everyone can thrive.
Urban Villager has made the bold decision to ensure a triple-bottom line. That means that while profits are important (how could they not be?), they aren’t the only thing we value. Our effect on people and the planet is held in the same esteem as our profits.
The triple bottom line is an accounting framework that incorporates three dimensions of performance: social (people), environmental (planet) and financial (profit). It’s different from traditional reporting frameworks as it includes ecological and social measures that can make it difficult to assign appropriate means of measurement.
So those three P’s? People, planet, profit. Let’s take a look at how we endeavour to honour all three bottom lines.
People
Lifestyles where people thrive, not just survive.
Our team is made up of impact-driven and highly qualified people, with qualifications and careers spanning law, engineering, IT, social work, construction, architecture, design science, and urban planning. Our CEO has a master’s degree in Wellness, ensuring that caring for people is at the heart of everything that we do.
Measuring and reporting on the people bottom line is not an easy task, but we strive to build each project according to the particular group’s needs and requirements. Whether it’s specialist disability accommodation (NDIS SDA), convenient lodging for frontline workers, or affordable housing for women over 55, we always consider who we are building for and how it will affect them.
Our dedication to people doesn’t stop there. We also prioritise health and wellbeing, and connection and inclusion in each of our projects, building communities and not just residential spaces. A well-building will is measurable, you can measure how much light, how much space, how much airflow etc. We consider how and who a property will best serve and build each decision from that standpoint.
Planet
Sustainable building and living.
We believe it’s possible to make a positive impact on the environment while still enjoying all the benefits of modern living, and we are dedicated to making it happen. We build so that apartment dwellers can live a green lifestyle, in the community that they work in. We build from renewable materials in a low-carbon, thoughtful and considered way. We focus on affordable living, not just a cheap build price – meaning we design for energy efficiency, passive heating and cooling and homes that last. We’re big fans of solar energy. We love urban gardens, both for beauty and practicality; enabling residents to grow food and share resources. We have productive and biodiverse wall and rooftop gardens, flowers, air-cleaning plants and native bees. It’s a win-win for everyone involved, including the native bees that love our biodiverse gardens!
At the outset of each project, we decide which environmental goals we will focus on, depending on the stakeholders, their needs and their aspirations and then build these into the core foundation of the project. Throughout the project, we check in on these goals periodically to ensure after the project we far exceed minimums and instead produce a highly sustainable dwelling.
Profits
Returns that keep giving.
And finally, we come to profits – the easiest bottom line to measure and the only one that the majority of businesses are held accountable to. The catch with Urban Villager is that while we still must remain profitable, we’re willing and able to direct more of our profits to new projects so that we can continue to do good for more people. We team up with impact investors so that we can have the biggest impact possible.
Build-to-rent is a secure asset-backed investment option giving people choice, security of tenure and a chance to live in the community they work in. There is a huge need for well-located, affordable, sustainable and beautiful housing. The vacancy risk for us is low and the retention rate is high. People feel safe and secure – there’s no owner/renter argument. Smaller spaces and co-living increase the yield per square metre while decreasing costs. The sharing economy, combined with biophilic design, means people are happier (not just happy) with less. The returns keep giving.
Balance
When it comes down to it, it’s a balancing act where we aim to find that sweet spot to create a project that is socially responsible, environmentally sustainable and financially sound. While there will be some projects that lean more heavily into one value over another, all projects must be beneficial for each of the three P’s.