Everything Involved in SDA Architecture

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is a revolutionary scheme introduced under the NDIS initiative. Supporting Australians living with disability by providing homes fully equipped with the correct provisions for their needs requires unique specifications and designs.

To ensure that SDA housing meets the strict design standards set out by the NDIS while remaining attractive to participants and avoiding a clinical feel, SDA architects should be involved.

Before you start your SDA build project, brush up on what you need to know about SDA architecture.

The criteria for Specialist Disability Accommodation properties

Specialist Disability Accommodation was introduced with the intention of being able to provide suitable housing for NDIS participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. Any SDA dwelling needs to be enrolled under one of four design categories, each with different specifications to be met.

• Improved liveability
• Robust
• Fully Accessible
• High Physical Support

For newly built SDA dwellings after the 1st of July 2021, an SDA assessor must provide a certificate nominating which design category the dwelling satisfies.

The SDA design standard

The SDA design standard document sets out, in writing, the exact inclusions, requirements and specifications for an SDA dwelling to be deemed SDA compliant. For SDA providers, the design standard allows them the flexibility to respond to the support needs and preferences of eligible participants.

Naturally, for SDA builders and architects, the design standard is the clarifying road map on how housing for different types of disability in Australia should be built.

The benefits of using an SDA architect

Knowing the market for SDA homes means doing your research on not only the SDA investment process but also what participants are seeking. Simply adhering to a checklist of requirements doesn’t always deliver the suitability that a participant is looking for.

SDA investors naturally want to provide homes that support the needs of the tenants while ensuring correct access in the best location while ensuring that they can achieve the maximum rental yield. An SDA architect is more than just aware of the design standard; they’re equipped to understand the complicated requirements for SDA builds while designing the homes to remain appealing to the NDIS participants calling them home. This inevitably helps retain demand for the property, sustaining the maximum rent achievable and targeting long-term capital growth potential.

Did you know that: SDA architects are one of the few professions that meet the NDIS-nominated prerequisites to become an accredited SDA assessor?

How Apollo Investment can help with SDA architecture

Apollo Investment does more than connect investors with cookie-cut designs. We’re committed to ensuring that your NDIS investment is a success, which is why we only use SDA specialist architects to ensure that all of our SDA projects are designed and built for maximum appeal to ensure high occupancy. The expert design of the SDA architects we use also helps you achieve solid capital growth.

If you need help navigating the strict NDIS investment rules, want to access specialised financial support, and utilise industry specialists to determine the most in-demand areas, contact our team today.