New modular housing plan to slash construction times and workforce

A starting point for a developer’s overall plan for the booming Casuarina area has taken a step forward with new modular housing designed to ease a pending accommodation shortage.

A plan to build a multi-level modular apartment block near Casuarina Square shopping centre is moving closer with development applications expected to be lodged within weeks.

Northern Australia Accommodation Solutions and Sentinel Property Group want to develop CasStay, a four-storey, 48-room complex at 17 Scaturchio Street, in the carpark next to the CasCom building.

NAAS and Sentinel principal Warren Ebert said there was scope to double the development depending on demand.

He has been in talks with modular accommodation manufacturers in Vietnam and was impressed by the range and quality of housing types available on a site tour with NT government officials late last year.

The CasStay modular housing project planned for 17 Scaturchio Street, Casuarina.

The modular design will substantially reduce construction times and the need for workers during the building phase.

About 60 per cent of construction takes place in the factory and about 40 per cent on site.

“If we were building it by standard construction methods we would go through two Wet Seasons with construction,” Mr Ebert said.

“With this modular concept we’ll be having it built in a factory during the Wet Season and then we’ll bring it here and it will only take a few months to put together.

“You’re talking about half the time but it is actually superior quality to standard construction.”

Sentinel bought the CasCom building in 2016 and in 2022 bought Casuarina Square for $418m and Casuarina All Sports Club for $17.15m.

Mr Ebert’s long term plan for the area is to develop Casuarina Square as a town centre with a range of accommodation and recreation options for residents.

“We have discussed with the NT government and City of Darwin how we see it as being a town centre in time to come,” he said.

“We’ll have more student accommodation, worker accommodation, hotels.

“It is the geographical centre of Darwin and we’re looking at it as a mixed-use development where people can live and work there and play.”

But Sentinel’s immediate focus is the CasStay project.

“We’re focused on developing more accommodation options because if we don’t have them, Darwin can’t grow because there’s nowhere for people to live,” Mr Ebert said.

“The application we will lodge will be 48 rooms, with 12 apartments per level.

CasStay project planned for 17 Scaturchio Street Casuarina

“We need to do more investigation into how many one-bedrooms we need, how many two-bedders, do we need dual key or should we do three bedrooms?

“We want to get a project under way as soon as we can.

“We may very well double the size of it so we’re looking at building four floors or 48 units and we may very well go to eight floors 96 units depending on what the market tells us.”

A masterplan which will drive development at Casuarina over coming decades is currently being developed.

Sentinel is also working on a plan to develop student and potentially disability accommodation in Darwin’s CBD.