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Wintringham unashamedly builds beautiful buildings. Reversing a world wide tradition that expected homeless people to accept ugly and institutional buildings that reinforced negative images of disempowered people, Wintringham has consciously set out to create a liveable environment that is enjoyable to live and work within.

The project design brief for all of our housing developments is based on the "primary principle that residents should retain, in as many ways as possible, control over life decisions, personal health and daily routines. The individual resident has fundamental rights that should be protected and not weakened, demeaned or withdrawn through design, practice or managerial decisions.

"Extensive use is made of soft building materials, such as timber weatherboards instead of brick; cedar window frames instead of aluminium; bitumen instead of concrete. All residents are provided with a private lockable room that leads out onto verandahs, which revives a traditional form of Australian architecture that our older residents are familiar with.

Importantly, we have learnt that people respond to their environment. Residents respect and value the buildings, and take a great deal of pride in their home. The sense of futility and hopelessness that is associated with life in homeless persons night shelters has been replaced with a real sense of self worth and personal dignity.

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