As Development Manager for Housing Choices Tasmania, Will brings an architect’s eye and a community-building mindset to his work, overseeing developments that balance design excellence with social purpose.

Will joined Housing Choices four and a half years ago after a career in architecture. Moving into the development space gave him a broader perspective on how housing projects come to life – from the first sketch on paper to the day tenants move in.

“You get an insight into every aspect of a project, from its genesis through to delivery,” he says.

“And I get to be hands-on with everything, which I really enjoy.”

That hands-on approach was vital in the expansion of Queens Walk in Hobart, which added two new towers comprising 65 new units to the existing 84 units on the site.

Homes Tasmania provided grant funding of $22.5 million for the development, as well as a $7 million repayable loan for the construction and $4 million for enabling infrastructure and site works. Homes Tasmania retains ownership of the property, which is under a long-term lease to Housing Choices Tasmania.

Will said the expansion wasn’t just about increasing density and providing more homes, it was also about improving life for the people already living there.

“From the start, it was just as much about uplifting the whole site – better accessibility, more open space, community gardens, new play areas and landscaping -  that tie everything together,” Will said.

Collaboration, he says, has been key to the project’s success. Working closely with Homes Tasmania, architects and residents, Will and his team balanced the new development with community needs and environmental challenges.

“We were really conscious of protecting the spaces that residents valued and delivering on our promises,” he says.

For Will, the reward comes when he sees people settling happily into their new homes.

“It’s a great feeling hearing that residents are really happy – especially when they’ve come from a difficult situation,” he says. “That’s not something you always get in private architecture.”

Looking ahead, Will is turning his attention to new developments in Devonport, Latrobe and Wynyard, all part of housing programs delivered with Homes Tasmania and the Australian Government.

“There’s always another project on the horizon,” he says. “But for me, it’s about making sure every one of them creates places people are proud to live in.”