It is like a hidden gem that is not actually hidden. The 20-story Uniting Communities building was a complete surprise to me, not just because of its sustainability credentials. There is a diverse and integrated rainbow of South Australians who come and go daily for housing, programs, services, support, shopping, and dining.
I recommend you spend some time in the foyer with the Lego replica of the building. I am told that staff of Uniting Communities have co-opted certain Lego people as themselves. Then there is the Lego replica of the Lego replica, you will feel like the tiniest doll in the babushka doll.
Led by enthusiastic hosts Lee Sauerwald and Matthew Cragg, I received an eye-spy tour that included the level three Inbari Ku community space. Open to all, this would be a perfect business hot spot for meetings or independent working. I traversed level 13 of retirement living and level nine of the accessible hotel. Wide corridors, city to beach or city to hills views, slightly sloping balconies to capture the rainwater for communal gardens. They have thought of it all.
At this stage of the tour, I have already seen two baby grand pianos. I wonder when Billy Joel will jump out and break into ‘Uptown Girl’?
When we took the internal stairs between corporate floors three and five, I could truly appreciate the level of detail that had gone into this building to respect the history of the site itself.
It was in 1864 that the original Methodist Church was built, and then Maughan Church replaced it in 1965 on the corner of Franklin and Pitt Streets in the Adelaide CBD. This is the site of the current U City ‘radically’ mixed-use development, which has undoubtedly paid homage in subtle and unique ways. In the sections of the building that would previously have been the spire, there is a bespoke window adornment made up of mini spires. It takes Matthew and Lee specifically pointing these out to me. Still, once you see them, you realise that the Maughan Church will always be around. History is not forgotten at U City.
The central plaque of the original church lays outside the executive boardroom along with the actual chair that the first Minister of Maughan Church sat in. This lies immediately around the corner from the living net-zero 2035 wall used to launch Uniting Communities Sustainability Strategy in 2021.
The building boasts 6‑stars Green Star Design and As Built Ratings. It is predicted to use 45 per cent less energy and 30 per cent less water than a comparable new building. U City is now also the first certified whole carbon neutral building in South Australia. It also serves to change mindsets in Adelaide through the innovative ‘vertical village’ higher density living that deprives no one of space or facilities.
I am looking forward to visiting the building again at the South Australian Business Chamber Chamber networking event, I do not think I spent enough time appreciating the artwork that showcases some of South Australia’s most talented artists.
Take my word for it, you will be impressed with this <more than just a> building.
