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Designing for Everyone: What Inclusive Housing Really Means

Designing for Everyone: What Inclusive Housing Really Means

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S01 E05 Designing for Everyone: What Inclusive Housing Really Means What does it take to design a home that truly meets people's needs? In this episode, host Penny Kaleta, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Australia, speaks with Joshua Bolchover, architect and co-founder of Rural Urban Framework/District Development Unit and professor at the University of Hong Kong, about what inclusive housing design looks like in practice. From nomadic communities in Mongolia and climate-resilient, community-centered housing in the Philippines, to culturally aligned design for First Nations communities in Australia and post-earthquake rebuilding in Nepal, they explore how culture, climate, and community should shape the homes we build. They also discuss how thoughtful design can foster connection and belonging, and why finance, rather than technology, remains one of the biggest barriers to delivering inclusive housing at scale. Chapters 00:00 What Inclusive Design Really Means 02:00 Meet Joshua Bolchover 05:00 Rapid Urbanisation, Culture and the Mongolia Story 11:00 Community-Led Design: Building Homes That Build Community 23:00 Climate Change as a Design Non-Negotiable 31:00 Meanwhile Use and Transitional Housing 37:00 The Finance Gap: Innovation Blocked by Interest Rates 42:00 Affordability, Pilots, and What It Takes to Scale 49:00 Joshua’s Call to Action 51:00 Lightning Round: Open the Door Sources Abong’o, B., et al. (2026). Housing modifications for heat adaptation, thermal comfort and malaria vector control in rural African settlements. In Nature Medicine. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-04104-9 Bureau of Meteorology of the Australian Government (2026). Average annual and monthly heating and cooling degree days. https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/maps/averages/degree-days/ Dedicatoria, M. (2021). UP team wins Habitat for Humanity Challenge for solution on retrofitting foundations of low-income homes. https://philstarproperty.com/news/2021/10/10/23000/up-team-wins-habitat-for-humanity-challenge-for-solution-on-retrofitting-foundations-of-low-income-homes/ District Development Unit. Core House. https://ddu.earth/core-house-1 District Development Unit. Ger Plug-in. https://ddu.earth/ger-plug-in-1 District Development Unit. Hilti Village. https://ddu.earth/hilti-village-1 Habitat for Humanity Australia (2025). Meanwhile Use. https://habitat.org.au/meanwhile-use-housing-makes-change/ Habitat for Humanity (2026). World Malaria Day 2026 | Rethinking homes to stop malaria. https://www.habitat.org/emea/stories/world-malaria-day-2026-rethinking-homes-stop-malaria About the Moderator and Speaker Joshua Bolchover is an architect and professor at the University of Hong Kong, whose work exploresing how architecture can respond to urban change, climate challenges and community needs. He co-founded Rural Urban Framework, an award-winning not-for-profit design and research practice, and established District Development Unit in 2020 to scale design initiatives that deliver tangible impact. Its housing prototype for Mongolia, The Ger Plug-In 3.0, received the Holcim Silver Medal for Sustainable Construction Asia Pacific in 2023. Joshua has authored three books, including Becoming Urban: The Mongolian City of Nomads (2023) and Border Ecologies: Hong Kong’s Mainland Frontier (2017). His work is held by MoMA, the CCA and M+, and has been exhibited internationally at the Venice Biennale, Milan Triennale, Lisbon Architecture Triennale, Design Museum London and Chicago Biennial. Penny Kaleta is the CEO of Habitat for Humanity Australia and a leading voice on housing solutions, partnerships and social impact. Drawing on more than 30 years of leadership experience across the commercial and not-for-profit sectors, Penny works at the intersection of housing solutions, affordability, climate resilience and community development. She is recognized for her ability to bring together government, corporate and community partners to develop innovative solutions that deliver lasting social and economic impact. Penny believes that housing is more than shelter—it is the foundation for health, safety, opportunity and resilience, and a critical driver of stronger communities. Penny’s work is grounded in a simple belief: everyone deserves a safe place to sleep About Habitat for Humanity AP - habitat.org/ap - linkedin.com/company/habitat-ap/ - instagram.com/habitat.ap/ - facebook.com/HabitatAP
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