What Home Means To Me – Glen Vollebregt, Barrio Developments
What makes a home? For our partners, the answer often starts with the people, places and purpose behind their work. In this new series, Barrio Managing Director Glen Vollebregt shares what drives him—and why he believes it takes a whole community to create a home.
Home is much more than just a building. It’s where people feel comfortable, connected and part of a community. It’s where people spend time with family and friends, and where they can put down roots and build a life.
I’ve learned through my own life and career that a secure home provides far more than shelter. It creates stability, opportunity and a foundation for people to build their lives. That has probably shaped the way I think about housing and community today.
At Barrio, we spend a lot of time thinking about the homes we deliver, but also the neighbourhoods around them. We focus on locations that are genuinely great places to live – close to shops, cafes, the beach, public transport and the things people use every day.
One thing we are quite passionate about is helping people become a little less reliant on cars. We’ve incorporated EV charging and helped bring share cars to areas that previously didn’t have them, but we think the bigger opportunity is choosing locations where people can walk more and drive less in the first place. Good locations make a huge difference to quality of life.
We’re also passionate about delivering high-quality buildings. We don’t see quality, sustainability and affordability as competing ideas. The challenge is finding ways to improve all three.
On one recent project, our apartments achieved an average energy rating of around 8.3 stars when only 6 stars were required. We’ve also incorporated affordable housing into projects and looked for ways to reduce ongoing living costs, including dedicated solar generation that supports affordable housing apartments and the building more broadly.
One of the reasons we partnered with Homes for Homes is because it is a practical idea that can create real impact over time. The property industry has a role to play in addressing housing challenges, and Homes for Homes provides a simple mechanism for developers, homeowners and communities to contribute to that effort.
The last few years have certainly not been easy. COVID, labour shortages, supply chain issues, rising construction costs and higher interest rates have made development challenging right across Australia. We’re proud that we’ve stuck with it, continued to invest in quality outcomes, and worked alongside some fantastic consultants, contractors and team members to keep delivering high-quality homes for South Australians.
At the end of the day, we believe great developments should do more than provide a roof over someone’s head. They should create places people genuinely enjoy living in, contribute positively to their community, and leave things a little better than they found them.
That’s what home means to us.
Glen Vollebregt, Managing Director, Barrio Developments