Project objective
To create welcoming, homely apartments that are adaptable to residents’ needs and provide an inspirational environment, with a private landscaped courtyard offering added amenity and social interaction.
Client challenge
The challenging topography, coupled with the island-like geography of a site surrounded by residential properties, required a sensitive design approach to the apartments to minimise overlooking and maximise the landscaping opportunities.
Life3A solution
The solution is acontemporary and sensitive design that responds to its surroundings and encapsulates our ageing better design principles of legibility, safety, adaptability and individual choice. The responsive aesthetic blends with and complements the surrounding neighbourhood. The buildings are designed around a large central landscaped central courtyard over a basement car park. The courtyard connects with the amenity spaces and entry area creating a green landscaped backdrop to the apartments. The design enables social interaction through the inclusion of gardens, shaded seating and gathering areas together with an BBQ area. The existing site is steeply sloping and being able to blend this into the design both internally and externally was key to the project’s success. A large double-height entry area clearly defines and marks the entry into the facility whilst creating views through to the landscaped courtyard. In addition, the use of a modern façade results in an increased height in the living areas to the upper apartments while also improving the sense of space and adding a premium to these units.
Exceptional outcome
The design was the winner of the best retirement village in NSW. The facility is a premium lifestyle development designed to meet residents’ needs and promote active and independent living. Due to the success of stage 1, Life3A was commissioned to design two further stages surrounding the site.