Designing for an ageing population
Aged Care and Senior Living
Given the growing needs of our ageing population, it is essential to provide aged-care accommodations for those in our community – both for those who can continue to live independently and for those who need differing levels of assistance. These spaces should be designed with adaptability and flexibility in mind, ensuring that residents can lead rich, fulfilling lives as they age and their care needs evolve.
Aged care accommodation should serve as a sanctuary, thoughtfully designed to cater to the diverse needs of its residents and the broader community. It should foster a sense of home, where people care for one another, nurture their community, and honor the land. By prioritizing the resident experience, these spaces can create meaningful connections to the natural environment and the land, enriching the lives of those who call it home.
In addition to basing designs on fundamental architectural principles, when designing for aged care and senior living elements such as providing opportunities for residents to create meaningful connections, actively creating opportunities for promoting wellness and recognising the importance of a sense of individual and community identity need to be considered.
Comforting familiarity and connection to the comings and goings. Being part of community activities; strengthening relationships.
An overall sense of wellbeing. A sense of belonging supporting emotional health. Practical help when needed. Participation in activities.
Independence where appropriate. A sense of individual and community identity.
Situated in the heart of Coffs Harbour, The Shoreline is a state-of-the-art retirement community. Facilities for residents include a swimming pool, café, bowling green, community garden and barbeque facilities.
Saltwater Apartments are independent living residences, from one, two, two plus study, three plus study to four bedroom independent apartments.
Headland Terraces apartments and Villas 1- 5 were completed in 2023. Construction of the Watermark apartments and Villas 6-12 are continuing into 2024 and are due for completion in 2025.
The Shoreline Residential Care Facility (RCF) provides a comfortable senior living environment for residents needing tailored care and attention. The RCF was designed to create a sense of home.
Sonder
In designing Sonder, we considered the dilemma of providing accommodation for many residents (100 residents) in a way that is considerate of the ‘small household model’ of 15 or fewer people living together in dwellings or clusters.
The hero of the site is the landscape, the architecture blending in by being based around simple elements of materiality, with the four buildings possessing their own identity:
- Tree/batten house – eucalypt brick base
- Brick house – sandy brick base
- Earth house – brown brick base
- Weatherboard house – white brick base
The four ‘houses’ whilst grounded by brick bases will be porous at ground level, with awnings and colonnades to the edges. Porosity is further enhanced with interior landscaping creating a seamless transition from inside to out.
This 14-unit multi-residential apartments are a boutique set of contemporary Specialist Disability Accommodation apartments designed with independence, safety and accessibility top of mind with high quality accessible fittings to support people living with high physical support needs.
The layers of operable and fixed screens add movement to the building façade and provide the opportunity for social engagement with the street whilst maintaining privacy for the residents.