Best Practice Principles for Seniors Community Design
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Best Practice Principles for Seniors Community Design Establishing best practice in community design for the retirement living sector and ensuring seniors have a quality accommodation and community experience. Executive Summary Nearly 200,000 Australians now call a retirement This publication has been created with communities of village home, and this number is expected to increase all kinds and sizes in mind; the principles can be brought Good design sharply over coming years and decades as we to life in a high-rise apartment tower, or a conventional experience a ‘silver tsunami’ – an ageing population broad acre village; by large companies, not-for-profit creates appropriate boom. organisations and start-up ventures. It is intended for developers, builders, architects, designers, service space for us to work Research across the world is demonstrating the health providers and any organisation interested in creating great and social benefits that can be realised by living in and live, and can housing and community solutions for senior Australians. well-designed communities. That’s why planning and developing properly designed housing in purpose-built On behalf of the Retirement Living Council, I thank lead to a whole retirement communities is an increasingly important Wayne Schomberg and Matthew Flynn from way of ensuring senior Australians can fully enjoy their ThomsonAdsett for leading the development of the range of beneficial older years. Best Practice Principles for Seniors Community Design, as well as their many colleagues, and our steering health outcomes. To help ensure that older Australians have the best committee of passionate members who provided housing options, the Retirement Living Council, as part content and feedback: Daniel Milentijevic (Stockland), of the Property Council of Australia, has partnered with Warren Harris and Bianca Blair (Blue Care), Lorraine Calder world renowned architecture firm ThomsonAdsett to (Australian Unity), Laurice Elhaj (Lendlease), Andrew identify and document best practice principles to guide Hahn (IRT), Craig Muir (GHDWoodhead), Kylie Simpson the design and refurbishment of retirement communities. (RetireAustralia), Jonathan Gibson (Ingenia Communities) Through close engagement and consultation with and Nicholas Playoust (AEH Retirement Living). retirement living operators, designers, developers The hard work of all contributors will ensure that and planners, the Best Practice Principles for Seniors the principles of great design for senior Australians Community Design has been able to look beyond can be a feature of every new retirement community. the physical characteristics of a village, to capture the dynamics of a thriving community, and especially Ben Myers those elements that promote social connectedness Executive Director – Retirement Living and better wellbeing. Property Council of Australia Best Practice Principles for Seniors Community Design 1 Introduction The importance of good design in creating great The principles contained within this publication are in The best practice principles are intended to achieve environments to live simply cannot be underestimated. no way meant to be restrictive or limiting; for example, multiple objectives, including: Good design creates appropriate space for us to work they do not mandate minimum room sizes. Instead • Assisting operators in establishing or reviewing their and live and can lead to a whole range of beneficial they ensure that the design – or redesign – of seniors own visions / values / philosophies; health and wellbeing outcomes. housing occurs with best practice in mind, while • Forming part of an operator’s briefing package continuing to allow operators and designers to innovate This is especially true for the growing population of to a consultant; and evolve. seniors (people aged 65 and over). Put simply, good • Assisting operators to establish or review their own design extends people’s ability to live independent lives, With an ageing population leading to higher demand prescriptive guidelines, i.e. act as a check and balance and there can be no greater positive impact on a person’s for retirement living and other forms of more specialised as to whether the principles are addressed in some way; health and wellbeing than that. seniors housing, it’s vital that homes and facilities are • Develop market recognition for the retirement living designed with these key principles in mind. These Over the past couple of decades there has been a rapid sector through increased consumer confidence in principles will ensure residents can maintain and extend improvement in design thinking relating to building improved design outcomes; independence, retain privacy and maximise the potential great homes and environments for senior Australians. health and wellbeing benefits of village living. • Assisting operators to communicate the value The retirement living sector has been at the forefront of their design to the consumer. of that, with nearly 200,000 Australians now calling a retirement village home. Scope Description This evolution in thinking is set to continue and has This publication has been developed as a tool for The principles focus on the components of the physical led to the formation of this publication, the Best Practice retirement living developers and operators, stakeholders environment (internal and external) that a resident has Principles for Seniors Community Design. and consultants for delivering best practice seniors access to. No reference is made to the mix of services housing design. It is deliberately principles based – the This publication has been created in conjunction with that should be delivered into a seniors community or to set of principles conceived are intended to act as shared ThomsonAdsett, a leading international architecture any staff or support areas that a resident has no access to. and design firm with studios throughout Australia values held by operators, providing guidance in the design It is acknowledged that a building reflects the services and Asia, and a group of retirement living industry of their communities. While providing guidance, the delivered from it and the publication is based on four representatives, who devised a set of principles that publication aims to encourage innovation and evolution, simple concepts that support the principles articulated. all believe are applicable to good design for seniors. always keeping in mind best practice outcomes. Best Practice Principles for Seniors Community Design 2 Introduction (continued) These concepts are: - • A range of accommodation options are provided Principles for seniors, their spouses and sometimes their Concept One dependents; The principles articulated within the publication are a group of shared values that support a provider to deliver Innovation • Safe and appropriate access and connectivity is a quality physical environment to their specific market The publication is a principles-based document with a provided at a physical, social and community level; segment. The publication is drafted in the following focus on the shared values that industry believes should • A range of care options may be provided for residents format: be addressed and incorporated in all purpose-designed either on site or through access to home care programs seniors communities. funded by the private sector and/or government; • Principle type - Principles are divided in to three types; being principles related to the consumer The purpose is to allow innovation in creating solutions, and • Access to assistance with living and hospitality expectations, residents’ emotional responses to their not to set a physical standard or minimums that may not options may be provided for residents; environment and the actual environment itself be relevant to a situation or market condition. • Access to emergency and security options may be • Principle - Each principle is related to a specific Providers and designers are encouraged to deliver new, provided for residents. aspect in the physical environment innovative and creative solutions that are appropriate for the market they work in and deliver great outcomes for • Vision - Each principle is defined by a vision Concept Three the resident. statement Purpose Design • Approach - How each principle may be addressed is Concept Two A seniors community is to be purpose designed to identified by an approach. The publication is drafted Characteristics of a deliver the services or features that are marketed by in such a way that the approaches are general in Seniors Community a provider as being available on site. nature and providers are encouraged to innovate. A seniors community, including a ‘retirement village’, are communities that have the following characteristics: Concept Four • It is a managed community for seniors (people aged Service Ready 65 and over); A Community for Seniors is to be purpose designed to be • The organisation that manages the community is service ready to deliver the evolving range of lifestyle regulated by law; and support services that a resident may require over • It is a community with a range of lifestyle options, their tenure. Seniors communities need to be designed assets and amenity provided to residents or clients; so they can evolve with their residents. Best Practice Principles for Seniors Community Design 3 Introduction (continued) Principle Types • Enabling Environments are the range of principles Ensuring that the design that are focused on providing a physical environment