This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
AUSTRALIAN Unity has opened its Albert Park adaptive reuse project, The Alba, which have seen the transformation of from its former 1970s-built office headquarters into an integrated assisted living and aged care residence.
Designed by Fender Katsalidis, the 15-storey inner Melbourne building has 95 residential care suites and 60 “easy living” apartments. It completes Australian Unity’s Albert Park seniors living precinct that also includes The Grace, a 19-storey, 79-apartment retirement village completed in 2019 located next door, also Albert Road.
Ryan Banting, Australian Unity’s executive general manager – social infrastructure, said the Albert Park precinct is an urban renewal project involving the repurposing of commercial buildings to support older Australians to downsize to more suitable accommodation in highly sought-after locations.
“The Alba caters for residents who want to downsize from the family home without compromising on quality or losing their independence,” Banting said.
“We know that older Australians expect to have choice and control as they age – and The Alba has been designed to support residents to age in place and remain in their community as their care needs evolve.”
Banting said The Alba’s easy living apartments provide people independence to live life on their own terms with access to varying levels of support, including domestic assistance, personal care and dining options.
Fender Katsalidis principal Jessica Lee that with the repositioning of The Alba, “we were given a great opportunity to create an inner-city neighbourhood with appropriate accommodations in a vertical setting”.
“Transforming a 1970s commercial building into a 21st-century residential home is not a simple feat. We were conscious of instilling the vertical form with as much warmth and brightness as possible. Adding windows in the northern facade and introducing balconies on all four sides of the building were key design initiatives to maximise light and ventilation.
“The approach also created a subtle external building identity shift from a commercial use to residential use.”