This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
The City of Boroondara has issued a permit for VMCH’s retirement living precinct on a 1.6-hectare site in Melbourne’s leafy eastern suburbs.
Council had previously backed VMCH’s plans for a 108 apartment development, which will see restoration of three existing heritage buildings and include amenities, green spaces and a new public café.
Architects Woods Bagot designed the project at 6-14 Studley Road, with the landscape masterplan by Oculus Studios.
Council’s urban designer described the development as “meticulously crafted and thoughtfully and expertly executed to suit the site and locale” noting “the architectural expression reinvents familiar features of the arts and crafts movement in an imaginative manner to provide local relevance and allow the new buildings to talk to their historic neighbours and nestle comfortably within their surroundings”.
“We know from our research that people aged over 60 are not ‘retiring’ in the traditional sense. They are entering a thrilling new phase in life where they have more time to focus on themselves – they’re more active, more engaged and even more indulgent than generations before them,” VMCH CEO Sonya Smart said.
About 410 jobs will be created during construction with an additional 35 jobs created after completion through the management and on-site management components.
The design will achieve a 7.0-star NatHERS rating average for all apartments with 100% renewable energy, on-site power generation through rooftop solar, rainwater capture and re-use, electric vehicle-enabled and incorporation of passive solar design principles.
VMCH’s retirement portfolio includes projects in neighbouring Camberwell and Hawthorn, with others planned in Ivanhoe East, Box Hill, Wantirna and Bundoora.
