WORDS HAMISH MCDONALD TALKS TO NIGEL HOWE, CO-HEAD OF RETIREMENT LIVING OPERATIONS AT STOCKLAND
JUL-SEP 2021 ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
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PEOPLE
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Village life comes of age HAMISH MCDONALD: How important are retirement villages to Stockland’s business? NIGEL HOWE: We have around 60 villages, in most capital cities. It is an important sector for us. It really incorporates our purpose of creating ‘a better way to live’; retirement villages are part of our vision to build great communities, not just residential but for retirees as well. There is a real sense of community in our villages, and that’s what we pride ourselves on. HM: What are the trends in design of retirement villages in Australia?
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NH: There’s no doubt that there’s an increasing desire for older Australians to age in place. We know that 80 percent of Stockland residents are less likely to call an ambulance or visit the emergency department; require 96 percent fewer mental health consultations; and stay out of aged care for five years longer than the national average.* That’s due to a number of factors, one of which relates to design but there are other factors as well. In terms of some of the key elements of design trends, wellness as a holistic theme is becoming critical for operators to make their residents happy. That can be everything from ensuring that there’s good access to outdoor space, community facilities, activities, and all those social and connection points, as well as incorporating natural and
clean materials and textures into the homes. It’s sometimes little details that make it easier for our residents to age in place. That might be things like stepless entries, bathrooms with reinforced walls to make it easier for grab-rails to be fitted, ensuring fabrics and surfaces are durable and cleanable. They are some of the little trends and it all links back to that theme of older Australians wanting to age in place and enhance their wellness. HM: Does that mean locating villages close to where they were living before, so they are not taken away from their longstanding community ties? NH: It’s not always the case. We have villages in lifestyle, coastal locations where people can seek a sea-change when they retire. But we do find that for the most part our residents like to live near family and friends that they have made over their life in their communities. Take our villages in Port Macquarie and Laurieton, NSW, for instance. Nearly half of our village residents there have lived in the area for a long time and have simply downsized and retired in the same place, with family and friends remaining close by. The other half are ‘sea changers’; those who have made the move to retire for a variety of reasons including to move closer to friends and family, for the high quality yet affordable options, or a change in
lifestyle. The area is quite popular to retire in because there’s a lot of high-quality options for villages. Our Bellevue Gardens village is well located; close to town and medical facilities and has all the amenities you would want including easy access to public transport, indoor heated swimming pool, a village bowling green and on-site café and restaurant. Our Queens Lake village in Laurieton is also very popular. It’s set on 13 acres of landscaped gardens in a rare waterside location, with views over the lake and parklands. Our villages are also well priced so our residents are getting the lifestyle and amenities they want, for the price they can afford. HM: Going back to wellness, does that mean you’re building in more facilities for keeping fit but also more for mental stimulation? NH: We’ve got a lot of examples of that, whether in our established villages or our new developments. That’s absolutely a key focus for all our residents. As a couple of examples, we have a development in Ashfield, Sydney: our Cardinal Freeman village designed by Allen Jack + Cottier. It has multi-function rooms that can be booked out in the clubhouse, communal barbeque facilities, modern gym, heated swimming pool, and all the associated activities that allow our residents to be physically connected but also socially connected.
