2 minute read
Next level planning
From humble beginnings, Summerset has grown to be New Zealand’s second-largest retirement village developer, with 33 villages across the country. Summerset’s ethos is a dedication to creating engaging and sustainable landscapes within its villages.
ummerset continually evolves its landscape design experience while retaining the distinct familiarity of its villages to provide residents with vibrant and exciting landscapes. Within both the hard and soft landscaping, Summerset has included innovations that extend into sustainability.
“Innovations range from subtle changes in materials, such as timber, stonework or permeable paving, through to enhancement of key areas with such things as outdoor water features and dining spaces,” said Jon Skurr, Summerset’s landscape design manager.
“Environmentally sustainable innovation can also be seen through the treatment of the stormwater runoff, with swales and rain gardens implemented.
“There’s also an increasing move to achieve sustainable initiatives, with particular importance given to reducing our water usage,” said Skurr. “The sustainability objective is a big focus for Summerset across the whole business. In landscaping, we’re particularly interested in continuing to reduce water usage and looking at how we can reuse it.”
Summerset has applied sustainable design by increasing its usage of less water-reliant plants and, in some areas, grasses. It also uses permeable paving applications, green initiatives within the infrastructure, and LED lighting.
Edible and sensory gardens are becoming a staple in village design but are not new for Summerset villages.
“Communal vegetable areas, fruiting trees and shrubs have long been a staple landscape design feature for all our villages,” said Skurr. “There are plans to go the next level with our communal edible areas in the coming years,” he added.
Summerset’s Memory Care Centres, for people living with dementia, feature gardens using biophilic design principles to incorporate nature
into the residents’ living space.
Skurr believes there is a place for both exotic and native plantings in the villages. However, native plantings along with some drought-tolerant exotics and turf are becoming increasingly common, he said. “Our plantings tend to be a mix of both exotic and native species, with a myriad of contrasting textures, fragrances, colour, shape and form.”
Once the village is established an on-site landscape maintenance team takes over. External landscape contractors maintain all landscape areas; however, residents are encouraged to personalise their gardens or extend their existing garden beds. “At our Levin village, Summerset by the Ranges, one resident installed a water tank to collect rainwater for the residents’ vegetable garden. He also introduced a moveable chickenhutch to deal with some challenging weeds instead of using chemicals,” said Skurr.
Health and safety continue to remain at the forefront of all designs, including accessibility, said Skurr.
Features include paved level external entry areas at all doorways, pathway grades generally no steeper than 1:20 and raised planter beds, to name a few.
Summerset continually improves its landscape offerings to keep up with global trends that suit its residents’ needs.
“We aim to incorporate features specific to the local area, paying particular attention to those of historical and cultural significance,” said Skurr.
