Aged Care Design Leaders Embark on New Project

Fulton Trotter Architects, who have secured the bid to design a significant new aged care accommodation project on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, are excited to be further advancing the new era of aged care design with Blue Care and their Azure Blue Kawana project manager, Aurecon.

Construction will begin on Stage 1 of Blue Care’s Azure Blue Kawana project in 2014. The resort-style accommodation will be situated on a 6.3 Hectare site at Wurtulla, just north of Caloundra, and will include 72 retirement living apartments, 36 villas, a 70-bed residential aged care service and an allied health care centre.

The development will bring an economic boost to the area and is an investment in excess of $100 million by Blue Care into the Sunshine Coast region. During the construction phase the project will generate approximately 400 jobs, and once operational is expected to provide around 100 jobs on an ongoing basis.

“We’re very excited to collaborate with Blue Care and are keen to further advance the notion of what’s possible in aged care design,” said Director of Fulton Trotter Architects (FTA), Mark Trotter.

“We’re passionate about taking a deeply personal approach in our design process with our clients and the end-users of our buildings so that our senior living architecture instils a pride of place and ensures those who live and work there feel respected.”

With a 40-year history of successful aged care design, FTA recently elevated aged care architecture to new heights with their multi-award winning design of Parkview, for Wesley Mission Brisbane. Parkview has received critical acclaim for its innovative, thoughtful and quietly beautiful design features and has become a blueprint for successful senior living architecture both in Australia and overseas.

“Fulton Trotter Architects won the appointment after a rigorous selection process and their expertise in aged care and retirement projects is widely acknowledged in the industry,” said Blue Care Executive Director Robyn Batten.

Ms Batten said the timing was right for the Azure Blue Kawana development, with strong demand for aged care services in the area.

“Blue Care is seeking to create an integrated community that promotes independence and enables residents to age in place. It provides enormous peace of mind for residents and their families when living and care services are co-located, knowing that care is available on-site should it be needed,” she said.

Aurecon has been appointed by Blue Care as Project Manager for Azure Blue Kawana. “Aurecon is genuinely committed to delivering great health and aged care projects,” said Susie Pearn, Project Management Service Leader, Aurecon.

“The project presents a terrific opportunity to drive innovation and help Blue Care build on its successful Azure Blue model.”

Mr Trotter said the essence of successful aged care architecture is respect, which is why the architects will include their clients and the users of the development in their creative team.

“We don’t think aged care accommodation should be like a ‘gated community’, it should instead integrate seamlessly with its surroundings,” said Mr Trotter.

“We believe playfulness needs to occur architecturally in aged care design so that it reflects and celebrates the diversity of the people who live and work there and captures their many notions of home.”

The development will cater for seniors and retirees and it will include an array of recreational facilities such as a café, hairdresser, swimming pool, gymnasium, a recreation centre and landscaped BBQ areas.

Blue Care’s site is in the centre of an emerging hub of the Sunshine Coast and is close to shopping centres, Lake Kawana and the beach, as well as the planned $2.03 billion Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

Azure Blue Kawana is scheduled for completion in late 2015.

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Harleigh Venables
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M 0434 878 905
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www.fultontrotter.com.au