ThomsonAdsett was engaged to prepare and lodge a development application with the local Council for a 120-bed residential aged care home in Tahmoor, southwest of Sydney.

Our projects are a synthesis of the values our clients hold and our own vision of ‘creating places for meaningful experiences’. With this in mind, ThomsonAdsett utilised the aged care ‘small house model’ in the development’s design.

Research shows that smaller scale, clustered domestic models of residential aged care are associated with fewer hospitalisations and higher quality of life for residents at a similar cost basis.

This innovative approach enables a model of care that is fundamentally different from an institutional environment. It focuses on landscape and garden access, socialisation and community. Connection to nature, the outdoors and daylight are proven elements that improve health and wellness.

The visual appearance of this development pays homage to the area, landscape and context. The large farmhouse-style buildings have a simple form and strong language which is legible to the public and familiar. The buildings connect to their landscape as simple pavilions, while the water tanks, tank stands and windmill are references to the agrarian land that surrounds Tahmoor.

The masonry, timber and metal material palette is also a response to the semi-rural context. This building will fit into the landscape and provide a visual palette that is familiar and friendly, approachable and sensitive to its surroundings.

The development application was approved in early 2021.