Leading international architecture and design firm, ThomsonAdsett, has designed Australia’s first retirement living village for arts patrons.

Taking its name from Arthur Streeton, one of Australia’s most celebrated artists, Streeton Park is located a short walk from the Heide Museum of Modern Art and overlooks the Yarra River in Melbourne. Recently completed, the $40m project accommodates 85 premium independent living apartments, alongside a business centre, fine dining restaurant, sports bar, salon and wellness centre.

ThomsonAdsett studio leader for Victoria Tieran Kimber says the development indicates the growing need to design for varied lifestyles and interests. “There is no other retirement living village that caters specifically to arts patrons, and it has been keenly awaited here in Melbourne,” he says.

The spaces are designed for maximum socialisation and activity between residents, yet also provide resting points for those with low mobility. Colour, materials and textures have been incorporated thoughtfully to appeal to those who enjoy the arts. “Streeton Park is designed for the innovators of Melbourne, and Australia. We have very carefully curated every detail from artwork to light fittings, to appeal to those passionate about creativity,” notes Kimber.

ThomsonAdsett has recently completed a new Engineering Building at Charles Sturt University, New South Wales

Encompassing views of Bathurst’s iconic Mount Panorama race circuit, the building accommodates the regional university’s unique new degree, which is designed to leave students equipped with both engineering and business skills. The design by ThomsonAdsett – an architecture firm with studios throughout Australia and Asia – meets both needs, by providing a pitching space for business activity and a maker studio, which embraces the ‘Maker Movement’ – a trend where discarded or broken goods are reimagined and marketed.

The firm developed a ‘Honeycomb of Learning’ – a spatial planning strategy which adds cohesion to the entire building. A range of clustered collaboration zones express the co-curricular and collaborative nature of the new learning environment.

The existing facility has been transformed with a gallery, technological wall, Honeycomb of Learning, maker studio, pitch space and labs, which encourage experimentation, partnerships and enterprise. Materials akin with regional farming and shed buildings have been employed throughout the project, creating a unique character for the facility. It is hoped that the new spaces will enable students to develop necessary skills and relationships, before undertaking the field study component of the innovative course.