The Australian Unity Group is a national healthcare, financial services and retirement living organisation committed to creating neighbourhoods that enhance the wellbeing of older Australians.
The project at the existing Walmsley Retirement Community in Kilsyth involved the design and construction of a new 120-bed Residential Aged Care Facility and a new Community Centre; delivered in two separable portions to minimise the disruption to residents.
Separable Portion 1 – Community Centre (CC)
This separable portion involved the demolition of six Independent Living Units, roads and landscaping, followed by the construction of a new Community Centre on the vacant land. The Community Centre comprises a library, art studio, billiard room, cinema, meeting rooms, a multipurpose room, activities room, ablutions, reception, kitchen, deck, and bar, and is surrounded by landscaped gardens.
Separable Portion 2 – Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF)
The construction of the two-storey Residential Aged Care Facility, surrounding landscaping, car parking and service upgrades formed this separable portion. The 120-bed facility is configured into a double H-shaped layout separated by communal courtyards and outdoor amenities, and arranged into seven households each with kitchen, lounge, and dining spaces. Centralised areas in the facility include the administration area, commercial laundry, commercial kitchen, meeting rooms, handover rooms, and clean and dirty utility rooms, as well as centralised social and activity spaces including a gym, hairdresser, allied health consulting room, multifaith room, multipurpose rooms, and a café with an external landscaped plaza for all residents.
