Karingal Green

Karingal Green brings together the connection of being part of the broader community and the warmth and familiarity of being home.

Hassell Architect Kahla Murphy says the client’s Continuous Care Community design philosophy informed the approach for Karingal Green, resulting in a place that supports quality of life through independence, a sense of identity, and purpose.

“Creating a home for residents that sat comfortably with its surroundings was key to this project,” Murphy says.

“In doing so, a decision was made to facilitate each person’s sense of connection to nature and to the wider neighbourhood, both of which are therapeutically invaluable.”

“The residences’ lush garden setting was of primary benefit. The amalgamation of three sites boasts significant vegetation, with mature lemon-scented gums forming an inspiring backdrop.”

Capral window suites were important in liberating the space for residents to enjoy. Those who were less mobile were offered views to the garden to experience openness and heightened wellbeing.

Where possible, a connection to the neighbourhood has been integrated into the design. The main entrance orients towards the adjacent parkland, and residents’ social spaces, lounges, and dining areas outwardly focus on the surrounding landscape.

“We are proud to have created a home that nestles into its local neighbourhood,” Murphy says. “Residents love enjoying time with their grandkids and families while feeling connected with the outdoors.”

This philosophy of connection to the broader community while maintaining one’s privacy governed the design approach. The wellness centre houses several facilities accessible to residents and community care clients. These include a fully equipped gym, a hydrotherapy pool, physiotherapy suites, allied health consultation areas, and a beauty salon. The floorplan of each residence has been considered to ensure there is inclusion and privacy. Each residential area is broken into smaller housing clusters, with individual living suites and courtyards grouped around a communal dining and lounge area.

“With capacity for 160 residents, there’s significant potential for staging activities within the large and generously appointed double-height social hub situated off the main entry. Here, visitors can partake in communal events meaningful to the residents,” says Murphy.

Environmental considerations were paramount. The design is rooted in passive solar principles, with the interiors boasting ample natural light, essential for residents’ wellbeing. Bedrooms orient to North/South, and a series of skylights filter light into central corridors, illuminating the upper-level floorplan.

“The scale of the window elements was important. In situations where it wasn’t appropriate to provide residents with physical access to the outdoors, we’ve installed a series of picture windows with an interior window seat,” says Murphy.

“To maximise efficiency, we paid special attention to the scale of the windows and framing; the rest of the building is predominately enveloped in insulated double brick construction.”

Light ingress is further controlled using shading across the Capral framing units, complemented by deep verandas which wrap the building. The vertical shading elements visually articulate the façade while managing solar filtration. The shading screen facing the outer village area protects the double-height social hub glazing from western sunlight.

Capral framing was used to create a sense of elegance and visual depth on the exterior. “We consciously detailed the window suites to provide depth and articulation across the façade,” Murphy says. “This involved using different extrusion types to present a large expanse of vision glazing, with accompanying operable casement window and fixed top light sections set back from the vision panel. The picture window openings punctuate the brickwork’s textual materiality, contributing to a varied and well-scaled composition.”

“At Karingal Green, we’ve set about designing a home in which residents can choose to be private or socially engaged at their discretion.”

Offering dignity and independence to residents while respecting their complex needs is a substantial achievement. The Hassell design team deserves commendation for helping Karingal Green residents live full lives in a beautiful, thoughtfully designed environment.