Luxury and 7 star energy efficiency at Victoria Grange Retirement Village

Designing the apartments to achieve an average 7 stars for energy efficiency required consideration of passive and active sustainable design from the outset.

The 41 new luxury independent living apartments, with secure car parking, are arranged over three, 3-storey blocks that surround a landscaped courtyard. With a mix of two bed and two bed plus study, the apartments are designed for optimal orientation and views, with the majority having dual aspect outlook. All layouts have generous proportions and provide for flexible living arrangements.

The development also features an outdoor gym, bowling green, social spaces, potting shed and a vegetable garden. Landscape design conserves existing established trees and a carefully considered native planting scheme.

The Community Hub building provides a space for the residents’ social and community needs, including indoor swimming pool, healthcare consulting room, beauty salon, multi-purpose craft and social spaces, café and administration offices. Designed with a ‘night purge’ system, which allows for overnight cooling of the thermal mass of the building, reduces the use of air conditioning during the cooling season.

The apartment layout design maximises benefits and control of passive solar gain, with double glazing throughout. Solar collection panels, integrated into the roof hood design, supplement water heating and rainwater harvesting is used for irrigation of the landscaped areas and vegetable garden.