LifestyleRetiRement homes


Flexible home


design prize wins retirement


Earlierthisyear, studentswere invited to submit entries for the first Peverel Retirement Design Competition, ‘FutureAgeing’


developmentinanationalcompetition launched by Peverel Retirement in conjunction with the Interior Educators, whoare agroup of lecturersteachinginterior designand architecture at universities across theUK. Studentswereaskedtoconsiderspace, security,sustainability andsociallivingin their entries. Keith Edgar,Managing Director of Peverel


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Retirement explains that Peverel was looking fora“freshapproach”toretirementliving fromthestudents. He hoped that they would have something newto bring to the table and waslooking forinnovativeideas to take to thedeveloperswithwhomPeverel worksona regular basis. Forty-four entries were received for the


competitionfrom eight universities.A panel of expert judges including Cynthia Gibbs, business liaisonmanager forPeverel Retirement;David Sparks,managing director of Great Homes; and GraemeBrooker, director andDrewPlunkett, fellow of Interior Educators, decided on the winners. Thetop prizeof£1000 went toAmerican


Intercontinental University student, Margherita De Eccher,whodonated herprize money to an orphanageinMadagascar. Sophie


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STUDENTS fromaroUND the countrywererecentlyaskedto comeup with their ideas for an independent living retirement


Hull, a design student fromLeeds College of Arttooksecond prizeand therunners-upwere JenniferCampbelland Debbie Allanfrom the GlasgowSchool of Art andAmeena Al- Samarae fromManchester School of Art. Explaining the judges’ decision, Graeme


Brooker, said: “The judges’ expertise and knowledge cametogether to choose our winners fairly, fromboth an academic and propertymanagement pointofview. Allfive winnersdeservedtheir places as allhad not onlymetthe briefbutwent onestepfurther taking thefutureofretirementlivingintogreat considerationin terms of space and design.” Margherita’s winning entrygaveflexible


living space top priority,designing ahome inwhichthe wallsweredemountable and so couldbeeasilymoved to create spaces appropriate to theway roomswould be used at anygiven time.Her designs were geared towardscreatingeasy-to-use,adaptable spaces that would be accessible and comfortable for peopletoliveinregardlessoftheir age. “I wantedtomakethe space very flexibleand


Fixtures andfittings like bookshelves and worktops areadjustable


Above: the winning designs; left: Peverel Retirement competition judgeswith thewinning designers


made aprototype of howitmight work,” she explained.“Thedoors andwalls couldall slide and disappear tomake circulation easier and even fixturesand fittingslikebookshelves andworktopsare adjustable.Mydesignwas stronglyfocused onmaking this housethe lastmovesothatyou won’thavethe stress of finding newaccommodation in laterlife,”she added. Keith Edgarwas impressed by thenumber


andquality of thecompetition entries. “Too oftenwhensomeonementions independent living,people’sassumption is that thismeans acarehome. Butthiscouldn’tbefurther fromthetruth.Wechampionindependent living in allour developments,encouraging socialisation throughgroup activities and communal spaces.All five winnersreally understood this,” he said: So will the competition be held again? Keith


thinks it likelythatPeverel will repeat the exercise butnexttimethe criteria will be even more challenging.“What I would like to see,”hesaid“is considerationgiven notonly to flexible design and the critical nature of communicationservices butalsotobuilding costs andmaintenance”.●


Peverelretirementmanages 1,500developments, comprising 65,000 properties. Itsretirementschemes comprise individual leasehold apartments,cottagesand bungalows in secure, purpose-built developments. Webwww.peverelretirement.co.uk


Summer 2012 Flat Living


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