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care homes & sheltered housing project report
(L) The project will feature a sedum roof
(R) The Retirement Village is being built on a six acre former industrial site in High Wycombe © Steve Menary
the unit numbers resulted in the multi-storey design solution. To break down the perceived building mass, blocks of differing heights were designed with the taller blocks located towards the back of the site. She describes the approach to materials: “They are tradi-
tional but used in a contemporary arrangement. This allows the building to connect to its context whilst also creating a distinct identity. A lot of natural lighting and ventilation is used to articulate the interior and contributes to a light and airy feel.” The bulk of the building is a reinforced in situ concrete
frame with a small central steel frame with curtain walling specified for most of the public areas and metal features including balconies with aluminium windows. “There’s brickwork, a huge amount of rendering and curtain
walling to the open areas, which is mostly used to get light into the building,” says Tony Butcher, project manager on the scheme for Galliford Try Partnerships. The curtain walling is being manufactured and installed by
West Midlands-based specialist APiC, while MQM is manufacturing and installing the balconies. Both have been specified by Nicol Thomas not just to increase light but produce a more contemporary feel. Butcher adds: “The idea is that the colours will all
coordinate. The curtain walling makea the building look more modern and the steelwork is effectively an architectural feature.
BUILDING PROJECTS
www.architectsdatafile.co.uk “A key feature of the design is that there are a lot of
balconies and external doors; a lot of outside space is being created. ECCT wanted quite a modern-looking building – they didn’t want a traditional retirement home.”
Building composition
The project is being built in eight alphabetically named blocks ranging from four to seven storeys in height. The two main blocks to either side of the plot are open
either to the light or elements with one featuring a glass roof and the other opened up completely. The glazed section has been christened the Winter Garden. In the centre of the village is a large communal atrium, for
which Nicol Thomas specified a steel frame. “This was due to the span required, as it’s a big open area with an atrium,” explains Butcher. Inside this atrium at the heart of the project is a village centre, featuring a range of facilities including a shop, bistro and bar, residents’ lounge, hair salon, fitness suite and games room. The area forms a key part of ECCT’s plans to cre- ate a community. Care will be available for residents with dementia or complex
mental issues, but prospective buyers only need to be aged 55 or over to buy one of the 260 one and two-bedroom apartments. Expected residents include many people of retirement age who are able to lead a more active life, including plenty of car owners. There are no garages, but there will be 165 car parking spaces.
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