Refurbishment
sustainability and specialist consultants. This early integration proved particularly valuable as the regulatory environment changed, allowing significant aspects of the scheme to be revisited while maintaining a consistent architectural direction. As joint deputy chair of the house
committee, Louisa Rix also brought an understanding of the institution that extended beyond the design brief. Her family connection to the Hall -her parents, the actress Elspet Gray and the actor and producer Brian Rix, both spent their later years there- provided an appreciation of the community that has developed over many decades.
Responding to changing models of care Residential care has changed considerably since Denville Hall first opened in 1926. People are living longer, remaining active later in life and increasingly expecting environments that support independence alongside care. Access to gardens, opportunities for exercise, social interaction and high-quality communal facilities have become fundamental components of later- life living rather than additional amenities. Care providers also face increasing
expectations in relation to accessibility, environmental performance, operational efficiency and regulatory compliance. These factors inevitably influence the way care environments are designed. At Denville Hall, the masterplan was
developed around the principle that greater independence should not reduce opportunities for social connection. The assisted-living apartments extend the existing continuum of care, allowing residents to remain within the Denville Hall community while benefiting from accommodation designed to support changing needs over time.
Residential care has changed considerably since Denville Hall first opened in 1926
The proposal comprised three new
buildings within the 3.2-acre estate, providing twelve assisted-living apartments alongside a rehabilitation gym, yoga studio, cinema, restaurant and café. These shared facilities support physical wellbeing as well as continued social and cultural engagement, helping the existing Hall and new accommodation operate as one community. The buildings are connected to each other
and to the existing Hall by glazed walkways, with the communal facilities forming points of connection between old and new. The project is therefore concerned less with increasing capacity than with extending the ways in which residents can continue to live independently within an established community.
Understanding the existing estate One of the earliest stages of the design process was understanding the existing estate and identifying the qualities that should inform its future development. The team’s first impressions were shaped
as much by the experience of arrival as by the buildings themselves. Although Denville Hall occupies an exceptional site, the approach to the estate did not fully reflect the character of the original house. Visitors arriving for the first time are presented primarily with more recent additions, while the architectural presence of the historic Hall is largely concealed. The original house remains the symbolic
heart of Denville Hall. An early ambition of the masterplan was therefore to strengthen its presence and improve the sequence
16
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com October 2026
ValentinValkov -
stock.adobe.com
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