RETIREMENT LIVING PROJECT REPORT 29
both sites in one transaction which, says Orr, “provided a strategic opportunity to bring forward a complementary retirement living development in Newport.” The development – Sundew Court – is a 77 unit IRC, funded by OakNorth Bank and Matter Real Estate – backing which Orr says refl ects strong confi dence in both the local market and Untold Living’s long-term operational model.” The project is being constructed by main contractor McPhillips, and project managed by TPI, who are overseeing delivery and coordination across both the professional and construction teams. he team’s confi dence in the local demand was boosted by a scheme located a mile away from the project that was completed recently and achieved full occupancy within 12 weeks. This was despite factoring in the difference in tenure between the two projects: “That scheme is partly supported by local authority nominations, whereas Sundew Court is a 100% private-pay product positioned at a higher price point,” explains Orr. He admits that “as a result, the epected fi ll rate is intentionally more measured, refl ecting both the premium offer and the target market.”
A DIFFERENT APPROACH
From the outset of the project, Untold Living applied the same strategy at Sundew Court that it does to all of its projects, namely “to create a high quality retirement community that prioritises independence, hospitality and long-term, bespoke care,” explains Orr. “This differs from the traditional care-led model, by providing care where necessary, and prioritising community as part of a good quality resident experience.”
While Untold Living’s provision caters to retirees who are able to continue living largely independently, the provider is simultaneously conscious that residents’ needs can change. It therefore sold the site’s adjoining land to Zephyr X to develop a 70-bed care home to be operated by care home group EQ Care. “By bringing together independent living, nursing care and specialist dementia care within a single site, we are delivering an integrated continuing care model,” says Orr. “This will allow residents to stay near their community as their needs change, and couples to stay together if their needs diverge.”
The 77 units at Sundew Court comprise 16 two and three-bedroom bungalows and 61 one and two-bedroom apartments. When designing the overall layout of the scheme, careful consideration was given to the distribution of the different home types. The development is arranged as three clusters of bungalows which are referred to as ‘lodges,’ and two large
apartment buildings – one named Wren House, and the other partitioned into two (with no through access) named Swan House and Dove House.
The decisions on size and style of the units was made by “assessing local demand and long-term sustainability,” says Orr. Working within the parameters of the existing planning framework, he says that the mix of apartment type was “carefully considered,” and includes one and two-bedroom homes; “this was considered most suitable for assisted and independent living residents.”
It was decided that the bungalows – which will be for sale as opposed to rent – would be two and three-bedrooms to appeal to a different purchaser profi le, typically homeowners downsizing but still seeking generous internal space and privacy,” Orr explains.
The site came with existing planning consent, which had allowed for a “higher density scheme” – the team instead “prioritised a mix of spacious homes and ample community spaces,” says Orr. Untold Living worked with Gaunt Francis Architects who were appointed to lead the architectural design, bringing their specialist experience in later living and “community-focused residential environments.”
The designers were conscious that to meet Untold Living’s goal of creating a community that prioritises independence, amenities needed to “support thriving daily life, social interactions and discreet care provision, rather than to replicate a clinical environment,” Orr says. The layout was therefore designed to offer every resident a private home they can live fully independently in, combined with communal areas that allow them to socialise, run groups and form friendships. The existing planning permission on the site meant the team were able to avoid potential delays that could have arisen, with the caveat that they worked within the existing approved design parameters. It allowed the team to spend more time fi ne tuning other elements of the proect without the constraint of planning approval, as Chris Walker, building director at McPhillips explains: “The ‘oven-ready’ planning consent provided a solid foundation that enabled the team to focus on refi ning the construction methodology rather than navigating complex planning processes.”
PREPARING FOR AN MMC BUILD Before construction could really begin, a large amount of groundworks had to be undertaken. A substantial muckshifting operation was followed by a signifi cant installation of hardcore to create suitable working conditions for the project team. However, as is often the case with large
WHILE UNTOLD LIVING’S PROVISION CATERS TO RETIREES WHO ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE LIVING LARGELY INDEPENDENTLY, THEY ARE CONSCIOUS THAT RESIDENTS’ NEEDS CAN CHANGE
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