Villa Maria Centre
Ipswich

Catholic Healthcare’s new Villa Maria Centre is a 100 bed residential aged care facility that was commissioned to replace an outdated facility nearby in order to better meet the growing need for affordable care in Ipswich.

The ‘timber and tin’ aesthetic has been utilised to break up the physical mass of the facility, and to reference the neighbourhood character of Eastern Heights. ‘Households’ of 20 residents create more homely places for residents to live, each with their own dining room, resident kitchen and sitting rooms that look out over landscaped courtyards.

The ‘households’ are connected by a central spine, referred to as the ‘main street’, where residents and visitors also have access to an activities space, chapel, public café, hairdresser, allied health consultation rooms, and a physiotherapy space.

A secure dementia specific ‘household’ is located on the lower ground level allowing access to an outdoor courtyard to encourage walking and positive sensory support.

The design provided high quality spaces for residents while addressing specific building area and construction constraints. An accelerated programme for documentation required discipline and attention to detail from the design team. Our interior design service also extended to fittings, furniture, artwork and decorative items, including coordinating the transfer of items of emotional value from the nearby Villa Maria facility due to close.