After winning two awards this year, Uniting’s Upper North Shore retirement village Bowden Brae has now been named a finalist for the Best Retirement Village Development Award at Retirement Living Council’s 2023 Awards.

To be held in June next year at the 2023 National Retirement Living Summit, these national awards celebrate excellence in the retirement living sector.

Uniting Bowden Brae had earlier won the Urban Developer Award for Industry Excellence and the Urban Taskforce Australia Award for Best Seniors Living Development in 2022. The stunning retirement village was also a finalist in the Urban Development Institute of Australia Awards for Excellence in Retirement Living.

Designed by leading architectural practice PTW Architects, Uniting Bowden Brae supports ageing in place for its residents and sets the benchmark for adaptive universal housing.  The architects combined evidence-based research, design-led innovation and multidisciplinary collaborations to deliver this outstanding retirement village.   

“The apartments are designed and built to meet the changing needs of residents over their lifetime. This approach is based on the principle that better housing design for older people is better housing design for everyone,” PTW executive director, Diane Jones says. 

Uniting NSW.ACT head of property, Adrian Ciano said, “Being nominated as a finalist and winning these prestigious development awards is a fantastic achievement and is testament to the excellence that Uniting strives for in the development of high-quality accommodation for seniors.”

“Good properties help to facilitate great care and service outcomes and also provide residents with a lovely environment to live in and a great place for employees to work. The successful design enables a rich diversity of social interaction, and intergenerational inclusions that invite the broader community and extended family members to use the playgrounds, café, and seniors gym,” Ciano adds.

One of the largest independent living developments by Uniting, Bowden Brae was completed in December 2021 in two phases. The retirement village offers 140 independent living apartments with amenities including pet and family friendly spaces, a heated indoor swimming pool, playground, café and outdoor BBQ area, clubroom, hair salon, specialist seniors gym, community gardens and chapel. 

Keeping in mind the needs of the senior residents, the village is step-free and has lift access to all apartments. Assisted living services are available on request, giving residents added peace of mind and more time to enjoy the lifestyle at the village. 

Uniting director of property and housing, Simon Furness said the residents were settling very comfortably into their award-winning new homes.

“The Bowden Brae seniors gym features resident physiologists who provide personalised exercise plans to keep residents active and moving freely,” Furness says. 

Branko Miletic

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