Deicke Richards is currently working with IRT Group on the Wattleview Moruya intergenerational living community in Moruya, New South Wales. The design for the site master plan is a collaboration with Breathe Architecture, Deicke Richards, Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture, Marchese Partners/Life3A, Wetherill Architects, Ethos Urban/Colliers Urban Planning, Balarinji, WSP, and Artazan Property Group (APG) Project Managers.
Deicke Richards has been involved in the design for the residential aged care building within the community. The building adopts the small household model of aged care, with the building incorporating six households of 15 residents in a small-scale, domestic environment. Arranged across two to three storeys, the building will include community spaces on the ground floor that encourages connection and support wellbeing.
Our work at Moruya is focused on redefining aged-care design in a regional context. Rather than a single large facility, the six households create a neighbourhood-like environment where residents can experience autonomy, familiarity, and comfort. The design draws on the new national aged-care design guidelines, which advocate for smaller-scale households that feel like home and support consistent care teams.
Informed by the regional landscape and climate, the architecture prioritises a place-based response, natural lighting, cross-ventilation and visual connection to gardens and outdoor spaces. Materials and finishes are warm and familiar, fostering a sense of calm and belonging. Sustainability principles underpin the design, with passive design strategies, low-embodied-carbon materials and opportunities for resource reuse and waste reduction integrated from the outset.
Now at planning approval stage, the project reflects IRT’s commitment to high-quality, person-centred care and Deicke Richards’ continued leadership in designing for ageing communities. We hope that the Moruya project will set a new benchmark for regional aged-care environments, demonstrating how thoughtful design can support dignity, connection, and wellbeing in later life.
- Client
IRT Group
- Location
Moruya, NSW
- Year
Ongoing
