Work has begun on 36 one- and two-bedroom apartments for older people, including those living with dementia, at Wilbraham Road, Fallowfield in Manchester.
Oaklands extra care facility (artist’s impression above), for Onward Homes, will provide residents with their own state-of-the-art private apartments along with round the clock assistance and care. The first floor will be home to a suite specifically designed for people living with dementia. It includes apartments, a lounge, quiet room and outdoor terrace.
HAPPI principles — which guide best practice in older people’s housing design — have been applied to the whole facility. Light and heating within the building will replicate daylight hours to fit with the body clocks of residents, and interior designers will ensure the building is easy to navigate around.
The development is being constructed by Bardsley and is designed by BTP Architects, who were selected by Onward Homes following their award-winning work designing homes for older people and those living with dementia.
Bob Pleasance, Project Manager at Onward Homes, said: “We have an ageing population and an increasing need for homes that meet the needs of older people, including those living with dementia.
“Working with BTP we looked at a number of options for refurbishing the former sheltered housing scheme on the site but felt that the best decision was to build a new, modern extra care facility that will stand the test of time.
Oaklands will do just that and is one of a number of developments we are working on to meet housing demand and create strong and vibrant communities that our customers can be proud to be a part of.”
Victoria Saunders, Managing Director at BTP, said: “We are proud to be working with Onward and Bardsley on Oaklands. We worked closely with Manchester City Council planners on this scheme to bring forward what is a really important development for the community.
We have designed a scheme for older people and those living with dementia to call home and enjoy their golden years in.”
Sean Kempley, Construction Director, Bardsley, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Onward Homes and BTP on these high-quality homes for older people in Fallowfield. With the commitment and hard work of our construction team on site, we will ensure the development will be delivered on time and on budget.”
BTP is a highly skilled team of architects and design professionals based near Manchester with a strong track record over the past 70 years in a range of architectural fields.
Oaklands has Alan Johnston Partnership working on civil and structural engineering and Engineering Services Design on mechanical and electrical elements of the build.
The 36 apartments across four floors will be available for affordable rent and are due for completion around in early 2020.
