Barry Kaganson, CEO of Auria Senior Living, noted that “a particular challenge of the makeover was to cause minimal inconvenience to the some 340 residents during the nine-month refurbishment project. The renovation was however vital to elevate the estate from a tired eighties-style décor to better reflect our vision. Based on our experience gleaned from senior living communities the world over, this vision is to offer a range of tasteful and appealing living environments, supporting an engaging lifestyle and varying levels of assisted care in a secure environment for the over-70’s”.
Architects Kunz Raubenheimer, who won the 2019 PIA Award for Architecture for the San Sereno project, were tasked with breathing new life into buildings that were looking mundane and unwelcoming.
“The detailing of pre-fabricated steel and timber covered walkways and screens is innovative in conception and application as it expedited construction - critical in a fragile residential community that could not be disturbed,” they said. “The technology served to create a new humane face for the project whilst improving environmental comfort and ease of movement between different parts of the building.”
Areas that underwent a complete makeover include the coffee shop Café Auria, the hair salon, an indoor swimming pool, a newly built cinema, as well as extensive exercise and wellness facilities.
