Aged Care Studio
“ I believe residents deserve honest conversations about their future home, not just consultation theatre – their insights shape every design decision. ”
Christine Kelly
Studio Principal
Principal, Aged Care & Retirement Living Studio
NSW Registration No 6000
Master of Urban & Regional Planning Syd Uni
Bachelor of Architecture Syd Uni
Bachelor of Science (Arch) Syd Uni
Chris@imagescape.com.au
Christine’s expertise in aged care architecture centres on transforming Australia’s complex post-Royal Commission regulatory environment into opportunities for meaningful design. Her proven ability to facilitate transparent dialogue among diverse stakeholders has consistently converted community resistance into enthusiastic support for new aged care developments.
Understanding the unique pressures facing providers today—evolving quality standards, regulatory scrutiny, and creating person-centred environments within tight budgets—Christine leads frank, practical conversations that build genuine consensus. Her meticulous project monitoring ensures every decision supports the vision of home-like care, from initial community consultation through to resident move-in, delivering environments where dignity and wellbeing flourish.
Christine Kelly
Studio Principal
Architect
Urban & Regional Planner
NSW Registration No 6000
Master of Urban & Regional Planning Syd Uni
Bachelor of Architecture Syd Uni
Bachelor of Science (Arch) Syd Uni
Chris@imagescape.com.au
Christine’s expertise in aged care architecture centres on transforming Australia’s complex post-Royal Commission regulatory environment into opportunities for meaningful design. Her proven ability to facilitate transparent dialogue among diverse stakeholders has consistently converted community resistance into enthusiastic support for new aged care developments.
Understanding the unique pressures facing providers today—evolving quality standards, regulatory scrutiny, and creating person-centred environments within tight budgets—Christine leads frank, practical conversations that build genuine consensus. Her meticulous project monitoring ensures every decision supports the vision of home-like care, from initial community consultation through to resident move-in, delivering environments where dignity and wellbeing flourish.
About the Aged care Studio
Creating Home-Like Environments That Preserve Dignity
Australia’s aged care landscape has fundamentally shifted since the Royal Commission, with heightened focus on person-centred care, quality standards, and creating environments that truly feel like home rather than institutional facilities. Our Aged Care & Retirement Living Studio specialises in navigating this complex regulatory environment while delivering spaces that prioritise resident wellbeing and operational excellence.
Our expertise spans comprehensive aged care redevelopments, culturally-specific care environments, and intergenerational living solutions. From assessing which of 132 existing homes at Avondale Retirement Village should be retained versus rebuilt, to designing Australia’s first ethnically-focused aged care centre accommodating 280 residents across cultural modules, we tackle the complex decisions that define successful aged care projects.
Practical Problem-Solving for Complex Sites
Real aged care projects present challenging constraints: steep sites that don’t meet accessibility gradients, heritage contexts requiring sensitive integration, and operational requirements demanding minimal resident disruption. At Avondale, we promised residents no one would move more than twice – with their second move being into their permanent new home. This required meticulous staging coordination across 50 home rebuilds while maintaining community life.
Our approach centres on transparent stakeholder communication. We conduct extensive resident workshops, not just to inform but to genuinely incorporate their insights into design decisions. We understand that successful aged care architecture requires frank conversations about practical realities – from vehicular access that prevents social isolation to designing flexible community spaces that serve everything from church services to television production.
Innovative Care Models
Our Illawarra International Aged Care Centre breaks new ground by designing for specific ethnic communities within a single facility, enabling cultural continuity while maintaining operational efficiency. We’ve pioneered intergenerational living solutions that allow ageing parents to remain with disabled adult children, preserving crucial family connections often severed by traditional care models.
Working with established providers including Illawarra Retirement Trust and Adventist Aged Care, we transform regulatory challenges into design opportunities, delivering environments where residents flourish, families feel confident, and operators achieve sustainable outcomes that truly serve their communities.
Our Aged care Services
Featured Blog
The Science Behind Age Friendly Design: colour processing and the aging process
When designing healthcare spaces for aged care and dementia care, every decision matters. Recent research from University College London has revealed exactly why colour choices can make or break a patient’s experience – and the findings are reshaping how we approach dementia care design. The Hidden Impact of Colour on Ageing Brains A 2023 UCL study published in Scientific Reports researched colour as we age. They found as we age, our brains become less sensitive to colour saturation, particularly affecting green and magenta hues while preserving blue-yellow processing. Using advanced pupillometry technology, researchers measured how 37 participants’ pupils responded to…
Our Aged Care Clients
