Chic for retirees

By Andrea Watson
Posted: 2008/12/09

LONG gone is the notion that retirement developments are simply old people's homes with a few bells and whistles on top.

This profitable segment of the housing market attracts interest from an ever-widening range of companies. Fostering an independent, active lifestyle and community spirit among residents has become common to the thinking behind the better retirement projects.

Extra care facilities are often available. Developers such as Richmond Villages offer a broad range of options to buyers from fully independent apartments to 24-hour nursing care, all on the same site.

There is both compassion and good business sense in the mix because residents are able to stay in one place, moving from a larger property to a more manageable one and paying for extra care or nursing services as their needs determine.

Many attractive communities with facilities deemed suitable to the supposed age group - a cricket green or village hall - have been built over the past 20 years but a new wave of developers is challenging the old models and in particular one of the basic norms of such complexes - traditional architecture. Filling what they see as a niche in the market, these developers are tearing up their blueprints of gabled, tile-hung neo-Victorian or mock-Tudor mansions and venturing into chic glass and stone designs with a definitely urban look.

Take, for example, the daring redevelopment of the former First World War hospital for Canadian soldiers in the grounds of Cliveden, the National Trust's stately home. Money to maintain the fabric of this historic Grade I listed Buckinghamshire mansion, which was once the home of the Astor family, has been secured by leasing the land to Countryside Properties, which eventually obtained permission to create a collection of ultra-contemporary apartments and houses for the 55-plus age group.

The modern architecture is all the more surprising given that there were plenty of contenders for this site. No fewer than 42 other proposals - mostly safely conservative - were considered by judges at the design competition stage. There was every chance of playing it safe but times have changed and many modern early retirees - patrons of the Baltic Gateshead and Tate Modern - do not want red brick and chintz when it comes to their homes, any more than they want watercolours of flowers on their walls.

Countryside managing director, Chris Crook, said: "About seven years ago we did some focus groups with potential purchasers and I was taken aback to find that the 55-plus age group in one session were extremely brand-conscious in everything from dress to kitchen taps. They showed a great understanding of good design and this has stuck with me ever since." To attract this upmarket buyer group - at Cliveden Village prices range from £325,000 to £650,000 - a daring yet sophisticated decision was the answer.

Recently launched on the market, another retirement development in Pickering, North Yorkshire, which has scooped an international award presents yet more strikingly modern architecture. Spire View is the result of an unusual collaboration between a developer - pad55 - and a property management firm, Peverel.

The directors of pad55 - ex-investment banker Tom Welch and New Zealand architect David Ball - have focused on creating a place where people will enjoy an active lifestyle and a community spirit. Spire View will be the prototype for similar developments across the UK.

"We felt there was a huge niche in the retirement sector - especially in the 55-75 age group, " said Mr Welch. "The sort of product available has not moved on in the last 10 years. The design of pad55 provides choice to those who want a quality alternative to the mass-market product." The developers describe their light, airy uncluttered homes as "happy architecture". It's a step forward for the retirement market in other ways too - environmentally-friendly features include fashionable green roofs and the latest combined heat and power (CHP) system that will slash both carbon emissions and energy costs.

There are 16 apartments or "pads" for sale at Spire View priced from £275,000 and residents will have the use of an indoor pool as well as gardens and an orangery.

Peverel will also provide a concierge service akin to that offered by a boutique hotel. While overseeing the day-to-day maintenance of the development, the concierge will also look after requests such as booking flights, car servicing and ensuring that fridges are stocked.

Close to Heartbeat country, Pickering is a traditional market town on the edge of the North York Moors and, despite the modernity of this latest addition, is known better for quaint old-world charm.

In complete contrast to the modernist movement - or so you might think at first sight - is Lincombe Manor Village, a new coastal development aimed at the 55-plus age group. The Grade II listed building, set in landscaped grounds overlooking the coast in Torquay, offers a range of properties with period features such as old fireplaces as well as grand communal rooms.

Original features blend successfully with stylish modern interiors and fittings, as demonstrated by the show apartment's Poggenpohl kitchen and designer bathroom. Prices at Lincombe Manor, which is being marketed by Knight Frank, currently start from £175,000 for a one-bedroom apartment.

Set back and apart from the manor, there are also plans to build a collection of glass and wood modernist homes with that latest fashion accessory for the over-55s - "living walls and roofs" - the latest in green thinking on insulation and environmental benefits.

For the time being, however, as a result of adverse market conditions trendy oldies will have to wait for the launch of these cool pads.
INFORMATION:Cliveden Village: 01628 668835/ www.clivedenvillage.net Spire View: 0800 043 10 55/ www.pad55.com Knight Frank: 01392 848844/ www.mhseniorliving.co.uk