Firm： Kunz Raubenheimer Architects

Type： Residential › Apartment Multi Unit Housing Hospitality + Sport › Hotel Restaurant Government + Health › Aging Facility

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2021

SIZE： 25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft

BUDGET： $5M - 10M

Heart of this design:

The Melrose Manor senior living estate, located close to Melrose Arch in Sandton, involves refurbishing an existing building with a unique Mediterranean architectural typology and character. The design approach was to enhance the unique ambiance of the existing building by introducing new elements that would complement the current style and accentuate it in a contemporary manner.

This was achieved by adding a new porte-cochere entrance, a series of pergolas, planted screens, vaulted ceilings to give more volume to the dining room, new natural finishes, and more natural light. Through these additions and alterations, the goal was to provide a varied spatial experience as you navigate the building and create comfortable and inviting spaces to spend time with family and friends.

The existing courtyards between the building wings were also redesigned to rejuvenate these spaces that were under-utilized because of the apartments. This was achieved by designing lush gardens on top of the existing floor slab within a series of planters. The layout was organized based on the classical principle of creating a vista along an axis. Various spaces of repose and a fountain exist as destinations along the meandering route.

The layout of the apartments where redesigned to allow for an open-plan spatial configuration, which is more conducive to contemporary living and added a lot of value to the units. These apartments will also receive new furniture and finishes that embrace the existing Mediterranean character with modern chic.

Design innovation:

The design of the new porte-cochère creates a well-lit, inviting entrance as a comfortable extension of the existing facade. A cantilevered canopy wraps around the porte-cochère to shelter residents when they arrive during rainy weather. The new entrance becomes a lantern at night, giving new life to the quiet cul-de-sac of Kernick West Avenue, inviting you into the warm and welcoming interior.

From the porte-cochere, one enters the Reception foyer and Concierge, where a vaulted ceiling increases the volume of the space to create a dramatic entrance while carrying through the language of the arched entrance in the horizontal ceiling plane. Within the reception foyer, one gets a glimpse of the coffee shop accessible through a link with another vaulted ceiling. The Coffee shop was once part of the basement parking of the original building but is now transformed through the architecture and interior design into a vibrant, colourful space with a high ceiling and a series of arched recesses, giving the space a unique character and a comfortable atmosphere. The Coffee shop spills out onto a deck with a pergola, where a series of arched steel screens with intricate cut-out patterns allows soft, filtered natural light onto the deck. These screens provide privacy from the street, acting as a security barrier to the Coffee shop at night and functioning as a solar control device in conjunction with the pergola. Internally similar cutout steel screens are used to differentiate between spaces with different functions and to establish clear thresholds between these spaces.

A new link with an organic curving feature wall cladding with half-round, painted timber dowels draws you towards the Lounge, Library, and Cinema from the reception. Since all the existing columns were out of plane and skewed, not aligning to the walls and creating uncomfortable edges within the various spaces, they were cladded with drywall. These new cladded columns have rounded corners, which further contributed to the character of the space and prevented injuries that sharp edges might cause.

The ceiling of the original Dining room was exceptionally low, resulting in a cramped and uncomfortable space, with an institutional appearance due to the ceiling being suspended access panel ceilings commonly used in offices. This was addressed by replacing all the ceilings with a series of vaulted flush plastered ceilings, increasing the space's volume while maintaining an intimate atmosphere. These vaulted ceilings capture the existing Mediterranean character of the building but reinterpret it in a contemporary manner. The new ceilings can now host all mechanical ventilation services and concealed lighting with access panels in strategic positions to allow for future maintenance while simultaneously removing the clutter of old services.

The Dining room opens towards a garden and pool area, which was also refurbished. A pagoda allows for sheltered seating within the garden, surrounded by planters and planted screens where residents can sit in the shade and enjoy tea or refreshments. The planted screens ensure privacy from the surrounding residential buildings. The garden's layout was based on the classical principle of creating a vista along an axis towards a planted arch as the focal point when viewed from the dining room. Shaded seating is placed along the axis next to the water fountains to create a tranquil space where residents can sit and enjoy the garden.

What sets this community's design features apart from other senior housing communities?

There was a significant shortage of natural light and ventilation within all the communal spaces of the existing building, and the spatial experience was quite morbid, with an institutional character that discouraged most residents from utilizing its facilities.

Instead of disregarding the existing building and completely demolishing it, the refurbishment was influenced by its unique Mediterranean character, and the intention was to enhance the current ambiance by introducing new elements that would complement the existing style in a contemporary manner. The new spaces had to provide as much natural light and ventilation as possible while creating a spatial experience that would encourage interaction between residents within a homely and comfortable environment.

The layout of the apartments was also designed to embrace contemporary living instead of perpetuating the existing dated layouts. This was achieved with open-plan kitchens and with the flow of spaces and the relationship between them being designed in such a manner that it would remain relevant in the future.

The design language respects and enhances the existing personality of the building to create a timeless design solution that would remain relevant to the milieu of future residents.