The Vertical Village will be the first step in the renewal of BaptistCare Macquarie Park and the construction of this building is still at least three years away.
Vertical villages are multi-storey residential buildings that use clever design of living areas and recreational spaces to foster a village-like lifestyle and strong sense of community. The Vertical Village at Macquarie Park will be designed to offer the best in accommodation and care to our residents, while encouraging strong community connections and providing beautiful green and common spaces for the community to enjoy. We have experience providing retirement and aged care services in a multi-storey setting at The Gracewood in Kellyville.
We have also been working on a Master Plan to guide the long-term renewal of the site, and to understand how we can create a contemporary intergenerational community for many decades to come. The Master Plan establishes a framework for delivering the elements that are needed to create a vibrant and connected community and outlines the future uses for the Macquarie Park site.
This is a long-term plan, and the Vertical Village is the only aspect of the Master Plan that will be delivered within the first stage, subject to planning approvals. The residential aged care homes on site are not included in Stage 1.
If you have any questions about our plans for MacquariePark and what this means for you or your loved one, please call our project team on (02) 9272 5041 or at enquiries@baptistcaremacquariepark.org.au
It has been a big year across the world. The pandemic has highlighted the need for strong, connected communities. As the end of the year draws closer, it feels like a good time to reflect on the importance of staying connected.
The need to feel connected to where we live and how we live is central to our planning for Macquarie Park, and this has been reinforced by our learnings during the past two years since we started this process.
In my last update on the sites’ future, we explained that we are looking at different examples of vertical villages in Australia and worldwide. The team continues to study local and international case studies to learn what works well and what we could create for Macquarie Park.
As an organisation, we have experience providing retirement and aged care services in a multi-storey setting at BaptistCare’s The Gracewood in Kellyville. As you will see in this update, we are drawing on this experience to plan for the future. Speaking of settings, we are also looking at how a multi-storey vertical village at Macquarie Park will be enriched by the surrounding housing, gardens and facilities across the rest of the site. I’m excited to hear your ideas about the master plan for our Macquarie Park site in the new year!
Our decision to include contemporary retirement living and aged care services in the form of a vertical village was received with a mixture of excitement and curiosity. We understand you want to know what it will look like, the location and how it will work and feel. We look forward to engaging with all of you – our staff, residents and their families – in the new year as plans begin to take shape.
It will be some time before construction at the site begins. In the meantime, work is underway to design a vertical village that combines contemporary care and service delivery with comfort, connection and a village feel.
Since our November update, we’ve continued to hear from our staff, residents and their families. Thank you for reaching out with your questions, ideas and concerns about Stage 1, including the vertical village. Thank you also for your patience as we collect information to make informed decisions about the site’s future and your willingness to understand that change is necessary for Macquarie Park.
As we progress with planning, please continue speaking to us. Our team is available to take your calls between Monday and Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Please call the project team on 9272 5041 or email us at enquiries@baptistcaremacquariepark.org.au
Wishing you all a safe and Merry Christmas.
Charles Moore, CEO
We are available to take your calls between Monday and Friday, 9am to 5pm.
For more information about BaptistCare, please click here.
