Strange Bedfellows: Why PBSA, Seniors Living Design is Converging

The architectural principles shaping student accommodation and retirement living communities are converging, driven by a fundamental rethinking of how different generations share similar needs for connection and community.

Among those at the forefront of this transformation is Rothelowman Architects principal Ben Pomroy, whose work is redefining purpose-built housing design across both sectors.

Pomroy’s design philosophy is being showcased in two significant projects.

In Canberra, the Amberfield development for LDK Seniors’ Living demonstrates this approach through its ambitious scope: 304 apartments, 55 townhouse villas, and 20 higher-care studios.

The project’s 3400sq m of resident amenity space includes health and wellbeing precincts, dining venues and social spaces that reflect lessons learned from successful student accommodation design, such as technology hubs and environments that encourage connection and combat isolation.

Rothelowman’s work at 23-25 Lachlan Avenue in Sydney’s Macquarie Park expands its purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) portfolio, incorporating innovations influenced by senior living design, such as flexible communal areas, and leisure and wellness spaces.

“These projects share fundamental design principles that prioritise community connection while respecting individual privacy,” Pomroy says. “It’s about social interaction, the maximum amount we can encourage in small spaces.”

Pomroy’s vision represents a significant departure from traditional institutional design.

“A mix of modern resort haven, wellbeing, wellness space, lots of natural light,” is how he characterises the new approach.

“A corridor has to be a place where you can hang out, meet your friends and interact. A lounge area needs to be a space people can meet, or be a place for study or quiet time,” he tells The Urban Developer. “Every element now needs to serve multiple purposes.”

The cross-pollination of ideas between sectors has yielded measurable benefits. Pomroy says vertical living solutions pioneered in student housing are reshaping retirement communities, while retirement living’s emphasis on wellness-focused amenities is influencing student accommodation design.

“Student housing has traditionally been in dense urban centres. The next phase of seniors living design is learning more from those buildings,” Pomroy says.

Technology and digital integration are crucial in both sectors, largely prompted by recent global events. “Retirement communities were sort of forced to ‘get digital’ through Covid,” Pomroy says.

This has led to rapid adoption of digital solutions in retirement communities—from community apps to smart building systems—which mirrors long embedded tech-savvy student housing designs.

Pomroy is seeing broader application of smart building solutions to enhance resident experience.

“Independence, purpose and connection … connecting residents internally and encouraging older people to feel like they’re part of the outside world. But these are core principles that now resonate across generations,” Pomroy says.

The results of this approach are measurable. The Retirement Living Council reports residents in well-designed communities experience 41 per cent higher happiness levels and five times more social activity compared with traditional housing.

Similar benefits are documented in student accommodation, where thoughtful design promotes academic success and personal wellbeing.

CBRE valuations director Rosie Young confirms strong occupancy levels and increasing rents across student accommodation, with retirement living recording similar positive trends where design prioritises community connection and resident wellbeing.

This evolution in design thinking comes at a critical time. According to Urbis research, student accommodation has doubled its capacity to 132,700 beds over the past decade, while CBRE reports student numbers are 12 per cent above pre-Covid peaks.

The Retirement Living Council predicts critical shortages with 710,000 Australians preparing to retire in the next five years.

Both sectors have their challenges. The planning approval process is high on that list.

The Student Accommodation Council has called for streamlining slow planning processes and addressing restrictive regulations.

The Retirement Ready national planning report reveals that 67 per cent of retirement village development applications take more than 12 months to assess, with 23 per cent taking over two years.

Yet investor interest remains strong in both markets. Real estate service provider for commercial and residential sales Savills Australia predicts a strong appetite for student accommodation given the significant undersupply in capital cities.

Australia’s ageing population will always necessitate the need for more retirement living spaces, Pomroy says.

With this demand, comes the need for well-thought, well-designed developments in both sectors.

With significant undersupply in both sectors and strong demographic trends supporting demand, this evolution in design thinking may reshape Australia’s approach to purpose-built accommodation for decades to come.

The success of projects such as Amberfield and Lachlan Avenue suggests the future of purpose-built accommodation may be in creating environments that support fundamental human desires for connection, purpose, and meaningful living—from student years through to retirement and, perhaps, beyond.

“Every incremental step teaches us to design and build better, so we keep going, keep learning,” Pomroy says.