Architects and designers across Australia are entering a new era of innovation as the Aged Care Act 2025 reshapes how aged care environments are conceived, built, and secured.
Following its full implementation on 1 November 2025, a transformative shift is taking hold across the sector, with new design principles prioritising safety, autonomy, and wellbeing in residential and healthcare settings.
Under the new legislative framework, facilities must enable independent living, privacy, and freedom of movement while ensuring accountability for environmental safety and accessibility.
Capral National Manager Commercial Systems and Specification, Brendon Orth, said it is a turning point for how safety in the built environment is considered.
“The National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines (2024) are becoming standard practice for new builds, including access to outdoor areas and courtyards, which require certified screening,” he said.
“It’s about creating environments where residents feel safe, respected, and truly at home.”
Growing demographic and health data reinforce the urgency of these design reforms. According to Dementia Australia, an estimated 433,000 Australians currently live with dementia — a figure projected to grow to 812,500 by 2054.
“Apart from new designs bringing nature into facilities, they also need to cater for the increasing number of Australians with dementia,” Orth noted.
The shift is already visible in projects such as The Churches of Christ Lady Small Haven Retirement Village at Benowa on the Gold Coast.
The multi‑stage development delivers a mix of independent living apartments, assisted living units, and single‑storey cottages designed around lively community hubs.
Stage 1, now complete, showcases the sector’s new approach — Green Star‑rated design incorporating an outdoor pool, recreation rooms, landscaped gardens, café, and hair salon.
Interior strategies within the development create dementia-friendly layouts with open outlooks, natural ventilation, and generous windows, blurring indoor and outdoor boundaries.
“We’re seeing a surge in demand from architects who want to integrate safety features without sacrificing design intent,” Orth said.
Beyond single-use aged care models, urban developers are embedding intergenerational and community-focused planning.
Orth said: “We’re seeing a rise in intergenerational integration — blending aged care with childcare, student housing and community hubs.
“At the same time, increasing urban density is driving facilities upwards, making secure balcony and window systems more important than ever.”
The convergence of safety and design excellence is also exemplified by the $83 million Cairns Mental Health Unit, delivered for Queensland Health.
The project includes sensory gardens, therapeutic kitchens, enclosed balconies, and bay-windowed rooms that invite natural light while ensuring safety.
As Australia’s care infrastructure continues to evolve under the Aged Care Act 2025 and the Commonwealth Support at Home Program (to roll out in 2026), the focus on safety and dignity will extend beyond residential aged care into private dwellings and new community-based housing.