Woods Bagot + OCULUS have won a design competition to transform a 2-hectare site in Melbourne's east into an approx. 100-apartment retirement living and wellness precinct. The competition was run by Andy Fergus for Villa Maria Catholic Homes (VMCH), the owner and developer of the site.

The Woods Bagot + OCULUS scheme was praised by the jury for its close integration of architecture and landscape thinking, its 'urban village' character, strong sense of place and 'charming' spatial and programmatic vision.

The site includes three heritage-listed buildings that will be restored and given a new life as key community buildings, and a number of significant mature trees will be retained and integrated into the landscape design.

The team is currently working with VMCH to progress the design.