The competition will test the Australian Government’s new draft National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines, which support aged care providers to better meet the needs of aged care residents, improve the quality of life for older people, and enhance the working environments of the people who care for them.

The guidelines encourage designs that create welcoming, safe, dementia-friendly environments that promote independence, enjoyment, and a sense of community and belonging for older people. They were developed following extensive consultation with older people, their families, and carers, and they will be introduced from 1 July 2024.

Both the Australian Institute of Architects and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects have endorsed the competition, which closes at 12pm (noon) AEDT on 15 December 2023. Judging will take place in February 2024, with winners announced by the end of April 2024.

The competition is open to multidisciplinary design teams, led by a registered Australian architect or a graduate of an Australian accredited architectural programme.

To be eligible, teams will also need to include a landscape architect and a nominated interior designer. At the entrant’s discretion, teams may also include other designers, tertiary design students or non-design team members. Teams are encouraged to involve people with lived experience of aged care, who could include older people and their families and carers, service providers, or aged care staff.

There are two categories – urban metro site and regional town site. It’s possible to submit a design proposal for either site or for both, with the potential to win prize money in both categories. First prize in each category is $50,000, with second prize at $20,000.

The competition brief can be found on the competition webpage, along with details on how to register and submit your entry.

The National Design Principles and Guidelines were developed by a consortium comprising the Centre for Health Service Development, Australian Health Services Research Institute, University of Wollongong; Dementia Training Australia’s architectural consultants (Constructive Dialogue Architects); Dementia Training Australia; Dementia Australia; and the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre, University of Wollongong.

An Evidence Review was published this month, providing an overview of the peer-reviewed academic literature that was used to support the ‘Final report on the development of the draft National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines’.