A transformative refurbishment of the communal areas of the upmarket San Sereno retirement community in Bryanston by Auria Senior Living has recently been completed and has won a Pretoria Institute for Architecture (PIA) award for its design in the Alterations and Additions category.
Barry Kaganson, CEO of Auria Senior Living, noted that “a particular challenge of the makeover was to cause minimal inconvenience to the some 340 residents during the 9 month refurbishment project. The renovation was however vital to elevate the estate from a tired eighties-style décor to better reflect our vision. Based on our experience gleaned from senior living communities the world over, this vision is to offer a range of tasteful and appealing living environments, supporting an engaging lifestyle and varying levels of assisted care in a secure environment for the over-70’s”.
San Sereno was acquired in 2017 by Auria Senior Living, a company focused on setting a new gold standard in senior living and care and providing the best quality of life to their residents.
Architects Kunz Raubenheimer, who won the 2019 PIA Award for Architecture for the San Sereno project, were tasked with breathing new life into buildings that were looking mundane and unwelcoming.
“The detailing of pre-fabricated steel and timber covered walkways and screens is innovative in conception and application as it expedited construction – critical in a fragile residential community that could not be disturbed,” they said. “The technology served to create a new humane face for the project whilst improving environmental comfort and ease of movement between different parts of the building.”
Areas that have enjoyed a complete makeover, include the coffee shop, Café Auria, the hair salon, an indoor swimming pool, a newly built cinema as well as extensive exercise and wellness facilities.
San Sereno offers one-, two- and three-bedroom residences on a life rights basis. All are fitted with solar geysers, garages and balconies or gardens with views over the 13.5 hectares of garden. The two- and three-bedroom villas are offered on a fully-refurbished basis, and new owners are able to choose their internal fittings and finishes.
The community offers an assisted living centre and Auria Senior Living is currently building a dementia centre in response to increasing demand for specialist memory care facilities.