Contemporary retirement living in the historic city of Winchester.
The new building delivers 33 two- and three-bedroom apartments designed to support independent living, with a focus on quality, wellbeing, and connection to nature. Commissioned by Pegasus, a leading provider of exceptional retirement living, the project integrates modern architecture with a sensitive response to its verdant surroundings.
Planning consent was secured on first submission with strong officer support, reflecting the strength of the design approach and its alignment with local aspirations. WLA were appointed to lead the project through all RIBA work stages from concept through to completion.
Architecture shaped by its setting, prioritising wellbeing, and creating lasting places to live.
Designed Around Landscape
The building is designed as two distinct volumes that are connected by a double-height, glazed link housing the residents’ lounge. This bright social space opens out onto communal terraces with a backdrop of mature trees, reinforcing a strong visual connection to nature.
Parking is provided underground, accessed via car lifts incorporated into the fabric of the building, allowing for an open and well landscaped frontage without cars dominating. This move increases garden space and ensures the building sits lightly within its site. The communal gardens are designed as a series of flexible outdoor rooms, offering sunlit corners, shaded areas beneath the trees, and a fluid transition between indoors and out.
A Modern Take on Contextual Architecture
A restrained palette of square-cut flint, warm red brick, and slender-framed glazing ensures the building feels rooted yet refined. The shallow-pitched slate roof and fully glazed balconies contribute to a contemporary aesthetic to balance the traditional material palette. Large openings and balconies provide transparency and openness to the upper levels, drawing in light and extending the living spaces outward
CGI’s by others, courtesy of Pegasus.
