Yeltana Nursing Home Redevelopment, Whyalla

In a marked departure from the traditional medical model, the Cedar Wing is a bright and relaxing space, dotted with landmarks and visual cues that help residents recognise their surroundings. Unique, brightly coloured panels accompany each private room door, inlaid with waist-height, framed glass memory boxes that display personal trinkets and other fond memory triggers. Maximising its position, the rooms in this wing are generous and take in expansive views of the Gulf. We captured similar premium vistas in an adjacent sunroom.

As we would later implement at Copperhouse Court, the residential corridor forms a closed loop, promoting resident mobility as an indoor walking track. A “clearing” at the loop’s end is an exercise in visual and spatial relief. Ceilings soar above the communal lounge space, washed by natural light from the clerestory windows above, and suspended pendant lights render the space more homely.  

The existing kitchen on site was a workhorse that serviced all three Whyalla Aged Care facilities, but it struggled to operate comfortably. A full hospitality refit and extension improved functionality and staff comfort during meal preparation, with better extraction and more appropriate storage facilities. Evaporative cooling – although common for the hot, dry Whyalla summers, was replaced with refrigerated air conditioning in this zone, better catering for the busy and humid kitchen environment.