O’Neill House Refurbishment, Melbourne, VIC

O’Neill House is an aged care residential development in Melbourne owned by Villa Maria Catholic Homes (VMCH). It offers comfortable, quality accommodation for people requiring temporary respite or specialist palliative care.

The project delivered an update of the existing ground and first floors, with the renovation enabling an intimate and bespoke caring experience for residents.

Whilst the refurbishment saw a reduction in rooms from 38 to 22, the upgrades consider comfort and wellbeing to include larger rooms with ensuites, modern lighting solutions and amenities to ensure the needs of residents are met.

With the provision of a safe environment essential for duty of care and critical to the long term success of any building, the creation of common areas and shared services alongside rooms and ensuites for residents were key to the successful outcome of the project.

Management of the building’s operation and maintenance was at the forefront of the building services design. Through our safety in design review process we established safe design solutions that considered not only occupants but also suitable access to rooftop plant with safety systems.

Prior to the commencement of construction, COVID-19 restrictions presented a key challenge impacting the project program. To overcome this and ensure O’Neill House remained a safe and COVID-free environment, a strict pandemic management plan limited the number of trades onsite at any one time, with services inspections accomplished in stages as a result.

The project delivers the building a new lease of life, creating a modern and fresh experience for residents and their families. A sustainable facility with rooms overlooking landscaped gardens, the refurbishment welcomes nature inside and offers high quality health care and enhanced comfort and wellbeing for residents and staff alike.