Lakeview Apartments at Long Jetty

When Diggers @ the Entrance approached me about their Long Jetty site, the brief was ambitious: transform an underused carpark on Tuggerah Lake into a thriving seniors living community. The site had extraordinary potential, with water frontage and northern orientation, but the planning constraints were significant. Through careful analysis of floor space ratios, I found a solution that allowed an additional twenty apartments beyond what was originally anticipated, generating millions in extra revenue for the client while improving the overall design quality.

The eighty nine apartments are arranged so that nearly every unit captures a view of the lake. I worked the building forms around the waterfront edge, stepping heights down toward the water to preserve sightlines from units further back. North facing living areas and operable windows allow natural ventilation and winter sunlight to reach deep into each apartment. For the residents, many of whom are downsizing from family homes, it was important that these spaces felt generous rather than compact.

The material palette draws from the site itself. Sandstone references the Central Coast's geology, while glass and timber create warmth and transparency at the ground level. Between the buildings, landscaped parkland winds through to a viewing platform and barbecue area on the water's edge, giving residents places to gather outside their apartments.

Working with the Joint Regional Planning Panel for approval required fast turnaround on consultant and Council requests. The project taught me that good seniors living design is not about scaling things down. It is about understanding how people want to live in this stage of their lives and giving them spaces that feel like a genuine step forward.