Located overlooking Tauranga’s inner harbour, the Care and Apartment building will provide more options and complement the existing 273 architecturally designed villas. Currently under construction, the new 14,000m2 building will offer 53 apartments for independent living, together with a 55 care suites grouped in six households. Additional amenities include a café, lounge bar, whānau rooms, hair salon, flexi/craft room, kitchen and dining spaces, and three landscaped courtyards.

The building is arranged into five distinct wings - separated with wide landscaped courtyards, offering privacy with lots of sunlight. The position and orientation provide spectacular views North and East towards the harbour and Mount Manganui; and west towards the river and to the Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Ranges.

Materials and finishes throughout the building are considered for the long-term, with durability, and sustainability in mind. The building’s primary structure is constructed with Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), made by layering and bonding multiple layers of timber in alternating directions. This results in a lightweight panel that’s both strong and environmentally friendly. Sustainable design principles have been carried throughout the project with all apartments and care units designed to meet Homestar Level 7 under the enhanced Homestar standards. The Homestar rating provides assurance of quality with a development that’s warmer, drier, and healthier - while Lifemark rating assesses how adaptable, safe and usable a building is.

When both ratings are achieved, Arvida will be one of the first retirement village and aged care providers in New Zealand to receive both assessments on one project. Arvida Development Manager, Justin Marshall says the Bethlehem Shores Care Centre and Apartment project is tracking well thanks to a committed internal construction team and dedicated local contractors.

“Developing Arvida’s largest single stage project within a completed community with residents living adjacent to the construction is usually extremely challenging. Utilising CLT to speed up the construction process and providing a quieter and cleaner construction environment has been of significant benefit. This development will complete the community with a state of the art care centre featuring care suites within a household model, offering rest home, hospital, and dementia levels of care. The development is due for completion at the end of 2025.”