Green Hills in East Maitland, New South Wales, is signature retirement and assisted living village, from Fresh Hope Communities. With a care model based on non-institutional ‘care household’ environments, Green Hills consists of 60 contemporary one and two-bedroom villas, complimented by a Wellness Centre, Café, Respite Centre, Community Kitchen, and outdoor walking tracks. The facility accommodates 143 aged care beds including a 15 bed memory care unit.

Our approach to interior and exterior wayfinding signage design was inspired by FHC’s vision to convey a ‘non-institutional’ environment. To achieve this, we referenced the facility’s contemporary architecture, interior design, and the surrounding natural environs.

The resulting signage system features timber elements and a colour palette in response to the building’s proximity to a riparian corridor and bushland park. For external signage, consideration was given to material durability and ease of maintenance, with the specification of aluminium cladding in a printed and textured woodgrain finish.

The geometry of FHC’s recently introduced brand identity, influenced the signage design, while a colour palette, sustainable across the facility’s wings and precincts, was differentiated across 30 paint colours.

Beyond simply enhancing visual appeal, colour plays an integral role as a cognitive cue – prompting elderly residents’ cognitive memory, and activating recognition and recall within their surroundings.

“It's been a pleasure collaborating with Iain and the team at JDA on this landmark project. They have seamlessly integrated our branding, our desire for clean and clear signage without it appearing institutional, and really accomplished what we wanted to achieve – wayfinding that is easy to navigate, modern in design and integrates beautifully with the landscape and architectural finishes.

The end results have perfectly realised Fresh Hope Communities vision for this project JDA’s team are friendly, professional and responsive and we are grateful that they came on this journey with us.”

Nikki Sealey
Communications Manager, Fresh Hope Communities