Projects Details
Located on a prominent Narrabeen site, Indigo by Moran delivers a five-storey integrated seniors living development designed to keep local retirees connected to their community. With 149 Independent Living Units and 10 care suites, the project offers a spectrum of support. At its heart are generous communal spaces that encourage social engagement and wellbeing, all wrapped in a coastal, contemporary form.
Design Response & Character
The architecture draws on the rhythms of the peninsula—layering soft curves, textured screens and natural materials to reflect the coastal landscape. Key design moves include wave-inspired balconies, preservation of mature Norfolk Pines, and a stepped massing that reduces visual bulk. The result is a built form that responds gracefully to context, combining scale with sensitivity and a tangible sense of place.
The development was designed with dignity and liveability at its core. Five residential cores organise the 149 ILUs, each arranged around a series of landscaped courtyards and framed by light-filled corridors. Apartments along the outer edge enjoy vibrant urban views, while internal residences face tranquil garden outlooks. Amenities are abundant and well considered—residents will enjoy access to a 20m pool, cinema, salon, infrared sauna, fitness centre and a subterranean water garden. These shared spaces foster community and independence, delivering more than housing—they create a connected, fulfilling lifestyle rooted in wellness and belonging.
Planning Complexity & Design Evolution
MDP’s involvement spanned masterplanning, architecture and delivery documentation. A major challenge was the mid-process acquisition of three adjoining residential properties, prompting a full redesign. We reconfigured the built form to integrate the additional land—modulating setbacks, preserving existing Norfolk Pines and reorienting the internal logic of the site. The design response maintained the architectural language and intent of the original scheme, while strengthening circulation, daylight access and view corridors. Through iterative testing and careful evaluation, we delivered a cohesive new vision—one that brought greater value to the client and enhanced outcomes for future residents.
Indigo by Moran represents the next generation of seniors housing—community-oriented, contextually responsive and architecturally ambitious. MDP led the project through concept design, planning approvals and technical documentation, coordinating across a large and evolving site. We balanced complex programmatic needs, site constraints and heritage considerations while keeping resident experience at the forefront. Through a strong understanding of the local context and thoughtful collaboration with the client, we delivered more than a building—we helped shape a new standard for urban coastal retirement living. A project that brings architecture, care and community into confident alignment.
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