Clubhouse for Ingenia Natura Port Stephens

Located at Bob’s Farm in beautiful Port Stephens, Ingenia Lifestyle Natura offers relaxed living in individual residential dwellings for the over 55s. Graph’s $10.2m building project involved the delivery of a new clubhouse to cater for this growing community. Natura Port Stephens is being developed by Ingenia Communities Group, a publicly listed company which operates, owns, and develops quality residential communities and holiday accommodation.

Much of the design was well advanced at the time the project was tendered, but the building contract was a design and construct contract (modified AS4902-2000), which was executed in December 2023. The project involved the delivery of three buildings – the Welcome Building which greets residents and visitors alike, and incorporates a salon, library, and other amenities; the Social Building that provides a place to gather and socialise, and incorporates a sports bar, cinema, and dining area; and the Wellness Building that provides the hub for fitness and relaxation, incorporating a gym, yoga and Pilates studio, sauna, crafts studio, heated indoor pool, and outdoor bowling green.

Construction commenced in January 2024, and was originally due for completion at the end of February 2025. The extensive use of large, laminated timber beams was a feature of the architectural design, and successfully installing them required exacting co-ordination with the detailing, fabrication and erection of the supporting structural steel.

Notwithstanding the due date, the client was keen to see the Welcome Building and the Social Building completed prior to the end of 2024. Both parties worked hard towards this end and, consequently, these buildings, along with the Wellness Building were completed on 18 December 2024: the whole of the works were completed just over two months earlier than the original due date for completion.

When asked about the project, Ingenia’s Simon Burk (Development Director, NSW, and Victoria) said, “Natura is great boutique project which did not disappoint as it is a peg above the rest”. These sentiments are echoed by both Ingenia and its residents, who are delighted with the quality of the finished product.