We were the winner of an RIBA competition to re-think retirement housing for a new generation. Based on a site in Bishops Waltham, our project offers the baby boomer generation a new model for home ownership in later life. At its heart, our proposal is about providing a setting for a mutually supportive community, where those entering later life can maintain independence and privacy. We have set out to challenge established conventions of the retirement home, move away from more institutional models and turn expectations for later living inside out. McCarthy & Stone Executive Director Ali Crossley said: "The winning entry contained many visionary ideas for accommodation that directly respond to the generational shift in the perception of age that the sector is currently experiencing. We believe that the design provided by Tom Russell Architects will appeal to the inherent ideals of the next generation of older people, and we are now looking at how we can work with them to evolve new housing products .” Chair of the RIBA judging panel Robert Sakula added: “This proposal, with its elegant layout and intelligent balance of privacy and community, really advances the debate as to how older people want to live. It’s a beautiful scheme and a worthy winner.”