Marcia Ascencio and Anke Pfeiler are both experienced interior designers based in Woods Bagot’s Melbourne Studio. Passionate about designing inclusive spaces that create connection with place and self, both designers have experience working across multiple sectors – sharing a keen eye for detail and a focus on fostering connection and meaning through every stage of a project.
Anke and Marcia also share experience in designing spaces for later living. Marcia guides the interior design of St Clare, a 1.4-hectare retirement precinct in Victoria’s Kew, while Anke helps lead the interior design of Northbrook – a five-part later living development in New Zealand.
In collaboration with RMIT University’s Interior Design Master Program, Anke and Marcia offered their joint expertise to ‘Gerotopia’ – a studio that explored designing for empathy, wellness and aged care. Together, they provided guidance, feedback and project insight to the studio throughout the semester.
Marcia Ascencio (left) and Anke Pfeiler (right) in Woods Bagot’s Melbourne Studio.
Marcia presenting St Clare, Studley Park project to students at RMIT University.
How did your experience as interior designers shape RMIT’s ‘Gerotopia’ studio?
Marcia: Exploring the definitions – including certain deeply-rooted assumptions about – what it means to age well and age in place was key in terms of being able to practically work through elements of the studio. The benefit of being practicing interior designers was that Anke and I could expand on and provide examples of environments that supported the wellness of older people as they age – examining different types of aged living.
Anke: What I found interesting was how, initially, the students were designing for older versions of themselves. This resulted in very different designs – some were serene, monastery-like hideaways, while others were more social and communal. Contrastingly, Marcia and I create spaces based on the needs of others. The process of working with the students to identify shared core values between themselves and potential users – such as wellness, relaxation, community, nature, and the pursuit of hobbies – yielded a really rewarding experience. It was a collaboration between us and the students, and I was really happy to be able to give back to the local interior design community.
“Exploring the definitions – including certain deeply-rooted assumptions about – what it means to age well and age in place was key.”
Created for the ‘over 55s’ generation wanting to downsize to a residence retaining the characteristics and stylistic qualities of Kew, St. Clare will set new standards for retirement living.
Woods Bagot has taken a considered and holistic approach to St Clare, underpinned by three key beliefs: To embrace the heritage character of one of the few places in Australia that demonstrates Arts and Craft in its built fabric, to explore the contemporary direction of retirement living that creates wellness and a true sense of community and to celebrate craftsmanship, the inherent beauty of the material, the importance of nature as inspiration, and the value of simplicity and utility.
How did Woods Bagot’s St Clare Studley Park and Northbrook projects influence the studio?
Anke: Because Gerotopia explored innovative approaches to later living spaces, it was great to provide a real-life example through Northbrook – a project I shared with students at Woods Bagot Melbourne. Designed from the inside out, Northbrook demonstrates how design can create communities that balance independence with connection. When I showed the students the project’s marketing video, which highlights the luxury, views and beautiful finishes, they noted that it ‘didn’t look like an aged care facility, just a home that’s suited to that person.’ This perspective on dignified design notably influenced the students’ later work in the studio.
Materials palette for Northbrook’s Wynyard Quarter
Marcia: When I discussed the precinct design principles behind Studley Park and the main project drivers, I expanded on the holistic approach that was taken to create a soulful community immersed in the beauty of nature. The idea of creating a village in a garden setting – a project where people could age in place – was a visible thread throughout the studio.
Like all of the Northbrook neighborhoods, Northbrook Arrowtown is designed for comfort, ease and convenience without compromising on aesthetics, featuring sophisticated interiors with joinery discreetly designed to future-proof for aging in place
What did each of you learn from your experience over the semester?
Marcia: Working with the Gerotopia studio reinforced how crucial it is to design with empathy and purpose in later living spaces. Through projects like Northbrook and Studley Park, we could demonstrate how a holistic approach to design – one that prioritizes both physical spaces and emotional wellbeing – creates communities where people truly want to age in place.
Anke: Throughout the semester, I observed how genuinely interested the students were in designing for later living, which made the experience incredibly rewarding. A key takeaway was identifying the shared core values between the students and the potential users—wellness, community, and the importance of people-centric design. Regardless of the approach, the fundamental need remained the same: creating spaces that feel like home, where individuals can live comfortably and with dignity, no matter their age.
“A fundamental need remained the same: creating spaces that feel like home, where individuals can live comfortably and with dignity, no matter their age.”
Anke presenting Northbrook at Woods Bagot’s Melbourne studio.
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