
Somerset Indooroopilly Retirement Living
Case study
The Somerset Indooroopilly retirement community in Brisbane offers 168 beautifully appointed homes within the historic Indooroopilly Golf Club. The complex is set across four five-storey buildings and offers two, three and four-bedroom apartments and penthouses with private balconies.
Project Overview
Developer: Aura Holdings
Architect: Cox Architecture
Builder: Woollam Constructions
Background
Providing resort-style living to over 60s, Somerset Indooroopilly has multiple rooftop terraces, a communal dining room, library, pool, gymnasium, billiard room, craft room, cellar, cinema and café, as well as underground parking for 260 cars.
As the project is built on a golf course, the local council required that it met strict flooding and traffic requirements. Indooroopilly Golf Club was severely affected in Queensland’s January 2011 floods, with about 60% of the course inundated. In response, the project features some clever design solutions, including a podium that supports the entire structure. The buildings respond to the site’s natural contours, providing expansive views of the golf course and a generous central landscaped area.
Operational works have been approved for stage 1, and the project is currently underway.

The Challenge
Finishes, fixtures and fittings must be high quality and durable, minimising repair and maintenance requirements.
Residents want trusted, quality products used in their new homes. As one of Australia and New Zealand’s most recognised brands and with more than 100 years of experience, Dulux products are tried, tested and trusted.
The project calls for many different finishes; therefore it’s important that Dulux product experts are on site to ensure correct and effective product use.
Somerset Indooroopilly uses various protective finishes to guard against weather and other environmental impacts; however this focus must be balanced to provide an attractive space for residents to live.
“Residents moving into this building will have a maintenance free lifestyle. All maintenance on the building is undertaken by the client, Aura Holdings. Aura value low maintenance, hard wearing, quality products that can stand the test of time. Dulux products compliment this requirement perfectly and have been specified throughout the building because of this. Woollam and our Contract Partners are provided continual support from the Dulux technical team who play an active role in all aspects of coatings, paint, protective systems and render throughout the building.”
Carolyn Cox – Project Manager, Woollam Constructions
The Solution
The Dulux team thoroughly researched the project to arrive at the best combination of solutions to ensure long-lasting protection. Our comprehensive sector knowledge and technical expertise allowed us to support the construction team with usage and specification advice to enable best-in-class solutions.
Project solutions needed to be both protective and aesthetically pleasing. Dulux’s construction solutions offer a range of textures, finishes and colours that maintain visual appeal while providing outstanding protection and longevity.
Dulux is a respected brand within the construction industry. On a premium project like Somerset Indooroopilly, it was important to the developers, architects, builders and future residents that the construction products used were trusted and high quality.
Dulux has launched an initiative to help our construction customers reduce waste to landfill. Plastic paint pails are removed from the worksite and recycled into a raw material used to create paint pots and paint trays. Supported by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as an 18-month trial, this sustainability initiative will reduce both disposal costs and waste to landfill.
“As a developer and long-term operator, Aura ensures that only tried and tested quality products are used in the construction of their retirement villages to create buildings that last indefinitely and are able to be maintained in an easy and responsible manner. The specification and high quality of Dulux coatings and systems give Aura as an operator the confidence that there will be no short or long- term failures to interrupt the lifestyle of our residents. The creation of an architecturally meritorious building, with expansive balconies and podium planters, and the use of various textured coating systems to form the desired aesthetic finish places a huge demand on coatings and waterproofing systems. It became very apparent to the design teams that Dulux was the preferred choice for its quality coating systems and taking into consideration its product research, development and strong warranties. Aura’s decision was based on our need to ensure the long-lasting quality of finish for our building and or Aura and our residents.”
Jon Dicks – Senior Development Manager, Aura Holdings






Products Specified
Dulux Paint
New Fibre Cement Sheet – Interior/Exterior
Dulux Professional Total Prep
Dulux Weathershield Low Sheen
New Zinc Coated Steel/Galvanised Steel (Commercial) – Exterior
Primer – Dulux Precision All Metal Primer
Dulux Weathershield Low Sheen
External Downpipe and spreader – New PVC – Exterior
Primer – Dulux Precision Maximum Strength Adhesion Primer
Dulux Weathershield Low Sheen
External Seats – New Timber – Exterior/Coastal
Primer – Dulux Professional Total Prep
Dulux Weathershield Low Sheen
External Soffits and Trellis – New compressed fibre cement sheet – exterior
Primer – Dulux Acratex Acraprime Water Based Dulux Weathershield Matt
Interior Ceiling & Cornices
Dulux Professional Acrylic Sealer Undercoat
Dulux Professional Enviro2 Ceiling Flat
Interior Doors & Trim
Dulux Professional Total Prep
Dulux Aquanamel Semi Gloss
Interior Walls – New Cement Render - Blockwork
Dulux Professional Enviro2 Interior Acrylic Sealer
Undercoat
Dulux Professional Enviro2 Interior Flat
Interior Walls General – Fibre Cement Sheet/Fire Resistant Plasterboard/Plasterboard
Prep Coat – Dulux Professional Acrylic Sealer Undercoat
Dulux Wash&Wear Low Sheen
Interior Walls – Wet Area/Plasterboard
Dulux Professional Enviro2 Water Based Sealer Binder
Dulux Wash&Wear +Plus Kitchen & Bathroom Semi Gloss
Dulux Powder Coatings
Interior Powder Coating C1C3 Corrosivity Zone – New Aluminium Sheet
Dulux Powder Coatings EPrime™
2nd Coat – Dulux Powder Coatings Duralloy®
Interior/Exterior Aluminium – Powder Coating
Dulux Powder Coatings Duratec Zeus
Interior/Exterior Powder Coating
Dulux Powder Coatings Electro
Dulux Acratex
Blockwork
Dulux Acratex AcraPatch Coarse
Dulux Acratex Fastcoat Fine Skimcoat Sand Finish
Dulux Acratex 951 Coventry Coarse Sand
Dulux Acratex AcraShield Advance
External Cladding – New Fibre Cement Sheet – Exterior
Dulux Acratex Acraprime Water Based
Dulux Acratex AcraShield Advance Matt
External Walls and Parapets – Exterior
Dulux Acratex RenderWall 2002 Flat
Dulux Acratex Green Render Sealer
Dulux Acratex 951 Coventry Fine Sand Finish
Dulux Acratex AcraShield Advance
New Concrete (Off form, tilt up, pre-cast – Exterior)
Dulux Acratex Tiltwash Cleaner
Dulux Acratex Acraprime Solvent Based Clear
Acratex 968 Elastomeric 201 Matt
Interior Walls Basement – Concrete
Dulux Acratex Tiltwash Cleaner
Dulux Acratex Acraprime Water based
Dulux Professional Interior/Exterior Acrylic Matt
Dulux Protective Coatings
External Driveway – New Concrete Flooring/Paths – Interior and Exterior
Dulux Protective Coatings LUXAFLOOR LGE Semi Gloss
Interior Floors and Ramp – New Concrete flooring/paths
Dulux Luxafloor Eco2 Low Sheen
Interior Joinery – Dry Environment – New Timber
Dulux Luxepoxy 4 White Primer Two Pack Primer
Dulux Protective Coatings Luxathane SPX Satin