Our Story
Future-Proofed Living.
Ageing-in-Place.
Universal Architecture.
La Vie is a design, development, and consulting firm specialising in ageing-in-place housing solutions. We have redefined future-ready living by creating communities and residences where thoughtful planning is seamlessly integrated; delivering independence with community, security with ownership, and design that adapts as life evolves.
Designed
for Sandra.
She was born without an eye. Throughout her life she developed five brain tumours, each surgery taking something from her; leaving her partially paralysed on one side of her body, deaf in one ear, and missing a portion of her brain. And yet she was one of the most alive people you would ever meet.
She never asked for sympathy. She never wanted it. What she wanted was to remain at home, with her husband, in a space that felt like hers. She refused handrails. She refused anything that reminded her of what her body could not do. What she needed, quietly and without announcement, was a home that adapted to her; one that held her changing needs without ever making her feel less than herself. Her family did everything they could to make that possible.
That woman was my Grandmère.
Her name was Sandra Richards. She was my best friend, my everything; and she is the reason La Vie exists. We ensure people have freedom of choice, to live independently, with dignity and age gracefully.
Founder’s story
Gisele Benkemoun
Designing a home for Sandra became my life's work. For my Master of Architecture at the University of Melbourne, I designed a multigenerational, ageing-in-place home for my family; built around the belief that a well designed home should never force you out. What began as a personal mission became a decade-long commitment to understanding how architecture can serve every stage of human life, across every condition, without ever announcing why.
That commitment is La Vie.
“At La Vie, ageing-in-place, universal architecture or future-proofed living, mean the same thing. One philosophy, built for everyone.”
Over ten years of practice later, I work with consumers who want to remain in their own home, with architects and developers who want to genuinely serve this market, and I drive the development of owner-occupied, future-proofed communities across Melbourne. A PhD in ageing-in-place architecture is currently in development, deepening La Vie's position as the specialist in this field; not just a practitioner, but a researcher committed to advancing what future-proofed design can and should be.
"A well designed home asks nothing of you —
It simply adapts to you, whatever life brings."
See it in person?
Our story began with…
“One House. Four Generations.”
Come for a walk through on the 25th & 26th July
as part of Open House Melbourne 2026.
Registration opens end of June.
See you there!