QWELL Residence Introduces Over-50 Living Within Sarai Compound

Within Sarai, east of Cairo, QWELL Residence presents a residential model for people over 50 that is embedded within a wider multigenerational compound. Developed in collaboration with Madinet Masr, the project marks QWELL’s first real estate partnership and establishes senior living as a core vertical rather than a standalone typology.

The project emerged from a personal search for suitable housing for the founder’s mother, evolving into a broader, design-led approach to ageing. At its core is a simple belief that the home should keep pace with its residents. As people age, the way space, depth and contrast are perceived gradually shifts, and environments once taken for granted can become less comfortable or intuitive. QWELL Residence responds with what it defines as future-proof homes, planned to support residents as their needs evolve while allowing them to remain connected to shared spaces, services and daily urban rhythms.

Apartment layouts prioritise clarity and ease of movement, with step-free planning, intuitive circulation and adaptable spaces designed to accommodate change over time. Spatial organisation is deliberate, supporting orientation and confidence within the home. Smart features are integrated discreetly, including emergency response systems and low-light guidance, while kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms are detailed to support stability, comfort and independence without drawing attention to their function.

Interior finishes avoid institutional references. Materials, colours and contrast are carefully selected to respond to how perception changes with age, reinforcing legibility while remaining domestic and familiar. The emphasis is on functionality that recedes into the background, allowing residents to inhabit their homes naturally, without constant visual cues of care or assistance.

Beyond private units, residents have access to the QWELL Club, a platform offering wellness, cultural and social programmes alongside travel and community activities, extending the idea of proactive ageing beyond the home itself.

Sarai’s community-driven planning is central to the project’s structure. By situating QWELL Residence within a compound designed around shared spaces and interaction, the development allows different generations to coexist naturally, positioning later-life living as part of the everyday city rather than apart from it.