Tortoiseshell Way, a retirement hotel set in an avenue of landscaped trees, conveys a "parkland" feel and setting consistent with the rural/urban boundary of Braintree. The facility includes a variety of quality accommodations for the elderly: 

• A single building with level floor access throughout contains 93 studio, 1- and 2-bedroom suites for elderly residents who require support but not nursing care.
• The building features a mix of communal space for social activities, a central restaurant and associated catering facilities, as well as back of house ancillary accommodation.

Tortoiseshell Way sits on a prominent site in Braintree and contributes a positive architectural statement. It features defined and celebrated entrances, oak posts and lead-rolled loggias, and fine metalwork balconies that assist in articulating the facades.