Design takes center stage for senior living
The impact architecture and interior design have on our lives is tremendous. We spend a portion of each day in or around buildings, and perhaps without realizing it, we’re influenced by these spaces.
The variables of design affect us physically, cognitively and emotionally, which is why senior living communities take the design and architecture of their facilities and their impact on residents seriously.
According to an article by Building Design & Construction magazine, some of the top design trends in senior living facilities include designing home-like settings, optimizing privacy and dignity, and expanding individual choice.
Amarillo Terrace is a new independent living building currently under construction at Eagle’s Trace senior living community. The project, scheduled for a fall opening, will feature 108 residences with 17 fresh floor plans highlighting open-concept designs with arches and cased opening trim.
“Amenities include stainless-steel appliances and granite countertops, and screened-in porches and patios will be op-
tions for a number of the residences for easy access to the outdoors,” said Pamela Burgeson, director of sales and marketing at Eagle’s Trace. These design elements offer residents an elevated style of living and a comfortable, home-like living space.
Building Design & Construction also wrote that senior living communities are working to incorporate hospitality design concepts into new and existing facilities.
“A major component of theprojectistheplanned upscale dining venues that will feature a restaurant with a spacious dining room, a lounge that can be used for happy hours, an internet cafe and outdoor patio dining. Our 70-acre campus has always been a unique selling point of Eagle’s Trace. Residents like the scenery of our landscaping and lakeside living within a safe environment. Al fresco dining will only add to that small-town experience,” Burgeson said.
The floor plans of Amarillo Terrace are also based on thorough feedback from current residents and new customers.
“It’s important to appeal to their preferences, and they’ve told us that open designs are what they like. More space and more light bring a positive, energetic vibe to the community,” Burgeson said.
Brazos Towers at Bayou Manor is nearing completion of its $70 million redesign project. The new, design-conscious building is a project that was unique in that it “needed to combine the design of the original building, designed in 1963 by the architects who helped design the Astrodome, but with a state-of-the-art, LEED-certified mid-rise,” said Michelle Watkins, marketing director at Brazos Towers at Bayou Manor.
“In 2012, the redesigned space won the gold medal for best redesign of an existing senior living community in all of the United States.”
Building Design & Construction also noted that achieving a more sustainable environment is a desired goal of senior living communities.
“The LEED certification is cutting edge in the arena of green building — using resources efficiently and being environmentally responsible. The number of trees and plants that are used is specific, and the products and materials that are used in construction must be nontoxic and free of any fumes or harmful chemicals. The windows are all Low-E windows, giving us the maximum amount of energy efficiency available in new construction today,” Watkins said. “We’re making the community safer for the residents and sustainable in a more environmentally friendly way.”
Constructing spaces that are both beautiful and functional is as important a reason as any to senior living communities; however, the impact these carefully designed facilities have cognitively and emotionally on residents is perhaps most important.
“Creating connections for residents is important, and the right design enhances their ability to socialize. It’s their home, and we want our residents to be comfortable and proud to entertain their family members and friends,” Burgeson said.