ASSISTED LIVING NOMINEE
Jerome Home & Arbor Rose
Responding to increased demand for Memory Care and Rehabilitation services, this senior living community embarked on an 18,000 SF two-story expansion. This building functions as the new main entrance to the entire campus, featuring twenty Memory Care studios and providing outpatient Rehabilitation Services for both residents as well as the broader community. The design caters to the specific needs for Memory Care residents by incorporating simple circulation paths, wide corridors for activities, visual cues for orientation, and increased daylighting to address issues like sun-downing and circadian rhythm disruption, while minimizing glare and contrast perception. Embracing the community’s philosophy of connecting brain health to physical fitness, the project integrates biophilic design principles. It features natural elements such as fresh air and outdoor gardening activities in a newly created resident courtyard.
The project focuses on promoting resident engagement within the memory care neighborhood to prevent individual isolation. The combination of Memory Care and fitness highlights the community’s philosophy that a healthy body supports a healthy mind. The “Good Life” Gym and Rehab Center not only promotes physical well-being amongst its current residents but also engages the broader community, reflecting the Center’s commitment to overall wellness. The design process spanned over several years to ensure a footprint that optimally suited the site, conserved resources for annual operations and upkeep, and remained financially sound in line with the mission to provide healthcare at an affordable cost.
The project’s design was carefully developed to relate well with the other buildings of the existing senior residential campus, the oldest of which dates back to 1932. The process was inclusive, with the Owner’s User Team visiting other residences to compare unit sizes, quality of light, devoted exterior space, addressing the shortcomings observed in other memory care residences. The interior and exterior aesthetic embraces a contemporary residential design of 2024, rather than adhering to traditional styles that other designers might assume seniors would expect. Since Memory Care is often segregated within a larger senior assisted living residence, the first step towards integration is to ensure that these residents are not hidden away. Situated at the community’s main entrance, the new Memory Care courtyard is prominently visible and appreciated by every visitor. The residence design is intended to encourage families and friends to visit and engage in the residents’ lives.
The courtyard design was created to support a variety of activities including gardening, games, and outdoor exercising. The benefits of fresh air, natural light, and exposure to plants are well-documented scientifically. Drawing on lessons learned during Covid-19, the design includes operable windows (with limiters) to maximum natural light and fresh air. Additionally, Merv 13 filters are installed, and a pressurization strategy is employed to prevent the spread of airborne disease and bacteria.
