INDEPENDENT LIVING NOMINEE
marvella
Marvella, which means “marvelous,” is a two-block urban senior living community that welcomes seniors to an intergenerational neighborhood rich in community connections. Targeted for LEED Silver certification, the 532,000 SF community spans two buildings. It offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care units alongside many amenities and highly programmed spaces including shared dining rooms, an indoor pool, exercise rooms, chapel, maker space, club lounge, and a shared rooftop terrace. Marvella is located within a development with 122 acres of residential, retail, and medical office, more than five miles of walking trails, and 55 acres of park and open space. Within this dynamic urban setting, the Marvella campus seamlessly links to the broader neighborhood, while also fostering a strong sense of community within its walls.
The ample gathering space in the main lobby features a two-story stone hearth that reflects the brightness of the double-height windows and a large, modern light sculpture floating above the grand space. Shared spaces are designed with visual connections to adjacent areas, natural light, and views. This transparency encourages resident interaction and social engagement, fostering a strong sense of community and combating social isolation.
To promote the health and well-being of residents, Marvella offers the Wings Wellness Program that focuses on six key areas of health: social, emotional, spiritual, physical, intellectual, and vocational. The flow of amenity spaces between buildings was designed to create nodes of activity and interaction. Thoughtfully placed stairs and overlooks provide wayfinding cues.
Marvella features 300 units including 220 Independent Living, 40 Assisted Living, and 40 Memory Care apartments across two buildings. Independent units span from efficient 400-square-foot studios to generous 1,800-square-foot two-bedroom units. The diversity of layouts offers a wide range of features and options to accommodate the varied preferences of independent living residents. Assisted Living units range from studio to two-bedroom layouts, while memory care units feature kitchenettes with staff-controlled oven ranges that can be converted to assisted living units when care treatments improve or future needs change. The goal of the design focused on aligning with the client’s focus on encouraging connectivity and resident well-being.
A large interconnected independent living and assisted living dining room features semi-transparent screen walls clad in wood and brass accents that provide privacy to residents without fully blocking views to tables or sacrificing the opportunity for social connection and engagement.
