Originating from the Masonic fraternal societies, the Masons have continued their rich and symbolic traditions of communal living providing retirement communities for their organization across two California campuses. Until now, the Covina campus did not have the capacity to provide skilled nursing care, and residents had to move away from the community to receive proper support for emerging health challenges. Our design team worked collaboratively with a broad Masonic Homes coalition to offer Masons and their spouses the full continuum of care at home.

Having completed three master planning efforts with Masonic Homes on both California campuses, the design team was familiar with the client’s desire to provide high-quality and meaningful nursing care. The team set out to create a home that maintained resident privacy, maximized autonomy and dignity, and offered opportunities for social connection and community, all while maintaining an effective nursing approach, compliance with California’s rigorous code requirements, and adequate staff oversight.

The design team melded the new building into the existing mid-century modern architectural fabric and park-like landscape of the campus. It sits in concert with adjacent buildings with complementary massing and style. Its L-shaped layout creates a courtyard, formed by the adjacent buildings, and drives interaction between the structure and the environment. Maintaining a strong connection to the outdoors and to the rest of the community were important design factors in the layout of the new building and for the well-being of its residents. The newly landscaped sensory garden is open to all campus residents, while a secure garden provides outdoor space for those who need memory support.

Designed for residents to feel they are living fully at-home, this new skilled nursing facility showcases recognizable features of domestic life. The bend in the L-shape organizes the interior space into distinct private wings with a public “heart” at the fold in the massing. The staff care hub is centered at the community zone, landmarked with a change in lighting, ceiling articulation, and floor patterning. This vantage features clear sightlines down each resident room hallway, and clear views into the Kitchen, Dining and Living Rooms. Medical and institutional elements and administrative offices are kept mostly out of sight.

The textures and fenestration of the interior materials are influenced by the mid-century aesthetic of concrete block, wood paneling, and decorative screens, with lighting that reflects the simplicity of form. The scale of the resident corridors, as well as the materials, colors, and finishes, are distinctly different than those in the community zone to emphasize the intimacy and privacy of the bedroom. Masonic symbology is found in the tile patterns, custom logos, colors, and the number of stair treads. The design boasts porous, light-filled spaces, well-finished private rooms, and a feeling of home and community for the residents.