CCRC / LIFE PLAN NOMINEE
The Baldwin
Since 1992, DiMella Shaffer has been at the forefront of designing projects that have transformed senior living, creating cohesive, inclusive communities that enrich and enhance the lives of older adults with amenities that benefit the mind, body, and spirit. We design the spectrum of senior living communities from high-end, premier life plan communities to more moderate-income and affordable communities for independent adults, assisted living, and supportive environments for seniors needing special care. Fittingly named for its legacy as the former Baldwin apple orchard, The Baldwin challenges the stereotypes of senior living, instead promoting an active lifestyle that appeals to baby boomers seeking more vibrant retirement communities. The Baldwin’s motto, “Life at its Core”, is reflected in its outward-facing site plan, which integrates The Baldwin into the Woodmont Commons Planned Urban Development (PUD) with an architectural vernacular reminiscent of a small New England town with mixed-use buildings. The programming of outdoor spaces encourages intergenerational connectivity of residents from The Baldwin and Woodmont Commons and visitors of the development who can enjoy the many outdoor areas and public amenities accessible from the sidewalk.
Situated around a main drive, six buildings housing independent living units, assisted living/memory care, and amenities were designed to reflect their mixed-use purposes, emphasizing their individuality and creating architectural diversity that celebrates the landscape and materiality of New Hampshire – featuring tile emulating local stone and granite, fiber cement siding representing traditional wood siding, resin infused wood and wood imitation porcelain tile adding a natural feel and warm tones to the facades, and sloped roofs clad in synthetic slate, with exterior materials woven throughout the interior spaces. Consistent elements, including color, building type, roof shape, and balcony protrusion, help integrate the different buildings into the community with similar materials and building repetition, successfully knitting the development together visually.
Amenities were intentionally scattered around the multiple buildings and have both exterior and interior entrances. A bridge connecting Building A and E along with an internal promenade allows residents access to amenities safely in inclement weather and after dark. The open interior layout of the common areas allows residents to “see and be seen,” promoting community interactions daily. This open concept in the interior spaces inherently inspires and encourages community building. The design maximizes daylight through large windows in residential units and community spaces, incorporating multiple layers of glare controls such as integrated blinds, shading canopies, and tree foliage. The custom designed carpet and wallpaper patterns were inspired by the New Hampshire landscape.
The site plan of The Baldwin encourages a walkable, intergenerational urban community, welcoming residents and visitors to its paths, plazas, and street level amenities integrating its residents into the very fabric of the community, all while they enjoy the same level of comfort and safety a CCRC offers. As a CCRC, residents can begin in independent living apartments and, if needed, seamlessly transition into assisted living or memory care, which still embodies this concept of community with small house models and central shared areas for the AL/Memory care residents.
