SKILLED NURSING / POST-ACUTE CARE NOMINEE
the forest at duke small house
The Forest at Duke Small House, a new skilled nursing and assisted living residence located on The Forest at Duke (TFAD) campus in Durham, North Carolina, embraces the small house model of care and creates a nurturing and distinguished place for its residents. The project marks TFAD’s culture transformation from institutional to individualized care, while promoting campus unity and connectivity. This evolution has allowed TFAD to address market and generational changes, fostering a sense of community and providing flexibility for future expansion. The Small House is a 109,655 square foot, 5-story building (plus basement). The design achieves a balance between social, economic, and environmental considerations, incorporating elements such as building orientation, daylighting, biophilic design, and sustainable materials. A vertical adaptation of the small house model, the building consists of nine, ten-bedroom households connected by a variety of amenities, including multi-purpose rooms, a library, an art room and gallery hall, and outdoor terraces. These areas are open not only to the residents, but also to the larger campus community, with the specific goal of encouraging interaction and bringing people together.
Intensive early planning and design revealed many opportunities for inclusion, engagement, and connection, starting with its central location near neighboring cottages and apartments, promoting cross-generational interactions and intergenerational relationships among residents, visitors, and staff—all resulting in a Small House model of care that enhances these connections.
The household model allows for personalized care tailored to each resident, fostering a sense of autonomy and freedom of choice. Biophilic design elements connect occupants with nature through porches, operable windows, gardens, and terraces. Spaces are warm and inviting in design, with daylit living and dining rooms, screened porches for each household, and private corridors for resident rooms.
Intensive early planning and design revealed many opportunities for inclusion, engagement, and connection, starting with its central location near neighboring cottages and apartments, promoting cross-generational interactions and intergenerational relationships among residents, visitors, and staff—all resulting in a Small House model of care that enhances these connections.