Environments for Aging - Fall 2016 - 20

encouraging frequent use and allowing the
suite to pay for itself and the cost of the staff
time required to clean it.
* Recreation areas. Separate relaxation/
entertainment areas to serve various ages
and stages might include outdoor play
structures for younger children, media or
game rooms for teens, and a theater room
where adults can enjoy one another's
company without the pressure of socializing.
For example, OZ Architecture is currently
designing a 150-square-foot kids room at
the Golden Lodge Assisted Living Center
in Golden, Colo., which will include toys
for younger children, creative stations like
a chalkboard-painted wall, and a media/
video game center with bean bag seating
for tweens and teens. It features glass doors

This outdoor lounge area at
The Carillon at Boulder Creek
is elevated on the second floor,
creating a more private outdoor
space for residents and visitors
to enjoy. Right inside, residents
are able to look down on the
front lobby interior, which also
makes it a convenient and
attractive outdoor place to wait
for guests' arrival.

created a lack of connection to those in the public
way. Instead, a clear, inviting, and flowing path to the
main entrance is far more

visually interesting and
pleasing to those on the
street and in the community. Just as the entrance
to a house is intuitive, the
entrance to a community
should likewise be easy to
find from the site edge and
parking areas.
Additional lighting at the
human scale is another relaPassers-by
tively small change that can add big impact
Well-designed, inviting, and visually interesting
to existing buildings in creating a friendlier
exterior architecture and landscaping elements
exterior and simpler wayfinding. Going beyond
elevate an entire community and are far
the required pole-mounted lights and utilizing
more likely to generate a positive response
bollards and sconce lighting on a
to the building from the
building can create a softer, more
general public, even if
comforting glow around the site
local residents never
and building façade.
have occasion to actually
Architectural and design
go inside. This can be
tweaks to the exterior, such as
achieved by incorporating
the introduction of wood, brick, or
diverse design elements like
stone at the pedestrian level, can
lighting and landscaping
have a similarly dramatic effect
that create interest and
on the overall opinion passers-by
safety at the edge of the
have of a community. Some of the
site. Utilizing alternating
feedback received indicated that
materials, textures, colors,
Jami Mohlenkamp
individuals equated higher quality
and varying window sizes
exterior building materials to higher qualand patterns also creates architectural
ity care being given within. Similarly, adding
interest. Tall landscaping serves residents
lively and interesting landscaping is an easy
and passers-by alike by providing privacy,
and cost-efficient fix that makes a positive
screening, and visual dimension.
impression. Instead of planting the minimum
In the course of OZ Architecture's revegetation required by a city, which can result
search on the passer-by experience, it was
in stark beds of mulch or gravel interspersed
learned that the initial impression given by
with the occasional plant or tree, bringing
the traditional orientation of a large parking
in abundant and diverse plantings in varied
lot separating a building from the street edge
and windows that face out to a bistro wine
bar, allowing parents and residents to sit and
talk while maintaining a visual connection to
their children. Even though this area doesn't
generate revenue, the owners agreed that
it would add value by reinforcing a commitment to creating a community that places
value on residents and visitors spending time
together.

20

EFAmagazine.com * Fall 2016

heights and outdoor features that passers-by
can interact with or use (such as benches,
large stones, or a fountain) help demonstrate
that the building is a fixture of the community
and not just an institution.

The best communities, from assisted living
to rehabilitation, are those where the environments and amenities take the needs of all
users into consideration. It's important to
approach the initial architecture and design
process with this in mind and encourage owners and operators to understand that if they
want passers-by and community members
to view their building positively, staff to enjoy
working there, and loved ones to enjoy visiting,
they can't cater solely to the resident. It's time
to enhance the experience of everyone who
will interact with the space. EFA
Jami Mohlenkamp is a principal at OZ
Architecture (Denver), where he leads the
senior living practice area. He can be reached at
jmohlenkamp@ozarch.com.

FRED J. FUHRMEISTER FOR OZ ARCHITECTURE

The greater good
http://www.EFAmagazine.com
Environments for Aging - Fall 2016

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