Environments for Aging - Spring 2021 - 41

... And then the slope of the site afforded us to
build the parking into the hillside and preserve
landscaping.
Silvis: And, Nicole, you also used your
surroundings for inspiration throughout your
project. Tell us how the Berry College campus
informed the design.
Hill: The signature of Berry College architecture are spires. These spires were incorporated onto The Spires at Berry College exterior
architecture, and also provide the community's
namesake. A lot of the interior art was also
inspired by various external surroundings. We
sourced real canoes, had them hand painted
and installed in the casual dining room, as a
nod to activities available on Eagle Lake. We
incorporated a feather sculptural art installation,
because there's a pair of bald eagles that nest
every season on campus and can be seen flying
over Eagle Lake from the community. We also
had access to Berry College licensed photography, so we used identifiable Berry College
building or architectural features in the photography, as wayfinding in our elevator lobbies.
We incorporated a gallery wall at the corridor
connection between the healthcare building and
the independent living building.
Silvis: Next, we're going to dive into establishing true connections to nature and outdoor

spaces that we've been discussing. It's not just
providing views of natural surroundings or a
few courtyards, but taking that a step further to
ensure that the design allows residents to freely
access the site and easily move between the
indoors and outdoors, and for those spaces to
be meaningful and purposeful for residents.
Now, Amy, this was a big guiding principle
on The Highlands at Wyomissing project. Tell us
what drove this approach, and how you were
able to deliver on that.
Amy Carpenter: The owner and the design
team understood how important it is to provide a
connection to nature, not only through views to
the outside but allowing residents easy access
to a meaningful outdoor experience. Through
the building renovation, we created four courtyards for the residents. All of them have multiple
points of access to encourage residents to go
outside, and maybe change up their route-say,
when walking to the dining room-to get a little
fresh air when they're walking.
And when we do get the residents outside,
we also wanted to create a variety of experiences to encourage them to come out more often
and to stay out longer. To that end, we have
porches with comfy furniture and deep overhangs to provide shade and to allow residents
to sit outside even when it's raining. We have a

variety of water features, including koi ponds, for
visual and auditory interest. There's landscape
lighting that provides visual interest at night,
plants that were selected for color and texture
and scent, and of course there are gardening
areas, too.
But there are two features of the lower-level
courtyard garden that are my favorites. First is
the wide-format, double-sided, see-through
fireplace. I think it provides a nice nighttime gathering spot and a very dramatic focal point in the
courtyard. And just beyond the fireplace, there's
this other area that we call the tiki bar. It's an outdoor kitchen with a gas grill, refrigerators, an ice
maker, and bar equipment for outdoor cocktails.
This space also backs up to the kitchen, so it
doubles as another seasonal food venue, providing variety and more fun for the residents.
Silvis: Now, Ray, you really considered the
ways that outdoor spaces would be used. What
advice do you have in terms of programming
outdoor areas, and some examples that you can
share with the audience?
Yancey: On this project we created a substantial roof terrace, which is on the fourth level
and connects to the fifth level, which is an independent living apartment level. We anchored it
with a wine bar, which is indoors, that spills out
to a covered area. ... We've provided a number
of venues that energize and provide interest,
starting with the wine bar. But then we have a
large-format chess set that's there and visible
from the wine bar, and there's seating around
that so people can either be participating or just
watching. Then we have an 18-hole putting
green. We have a bocce court. There's a raised
planter for gardening. One unique thing about
that is we have a dining table in [the gardening space], so that you can have an al fresco
dining experience. And then the other piece
we have is the dog park. ... So, just lots of different venues for people to engage in different
ways throughout that entire roof terrace. EFA

EDITOR'S NOTE: Many thanks to our panel for sharing their projects with us. There were
more trends explored during this discussion, and
certainly more within the Design Showcase that
we weren't able to cover. We encourage you to
explore this special section and see what stands
out to you. To view the webinar and hear the
conversation in full, be sure to check it out on
demand at EFAmagazine.com/2021-showcasewebinar.
Spring 2021 * EFAmagazine.com 41

https://efamagazine.com/news-awards-events/2021-showcase-webinar/ http://www.EFAmagazine.com

Environments for Aging - Spring 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Environments for Aging - Spring 2021