Environments for Aging - Summer 2019 - 29

GENE GUSZKOWSKI
CEO, AG Architecture (Wauwatosa, Wis.)

ifty years ago, Gene Guszkowski answered a job ad for a print
boy position at an architectural firm that preceded AG Architecture. He was one year into architecture school and figured he'd
make the most out of the opportunity. By the end of that summer,
he was promoted to draftsman; today, he's CEO. Guszkowski says
he's fortunate to have started his career with the firm on the ground
floor when there were 10 employees (it's grown to about 50 today).
In those early years, he had the unique opportunity to gain real-life
experience alongside his studies, continuously taking on new roles
and gaining important leadership skills. During that time, he saw the
firm venture into senior living, realizing that by fusing concepts of
multifamily housing and skilled nursing, adding in dining and socialization areas, a new formula
for success was emerging: the continuing care retirement community.
It's that mission to challenge the status quo, anticipate the next wave coming, and respond
before anyone else that now defines his career. Guszkowski has served as a career-long
champion for senior living and is known as a leader who builds consensus and community.
And he's not slowing down, either. New initiatives include exploring alternative housing models, innovative amenity spaces, and multigenerational settings. Here, he shares more about
how he got here and what continues to drive him.

Environments for Aging: How have you seen the industry evolve, and
what's kept you hooked?

RENDERING BY AG ARCHITECTURE

Gene Guszkowski: The biggest evolution in my time has been in the space between living
independently in an apartment and needing 24-hour care in a skilled nursing facility, which
we now think of generally as assisted living. This has turned out to be the real space in which
most seniors live. On the skilled nursing side, we have seen that the person-centered care
movement has positively transformed that product. The new revolution, and the part that truly
has my attention at this time, is the upcoming radical changes we are about to see in the living
and lifestyle solutions that will serve a new generation of seniors. Being part of a team creating innovative concepts that will entice those people who truly have little or no interest in the

Proposed intergenerational project, Verona, Wis.

typical choices that are
currently available is an
exciting opportunity.

DESIGN
CHAMPIONS

Why will alternative ways
of thinking be vital for senior
living-and how can designers
play a role in this journey?
Exploring alternatives, researching successful concepts from other industries,
and disrupting the thought process for
senior living design are what is needed
to attract the next generation of seniors.
And a key component of this process
is coming up with solutions that offer a
wide variety of price points. A wise, old
senior living development consultant told
me that the group that can figure out
how to create the Holiday Inn of senior
living will be the winner. That was almost
30 years ago! We're still looking for the
answer now more than ever. We must
continue to challenge ourselves, especially when it comes to matters concerning affordability.

What's your vision for what
senior living should look like in
the future?
First and foremost, it must be embedded
in the community at large. Yes, we like to
go on vacation for a few weeks and completely immerse ourselves in a different
culture or be pampered at a resort or allinclusive getaway, and there will always
be a market for those who think they can
permanently escape from it all. But, at the
end of our vacation, we all must return
to our "messy" lives that provide the
true normalcy that we would all want to
cling to (especially if someone told us we
have a short time to live). So, my vision
of senior living is that it should reflect the
true messiness of our real, everyday lives.
I see the solution generally located in urban communities that are surrounded by
diversity in terms of income, generational
differences, interests, choice, style, and
stimulation. The only real physical difference will be a care component-something that will become increasingly more
concealed. It will be designed in a way
to be revealed, or miraculously available,
when that inevitable health crisis strikes,
so we can continue to live our real lives to
the best of our post-crisis ability.

Summer 2019 * EFAmagazine.com

http://www.EFAmagazine.com

Environments for Aging - Summer 2019

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