In 2000, National Church Residences (Columbus, Ohio) set out in 2000 to redevelop Stafford Village, seven single-story, garden-style apartment buildings built in the 1970s. At the time, the nonprofit affordable senior housing provider faced resistance from neighbors who were concerned that a new structure wouldn’t fit within the historic neighborhood of Worthington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.
To help allay those concerns, the developer and the City of Worthington worked with architecture firm PH7 Architects (Columbus) on a multiyear project that included studying the existing architecture in the community. The findings revealed that the architectural forms, massing, and scale of the neighborhood homes varied considerably, often within a single block.
Armed with this information, PH7 used a similar approach for the planning and exterior design for The Hartford at Stafford Village, which opened in the summer of 2023. Specifically, the project delivers a single building to appear as several residential homes by alternating between brick façades and wood and aluminum siding, pitched and gabled roofs, and 1- to 3-story massing. Addressing neighborhood sensitivity, care was also taken to preserve several nearby mature trees, while an existing historic home on the site was renovated and repurposed as a resident arts and crafts studio.
The independent living building surrounds an interior courtyard as well as two “pocket parks” between its south wings. Inside, the community houses 85 one- and two-bedroom residential units, a bistro, wellness center, and library.
The community, which was submitted to EFA’s Design Showcase by PH7 Architects, was celebrated by jurors for feeling “more like a college campus” than a senior living environment.” One juror called the architecture compelling, interesting, playful, and appropriate, noting that it fits well into the community and gives residents a strong sense of place.
Robert McCune is senior editor of Environments for Aging magazine and can be reached at [email protected].
