Over the years, we’ve seen senior living environments evolve in many ways—most notably shifting away from institutional settings and toward design-forward projects.
Despite this, there’s still something missing at times. The industry continues to struggle with establishing a true sense of community, spaces that compel residents to leave their units and come together. It’s a topic that was explored during the closing keynote panel I moderated at the 2021 EFA Expo & Conference in Chattanooga, Tenn. Panelist Steve Lindsey, CEO of Garden Spot Communities, referred to the concept of placemaking, or the process of creating quality environments where people want to be. Essentially, he noted, the industry is doing a great job of delivering beautiful spaces but doesn’t always take the next step of considering the ways those spaces might be used.
The key is designing environments to support, say, 10 possible uses that will keep residents moving in and out of them from morning to night, permitting the natural ability to interact with one another and build relationships on a daily basis. It’s that kind of place we all need and crave on a human level.
Part of the process of achieving that vision is ensuring environments feel authentic, reflect a local culture or geography, and establish “home” on a more meaningful level. They need to represent the people who will live there.
I love two examples right here in this issue: The Glen at Scripps Ranch and St. Rita Square. The Scripps Ranch project offers a wonderful example of site-specific design with an eye on centralized spaces for gathering.
Meanwhile, St. Rita Square is a compelling case study on revitalizing a community, celebrating local culture and heritage, and providing comfortable spaces for residents and neighbors to meet and spend time together.
These types of solutions help solve the placemaking challenge—and we’re working to do the same. You’ll notice a new look for Environments for Aging in this issue including a new logo for our brand and a comprehensive redesign of the magazine. Guided by Creative Director Jonathan Marsland and Design Lead Wendi Van Eldik, our team has worked diligently for months to identify an aesthetic and overall design approach that better reflects our design community and, yes, contributes to a greater sense of place.
This new design will allow us to present our editorial content in a more sophisticated and reader-friendly way. Meanwhile, over the next year, this elevation of our brand will be rolled out across our website and conference, as well. It’s an important piece of our ongoing efforts to create a space where we come together as an industry year-round, that’s representative of what you do, and a place where you truly want to be. We look forward to getting your feedback and guidance as we move forward.
