FINALIST – 2023 Environments for Aging Showcase
The McLean Center is based on global research indicating that people living with dementia who are exposed to gardens and natural light have improved moods and slower progression of symptoms. The provider and design teams collaborated to combine a biophilic design focus with outcomes-based programming to foster positive life experiences and authentic interactions for people living with dementia.
The memory care residence in Lansdale, Pa., positions 18 single and two companion rooms around two internal courtyards. Resident room entries face courtyards to assist with wayfinding and encourage exploration. The courtyards create multi-directional daylight exposure within interior spaces for natural orientation to time and seasons, eliminating the need for artificial circadian lighting. These individually themed, barrier-free outdoor rooms extend living spaces.
The gardening-focused West Courtyard encourages engagement. Themed gardens include planters at different heights for standing or sitting in a wheelchair. The adjacent greenhouse opens directly into the courtyard. Visible from the interior corridor, it invites year-round gardening opportunities. Five skylights, brick walls, and slate flooring set the tone, encouraging residents to get their hands dirty at the planting tables.
The East Courtyard is a more relaxing outdoor venue for casual picnics, pop-up dining, or special events. Meandering walking paths, garden benches, and two covered patios accommodate exploration or relaxation.
The human scale residence is organized into public and private zones that cue residents to restful, calm spaces versus active, energized areas. The resident wings are the private zone, analogous to the bedroom portion of a private residence. The center of the plan is the public zone where living, dining and other day-to-day activities occur.
Design techniques in volume hierarchy, color, interior finishes, and artwork reinforce the identity and purpose for each space. For example, cathedral ceilings identify social activity hubs while lower ceilings signify quieter alternatives.
The design concept supports staff training in the GEMS Positive Approach to Care philosophy of Teepa Snow, a renowned dementia expert. The transparent walking loop provides natural circulation with tactile art walls, courtyard views, and open common spaces. Each of the building’s four corners features themed engagement zones with different furnishings and accessories that can be adjusted seasonally and based on residents’ interests. The distinctly programmed indoor and outdoor spaces that allow people living with dementia to independently navigate their home and choose how they want to spend their day.
Project category: Addition
Chief administrator: Paul Nordeman, MHA, CEO
Firm: RLPS Architects and RLPS Interiors, rlps.com
Design team: RLPS Architects (architecture and interior design); Eventus Strategic Partners (development consultant); I.T. Landes & Son Inc. (mechanical and plumbing engineer); Reese
Hackman Inc. (electrical and lighting engineer); Woodrow & Associates (civil engineer); Benchmark Construction (general contractor)
Number/type of housing units: 22 memory care units
Total building area (sq. ft.): 18,903
Completed: July 2022
