Speakers at the 2019 Environments for Aging Expo and Conference shared multiple stories and ideas on how the senior living sector is making strides—and where there’s still room for improvement. Some of those poised to lead the way were celebrated during EFA’s annual awards luncheon where recipients of Environments for Aging magazine’s new Design Champions awards were honored, including Renee Anderson, president and CEO of Saint John’s on the Lake; Anna Lory, job captain at Pope Architects; Scott Weaver, director of campus services at Garden Spot Village; Melissa Pritchard, senior vice president at SFCS Architects, and Jill Wilson, president and CEO of Otterbein Senior Life.
And before this year’s Expo wrapped up in Salt Lake City, EFA Editor-in-chief Jennifer Kovacs Silvis invited them all back onto the main stage for a thought-provoking and inspiring Q+A where they shared their work, thoughts on where the industry is now, and where we need to go next.
To kick off the closing keynote session, the speakers discussed their diverse pathways and backgrounds, with some being drawn to the industry to help family members or make a difference in the world while others like Anderson and Wilson spent years in finance before making a career switch. “It’s the best kept career secret,” Wilson said on the senior living industry.
While all share a passion to transform the senior living through innovation and approaching projects from new angles, they’re each working in different ways to elevate the industry. For example, Anderson shared how Saint John’s on the Lake is building a new tower on its campus that has a goal of reinventing skilled nursing by eliminating institutional elements like double-loaded corridors and incorporating private resident rooms with full bathrooms and central gathering and amenity spaces so residents can walk out of their rooms and “smell dining,” she said.
At Otterbein, Wilson said the organization is developing Union Village, a master planned community focused on the principles of walkability, connectivity, and mixed-use with senior living anchoring the town center to create an age-friendly village. “Over time, the lines around senior living community would blur,” she said.
Weaver noted that he’s been able to elevate outdoor spaces at Garden Spot Village through the support of the operator, which appreciates that residents today want to be active and involved in their communities. “Garden Spot recognizes the value of landscape and gave us latitude and tools to do what we wanted,” he said, including park spaces and an aeroponic greenhouse.
Early in his work, Weaver said he realized that just because he created a nice courtyard or garden space didn’t mean people would automatically use it. Instead, he realized the importance of incorporating inviting elements, such as water gardens, pergolas, labyrinths, pavilions, and other spaces like meditation gardens that served people’s different moods and emotional needs. “People show up because they can see the larger world around them,” he said. “The reward for me is seeing people occupy those spaces.”
SFCS Architects’ Pritchard added that there’s been growing recognition within the industry of different space needs for residents and how those environments can have positive effects. For example, she said when she first started in memory care design all the literature was about what not to do, which created a fear of designing spaces that were comfortable and inviting. “The result was environments became devoid of humanity,” she said.
Now, she said, there’s a better understanding of how different settings can positively affect residents, including slowing down the progression of dementia or helping to reduce falls. For example, she noted that Cypress Cove in Florida attributes its circadian lighting system to a decrease in nighttime falls and aggressive behavior.
Pritchard noted the need for more POE data to help drive more a more evidence-based approach, noting that SAGE’s efforts to fill this void are helping. “WE have an opportunity to learn from every project … and improve the things we do,” she said.
For those who can’t afford research or formal POEs, Pope Architects’ Lory added that information gathering for a project can be very organic, coming from walk throughs, conversations with staff and residents, and observations, as well as keeping an idea file of what’s worked and hasn’t worked on projects. “Keep your eyes and ears open,” she said.
Looking to the future, the group discussed some of the industry’s most pressing challenges, including affordability and the desire to age in place. Anderson says residents coming to Saint John’s on the Lake are moving there for the lifestyle, which includes concierge services from dog walking to full care services.
“We’ve operationalized that model but it is dependent on residents being able to pay,” she said. She challenged the architects in the room to take a more universal design approach to living units. “What can you build in independent living that will allow services to be brought in?” she said. “How do you make 1,000 square feet feel like 1,500 square feet?”
The panelists agreed that with the aging boomer population and number of residents expected to enter the market in the coming years, the industry has no choice but to find more affordable solutions for all. “There’s an energy that’s going to bring us wonderful solutions to affordable senior living housing,” Wilson said.
