The annual EFA Design Showcase is a celebration of outstanding achievements in senior living design, as both a competition and compilation of recent projects. The Showcase appearing in the Spring 2020 issue of Environments for Aging was published just as the industry—and world—reeled from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, the program shared some of the last projects to be completed prior to the seismic shift felt since then.
During the upcoming EFA Spring Summit, to be held virtually April 27-28, some of the leaders behind projects recognized in the 2020 EFA Design Showcase will share how their projects withstood the past year-plus. These exemplary projects will serve as case study examples of design solutions being delivered before COVID-19, how those solutions performed throughout the crisis, and lessons learned that both the owners and designers will apply to future projects going forward.
The session “EFA Design Trends Roundtable” will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 27. It will be followed by a 30-minute audience Q+A session held in a Zoom breakout room, allowing face-to-face interaction with the presenters.
The panel includes:
- Grant Warner, principal at HKS, and Russell Crews, president and CEO of CC Young Senior Living, representing 2020 Showcase finalist CC Young, The Vista
- Jay Weingarten, partner at RDG Planning & Design, and Deanna S. Beins, administrator at Menno Haven Rehabilitation Center, representing 2020 Showcase Honorable Mention winner Menno Haven Rehabilitation Center
- Christine Soma, principal and architect at Pope Architects, and Janet Simpson, regional vice president of network operations for WesleyLife, representing Award of Merit winner Brio, a WesleyLife Community for Healthy Living.
These designers and owners will team up to present the projects they delivered together and offer insight on them from their unique perspectives. For more background on the projects ahead of the live event, here are descriptions of them as well as links to their pages within the 2020 Design Showcase.
CC Young, The Vista—Housing assisted living, skilled nursing, and memory care, this 10-story project in Dallas features pairs of small-house style environments on each of its resident floors, which are licensed to the highest standard to allow for transitions over time. Connectivity to the rest of the campus is achieved on three levels, with a public-facing welcome center, shared amenity spaces, therapy center, and bistro open to all community residents. See more here.
Menno Haven Rehabilitation Center—The 44-bed Menno Haven Rehabilitation Center in Chambersburg, Pa., a post-acute/rehabilitation project, serves as the first skilled nursing building in the world to be certified by the WELL Building Institute. The project’s focus on whole-person healing and occupant health includes solutions such as biophilic design elements, circadian lighting strategies, and advanced HVAC systems. See more here.
Brio, a WesleyLife Community for Healthy Living—This continuing care retirement community in Johnston, Iowa, serves residents 55+ through a wellness-driven program that strives to deliver an affordable option to the middle market. The design maximizes flexibility and individual choice through solutions including inclusive dining environments and provides household models for skilled nursing and memory support. See more here.
For more information and to register for EFA Spring Summit, visit environmentsforaging.com/summit.
