Brightview Towson, built in 2012, is now in its third year of operation. The 90-unit community includes three neighborhoods, with varying levels of care, to meet the needs of residents. On Saturday of the Environments for Aging (EFA) Conference in Baltimore, attendees toured the community and got some insight into the day-to-day operations of the facility and how the design supports those functions.
Designed by Hord Coplan Macht (Baltimore, Md.), Brightview features 56 apartments for assisted living and a 32-unit neighborhood, Wellspring Village, which serves residents with low- and high-acuity memory care. Offering a variety of floor plans and apartment styles, the community focuses on giving residents the option to age in place and allows residents to customize their apartments in case their level of acuity worsens.
The developers, The Shelter Group, revisited the Brightview communities at three and six months after opening to conduct post-occupancy evaluations. At the 18-month mark, residents were brought in to give their feedback on what could be improved in the design.
Each of the neighborhoods has its own dining room, kitchen, living space, and activity area. Wellspring Village has activity areas where residents with cognitive issues can take part in the same types of activities, tailored to their abilities, as those in assisted living. Each entrance to a residence in the memory care area is decorated with the things that are dear to the residents to help them identify their apartments.
The enhanced care unit within Wellspring Village serves residents with physical disabilities and low levels of Alzheimer’s or dementia. It has laminate flooring with a wood look instead of carpeting to make it easier for residents to walk safely and for staff to clean. The memory care unit also has a secure, enclosed courtyard where residents can enjoy the outdoors safely, sitting at tables with umbrellas for shade.
One of the more popular areas in the building is the café, which features a bar where some of the residents can socialize and relax. Another is the activity rooms in the assisted living space where family members can close off the partition to be able to enjoy movies on the large screen with their loved one. A juice bar, fitness center, spa areas, computer and games rooms, beauty salon, and more are also some of the amenities offered.
The decor of the community highlights design details such as crown molding on pilasters, wood rails in the hallways, granite countertops, subdued color palettes on each floor, and more.
Covered porches in front and on the back side of the building give residents the option to sit in rocking chairs and observe the world.
Volunteers and interns from local area high schools and Towson University as well as visits from kindergarten children help to keep a multigenerational atmosphere alive in the community.
Brightview Towson was built by Harkins Builders and the landscape architect was Floura Teeter.
