Franklin Park Alamo Heights in San Antonio will be authentic to the city’s heritage, mixing Spanish and Germanic design elements. Design firm Three: Living Architecture (Dallas) infused that flavor and flair of San Antonio while focusing on what today’s and tomorrow’s retirees desire, relying on research it’s conducted over the years on the shift in preferences taking place as baby boomers hit retirement age.
The community is 302,400 square feet and will have 117 independent living units, 64 assisted living units, and 40 memory care units.
With elevation varying up to 40 feet across the site, there were initial design challenges. Three: Living Architecture used the site to its advantage instead of determining that it wasn’t suitable, placing community points of interest on various levels instead of putting all common spaces together on one floor.
This approach provides a boutique hotel feel, in which every level showcases an entirely new look and feel, emphasizing the client's desire for a sense of discovery.
The street level auto court embraces visitors behind beautifully landscaped walls, quietly redirecting their focus to a bubbling fountain, reception area, living room, marketing office, and art gallery. This quiet reception courtyard is one of eight outdoor rooms strategically placed throughout the community, each intentionally crafted to enhance the adjacent living spaces with the play of light and shade.
Providing functional indoor and outdoor spaces was a key design component. While the summer months are very hot in this region, the remaining seven to eight months offer nice weather ideal for socializing and exploring the outdoors. The many courtyards within the community were designed to transition easily from indoor to outdoor, intentionally blurring the lines between them.
The second floor focuses on entertainment and features a 28-seat, tiered theater with audiovisual technology. The Franklin Room is a multipurpose room designed with a dance floor and connected to the outdoor Heights Terrace courtyard that can be used for indoor and outdoor entertainment needs.
Other community entertainment accommodations include a lounge and billiards room, a card room, and a centrally located hospitality bar, which can be used for smaller, intimate events as well as community-wide activities.
It’s scheduled to open in December 2015.
