After decades away, many of the senior alumni of Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, Ariz., are returning to live and learn on campus. Mirabella ASU, a 62+ continuing care retirement community (CCRC) on the campus of ASU will feature memory care, skilled nursing, assisted living, and independent living.
The 600,000-square-foot, 20-story high-rise features houses 252 units ranging from 751 square feet to 2,665 square feet. Residents at the $170 million project can attend classes across campus and will share a library and art school with ASU students.
Architect Ankrom Moisan Architects (Portland, Ore.) designed Mirabella ASU to mitigate and embrace the local climate of the Sonoran Desert. The building is oriented along an east/west access, allowing the north façade to be in full shade to deliver floor-to-ceiling glass in the residential units. This also allows for clear views north to Hayden Butte while preventing unwanted solar heat gain.
By contrast, the south façade was designed to shield residents from the sun’s rays, using a recessed window design and cantilevered unit balconies for shade, with an exterior clad in a variegated metal panel meant to mimic the desert.
Mirabella at ASU offers on-site healthcare services, three penthouse dining options with balconies, a cocktail lounge, ground floor bistro with indoor and outdoor seating, fitness and aquatic center, auditorium/theater, woodworking shop, game rooms, and salon and spa, dog park, and underground parking.
Project details:
Facility name: Mirabella ASU
Location: Tempe, Ariz.
Completion date: May 2021
Owner: Pacific Retirement Services
Total building area: 613,992 sq. ft.
Total construction cost: $170 million
Cost/sq. ft.: $277/sq. ft.
Architect: Ankrom Moisan
Interior designer: Ankrom Moisan
General contractor: McCarthy
Engineers: Glumac (MEP), PK Associates (structural), Wood/Patel (civil), Carmichael Group (MEP)
Builder: McCarthy
