FIRST LOOK: Oak Trace Senior Living Community
SAS Architects & Planners LLC
Oak Trace Senior Living Community: The entry will feature a tree-lined boulevard with access to the entry of the one-story commons building. The commons building features high ceilings and large windows, providing the interior with a direct connection to the exterior landscaped courtyards and abundant daylighting.
SAS Architects & Planners LLC
Oak Trace Senior Living Community: The west courtyard features landscape focal points including a variety of gardens, each with their own theme; an outdoor dining venue; and continuous accessible walking paths. This lushly landscaped courtyard provides beautiful views to the surrounding units.
SAS Architects & Planners LLC
Oak Trace Senior Living Community: The casual dining room was positioned to overlook the west courtyard with a direct connection to an exterior patio for outdoor dining. This room features high ceilings, large windows, and a beautiful vista out to the landscaped courtyards.
SAS Architects & Planners LLC
Oak Trace Senior Living Community: The east courtyard acts as the epicenter of the community as this centralized courtyard frames the views out from the commons building and acts as the organizational element to assist in wayfinding throughout the different levels of care. This courtyard features lush landscaping, continuous accessible walkways, outdoor dining venues, an area for fire pits, and an event space.
SAS Architects & Planners LLC
Oak Trace Senior Living Community: The entry foyer in the commons building features a warm, wood-toned reception desk and wall feature with LED accent lights. The color scheme features a mix of cobalt blues, sage greens, and pearl whites, with pops of a rich wood that helps bring warmth to the interiors. This welcoming entry foyer sets the first impression for those who visit the community.
SAS Architects & Planners LLC
Oak Trace Senior Living Community: Situated between the entry foyer and the main circulation route, this living room features a sculptural fireplace and seating configurations on access to a view of the commons courtyard.
SAS Architects & Planners LLC
Oak Trace Senior Living Community: The commons building features a centrally located, dynamic dining venue that includes a casual bistro with a restaurant style dining room, a bar, café, and market. This dining venue will be the epicenter of the community, featuring sculpted ceilings, bright and daylit spaces, and beautifully appointed furnishings.
SAS Architects & Planners LLC
Oak Trace Senior Living Community: The existing independent living building’s commons will be renovated in a similar style to the commons, providing continuity in design between both new and existing buildings. The first-floor corridor walls will be demolished to open up the common spaces to one another and provide more daylight into the center of the building. The former main entry will be transformed into a bar and lounge features a double-sided fireplace and laser-cut, backlit screens to help shape the space and provide accent lighting.
SAS Architects & Planners LLC
Oak Trace Senior Living Community: Each of the unit’s common spaces were designed with an open concept layout to maximize the daylighting and view potential throughout the units.
A proposed five-story independent living expansion at Oak Trace Senior Living Community in Downers Grove, Ill., is the culmination of a seven-year multiphase master plan.
Phase 1 included a new healthcare center with assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing units to replace an outdated health center at the community owned by Lifespace Communities (West Des Moines, Iowa). This second phase expands upon the existing independent living offerings on campus and ensures long-term growth within the community.
The expansion includes 145 independent living units located in two distinct building wings connected by a one-story commons building. The centrally located commons building features a new dining venue, market, café, fitness center, pool, multipurpose room, spa/salon, and living room.
The commons building is designed in an “upscale casual” style that is rooted in classicism, mixing some contemporary details with modern and clean design elements.
The new Oak Trace Senior Living Community building also features an underground parking garage with a 1:1 ratio for parking spaces to units and some back-of-house spaces. This phase of work also includes the renovation of the common spaces in the existing independent building in a similar design style as the commons.
The master plan concept was to maximize opportunities for green space surrounding the new apartment wings and the commons building, providing continuity between all levels of care. The exterior amenities include ornamental tree orchards, a dry creek, butterfly and shade gardens, prairie garden, wind and sensory garden, dining venues, and areas for event spaces.
The commons building’s position between the existing healthcare center and independent living building and the new five-story apartment wings made this centrally located area the common ground between all levels of care.
Project details
Facility name: Oak Trace Senior Living Community
Location: Downers Grove, Ill.
Expected completion date: January 2024
Owner: Lifespace Communities
Developer: Greenbrier Development Inc.
Total building area: 325,000 sq. ft.
Total construction cost: $84 million
Cost/sq. ft.: $260/sq. ft.
Architecture firm: SAS Architects & Planners LLC
Interior design: Interior Design Associates Inc.
General contractor: Walsh Construction Group LLC
Engineering: Steen Engineering Inc. (MEP/FP), McClure (structural), GeWalt Hamilton Associates Inc. (civil), Direct Supply Aptura (low-voltage engineer)
Landscape architect: Teska Associates
Food service: Scopos Hospitality Group
Pool designer: WT Group
Builder: Walsh Construction Group LLC
