Marvella, St. Paul, Minnesota
Marvella is a senior living community nestled within the Highland Bridge mixed-use development in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul, Minn. Opened in May 2023, the senior living community is designed to integrate with its urban surroundings while fostering a strong sense of community within its own walls.
Comprising two interconnected buildings, the community offers 300 independent living, assisted living, and memory care units. Amenity spaces, including large dining areas, activity rooms, and outdoor terraces are designed to encourage engagement among residents and community members to form meaningful connections.
Building layouts at Marvella
Opened in May 2023, the community’s four-story western building houses 182 independent living, assisted living, and memory care apartments. Serving as the heart of the community, the building features a “town center” space with communal dining rooms, pool and fitness facilities, a chapel, and spacious outdoor terraces.
The five-story eastern building features 118 independent living apartments along with a rooftop amenity terrace, fitness room, and club lounge overlooking the adjacent civic plaza and central water feature, which serve as an central gathering area at Highland Bridge.
Sustainability design in senior living
Marvella’s architectural design reflects both its urban context and commitment to sustainability. Arched focal elements, bay windows, and a blend of stone, brick, and stucco materials pay homage to St. Paul’s historic character.
Solar panel arrays on both building rooftops generate 65kW each, reducing energy consumption. Coupled with high-efficiency MEP systems, Marvella consumes 25 percent less energy than standard structures.
Furthermore, high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and irrigation strategies support the native and drought-tolerant plantings around the building perimeter and rooftop amenity terraces. This results in a 30 percent reduction in indoor water use and a 50 percent reduction in outdoor water use.
With these sustainable initiatives, Marvella is set to achieve LEED Gold certification and meet St. Paul’s Sustainable Ordinance and Overlay policies, which set ambitious requirements in energy use, water use, construction waste, indoor environmental quality, and stormwater management.
Marvella project details
Project location: St. Paul, Minn.
Completion date: May 2023
Owner: Presbyterian Homes & Services
Total building area: 532,000 sq. ft.
Total construction cost: Not disclosed
Cost/sq. ft.: Not disclosed
Architect: Ryan A+E Inc.
Interior designer: Ryan A+E Inc. and Senior Lifestyle Design (SLD)
General contractor: Ryan Companies US Inc.
Engineer: Ryan A+E Inc. (civil), Meyer Borgman Johnson (structural), Emanuelson-Podas Inc. (MEP)
Builder: Ryan Companies US Inc.
Carpet/flooring: Shaw Contract, Mannington, Gerflor, Atlas Masland, J+J Flooring, Patcraft, Mohawk Group, Milliken, Interface
Ceiling/wall systems: Armstrong
Doors/locks/hardware: Allegion
Fabric/textiles: SLD
Furniture—seating/casegoods: SLD
Lighting: Southern Lights
Signage/wayfinding: SDDI
Surfaces—solid/other: Corian, MSI, Cambria, LG Hausys
Wallcoverings: MDC, DL Couch, Fabricut, Koroseal
Project details are provided by the design team and not vetted by Environments for Aging.
