Nicole Bergquist and Tina Ruiz-Ellen, Senior design directors, Sunrise Senior Living (McLean, Va.)
Photo credit: Sunrise Senior Living
For the past seven years, senior design directors Nicole Bergquist and Tina Ruiz-Ellen have combined their experience in interior design to lead Sunrise Senior Living’s in-house design group. Combining Ruiz-Ellen’s background in hospitality and Bergquist’s experience in high-end residential design, the pair focuses on delivering resident-centered environments that meet seniors’ evolving needs while supporting operations and staff.
With more than 200 communities in the U.S. and Canada, Sunrise Senior Living has as many as eight new construction projects and 50-plus renovations in the works annually. The colleagues approach this project load with Ruiz-Ellen overseeing new development while Bergquist focuses on renovation, creating a powerful feedback loop that supports the continued evolution of Sunrises’ communities.
Photo credit: Sunrise Senior Living
They stay on top of that workload by collaborating with in-house operations, programming, and care teams to gather input on past projects to understand what’s working and what’s not, and meeting regularly with design team managers of both new development and renovation initiatives. The pair utilizes this evidence-based method to help guide projects, with a focus on implementing designs that support resident choice as well as keep Sunrise current with industry trends and expectations.
Sunrise communities at a glance
For example, at Sunrise of Redmond in Bellevue, Wash., their work included a new bistro dining venue where residents can self-guide for continental breakfast, happy hour, and regular midday snacks, delivering a hospitality experience but at a residential scale that’s comforting to residents.
In addition, for Sunrise of McLean Village in McLean, Va., the team included a purpose-built bar in the bistro area to support the happy hour function. The visual cues of the formal bar set-up provide a clear choice and independence to residents.
Working together, they also look for ways to support team members. For example, design features such as providing access to natural light and well-lit environments, soothing and locally
inspired color palettes, and furniture that easily flexes to support a variety of programs improve the daily lives of not just residents but also the team members caring for them.
On all project types, Bergquist and Ruiz-Ellen are known for being skilled and dedicated advocates for residents, balancing functionality and aesthetics to deliver appealing environments where seniors can continue to thrive.
For more on EFA 2023 Design Champions, go here.
Anne DiNardo is executive editor of Environments for Aging and can be reached at [email protected].
