“Cal”- Themed Library Belmont Village Albany


Designers may sometimes struggle for inspiration, but that


wasn’t the case with the library at Belmont Village Albany. Inspi- ration was right at hand since the community is located on land owned by nearby UC Berkeley. The project’s library takes its design cues from the university.


The room is decorated in blue and gold “Cal” colors. Gold tone chairs and blue couches provide comfortable seating for residents. The centerpiece of the library is a handcrafted wall-size


“Cal” quilt created by UC Berkeley retiree Patti Owen, who also worked on the planning committee for the building, which was the result of a community-wide collaboration. The quilt is com-


posed of throwback “Cal” team jerseys, serving as a living piece of memorabilia for the alums, staffers, professors, and local resi- dents who worked at the university or lived nearby and now live in the building. “It’s a great art piece,” said Patricia Will, founder and chief executive officer of Belmont Village Senior Living. Senior Living by Design judge Amy Fouts, regional director


of operations at Capri Senior Communities, said, “The project aligns in all design areas with meeting the needs of the retiring university staff.” The library contains a robust book selection, but, as Will points out, many of the books are actually authored by the resi- dents who are retired professors and researchers. “This is a very intellectual building,” said Will. “Our book club is more like an author’s club.”


ISSUE 6 2017 / ARGENTUM.ORG 11


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