Award Winning
Designs Underscore Sense of Community, Connections to Nature
BY JANE ADLER
Maybe it’s the recent focus on outdoor gatherings, but the 2022 Senior Living by Design Award Winners love nature. The designs carefully and thoughtfully position the buildings to capture the best views, from nearby horse farms to adjoining woods. Downtown vistas are best seen from rooftop decks. Topography matters too. These award-winning projects leverage
the forms and features of land surfaces to their advantage. Com- munities are built into the contours of a hill and wrapped into tight urban spaces. An accessible pocket park adds a neighborhood touch. Courtyards are popular this year. Surrounded by the building,
the space offers a protected gathering space. Comfortable seating and fire pits invite residents to linger. Outdoor heat lamps keep everyone warm. Apartments overlook the courtyards. Dining venues open to the
patios, providing an outdoor mealtime option. The outside is brought inside. Walls of floor-to-ceiling windows
shower common areas with natural light. Dramatic two-story win- dows frame lobbies and interior stone colonnades. Modern, yet homey apartments have large windows, too. Residents want that personal connection with nature. Gone are single mass buildings. Eclectic facades combine differ-
ent blocks and a variety of materials. A sense of arrival is key. Dra- matic multi-story entryways welcome residents and their visitors. Common areas feature an open concept. Spaces flow easily into
each other. Small, cozy spaces are strategically placed. Interiors are modern yet warm. Soothing earth tones are mak- ing a comeback but in subtle hues of tan and coral. The furniture is streamlined. Upholstery fabrics favor patterns in understated greens and blues, or waves of colors from the light spectrum. Oc- casional pops of dusty red or deep blue provide a visual accent. Light fixtures have a contemporary style with angular and cir-
cular designs. Old-fashioned brick fireplaces are out. Linear gas fireplaces with stone, steel or concrete surrounds are in. Artwork is local. Designers have made an effort to find popular
area artists and display their work in common areas. Residents feel connected to the community. Each award-winning design this year shares a sense of connection
and community. The thoughtful use of space brings people together. Residents feel the connection to the natural world and each other, building a deep appreciation for life and a sense that they belong.
28 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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