It’s easy to see that senior living facilities are thriving: just look at the demographics and industry numbers. The anecdotal evidence is there too – I pass three new senior living construction projects during my commute to work. As the Vice President of Business Development, my personal knowledge of senior living design has become limited to attending conferences and reading articles. While these are great opportunities to gain insight at a broad and higher level, there is a large difference between that perspective and what goes on in day-to-day designing. In an effort to stay well-rounded, I recently sat down with two of my Project Managers to get specific details on the current state of senior living and how we at VP Engineering are preparing for and reacting to the “boom.”
What different senior living projects have you worked on during your career at VP Engineering?
Zach: “I have participated as both a designer and project manager for senior living, memory care, and independent living for about eight years. The most memorable projects I have worked on are The Blake at the Grove, The Veranda, Mebane Ridge, and Chatham Ridge.”
Sanjay: “The first senior living project I worked on was in 2009/2010. It was Westinghouse, an independent living facility designed with Narmour Wright. I have also worked on Mebane Ridge, Chatham Ridge, and multiple Wellmore projects. We have been designing for senior living consistently ever since I started at the company about nine years ago.”
What makes senior living projects different from the multi-family buildings that we design?
Zach: “The life safety aspect is very different. With limited care facilities, you are required to have an essential electrical system with a life safety branch and critical care branch. The code is specific with regards to what goes on each branch, so care needs to be taken to design them properly. That also includes the nurse call system as well as a generator for emergency power.”
Sanjay: “The amenity areas are a lot like multi-family, but it also has a lot of back-of-the-house necessities such as a full kitchen. It’s a lot more like a hotel than it is a multi-family building.”
What new trends are you seeing in senior living design?
Zach: “The number of projects is increasing because of the baby boomers. A lot more projects are coming in because of the need.”
Sanjay: “The facilities are becoming increasingly nicer. Even when comparing to the one the project that I designed in 2009, it’s much more luxury and top-of-the-line. Owners are asking for dining areas with dance floors, almost like a cruise. They have nice hair salons, therapy rooms, awesome gyms, entertainment areas for movie nights, and bars.”
What are we at VP doing to make sure we stay up-to-date with the latest technology available to senior living design?
Zach: “We’re attending conferences and reading industry white papers. We are constantly looking for and learning about systems that will give owners the optimum balance between life-cycle and cost. Best bang for the buck.”
Sanjay: “We focus on comfort. Owners are leaning to more high-end systems than they’d even have in a hotel. Instead of just putting a PTAC on the wall, in assisted living units they are putting VTAC units similar to hotels. They really care about the comfort. I could foresee eventually going with VRF systems for higher-end buildings. They are willing to spend the money necessary to ensure comfort for their residents.”
How has designing for senior living changed in the last 5 – 10 years?
Zach: “We are designing a lot more because of the baby boomers. Also, the operators are much more involved than they used to be. They now participate in meetings and give us insight on their needs and new trends. Facilities are also much larger because of the number of amenities.“
Sanjay: “The designs are no longer institutional. It has the same requirements, but it is now more of a luxury resort-style. These new senior living facilities are larger buildings with fewer floors. We’re designing for nicer finishes, so you have to take particular care when designing – especially in the common spaces. We meld our systems to coordinate with interior designers. Interior aesthetics are extremely important now to the extent that they affect the MEP systems and where they go. They don’t dictate the function, but they do dictate the location.”
What do you imagine for the future of senior living design?
Zach: “It doesn’t seem to be slowing down. It’s getting nicer and nicer. It’s become more like resort living. People are living a lot longer, so we’ll be building for longer stays.”
Sanjay: “The end of the baby-boomer generation isn’t for another 12 years. They will continue building up new facilities until that time. Following that, I think we’ll move on to renovation. Even after the baby boomer generation, people will continue needing facilities. Perhaps they won’t be building as more, but I expect a lot of renovating.”
Zach Joyce is one of VP’s Project Managers and an Electrical Designer. Zach has been in the industry for 16 years and has been a part of our team since 2009.
Sanjay Patel is one of our Project Managers and a Mechanical Designer. Sanjay is a Professional Engineer in NC, has been working in the industry for ten years, and has been a member of the VP team since 2008.
