A senior living community is both a home and a workplace. Residents want privacy, comfort and opportunities to spend time with others. Staff members need to provide meals, maintenance and other services throughout the day without allowing those operations to disrupt daily life.

Shane Larsen, AIA, Schemmer’s Senior Living Market Leader, says the resident experience comes first.

“Overall, good senior living design is centered around how the residents want to live, and not necessarily around how the building and staff handle operations,” Larsen said.

That does not mean operational needs are secondary. It means the building should help staff work efficiently without making the movement of supplies, services and waste a visible part of residents’ lives.

Making a Large Community Feel Smaller

The size of a building does not have to determine how residents experience it. Breaking a senior living community into smaller neighborhoods can create a more familiar and residential setting.

Schemmer designs these neighborhoods to function independently, with amenities such as living rooms, kitchens, libraries and porch-style gathering spaces. Instead of asking residents to travel to one large common area for every activity, the building gives them comfortable places closer to home.

Those spaces can serve different purposes throughout the day. A resident might read alone in the morning, visit with family in the afternoon or join neighbors for an informal gathering that evening. The setting supports each experience without requiring a scheduled activity.

Creating More Ways to Connect

Social interaction does not always happen in a community room or during an organized event. It can begin on a walking path, near a kitchen or in a small seating area where neighbors cross paths.

Providing indoor and outdoor spaces in different sizes gives residents more control over how they participate. Some may enjoy a large group activity, while others prefer a quiet conversation with one or two people. Their preferences may change from day to day.

Private residences remain essential, but so do the places between them. When those shared spaces are comfortable and easy to reach, residents have more opportunities to connect without feeling pressured to participate.

Helping Residents and Visitors Find Their Way

“Everyone wants their neighborhood to have its own identity and culture,” Larsen said.

That identity can come from interior finishes, artwork, furniture, natural light, dining spaces and access to the outdoors. These elements help residents personalize their surroundings while also making different parts of the building easier to recognize.

A library, color palette or familiar piece of artwork can become a visual landmark. Themes can further distinguish one neighborhood from another, helping residents and visitors understand where they are without relying entirely on directional signs.

The result can also help a community distinguish itself when prospective residents and their families visit. Larsen has seen personalized environments support marketing efforts and contribute to stronger occupancy.

Planning for the Work Residents Do Not See

Staff efficiency has become increasingly important as senior living communities compete for employees and look for ways to support the people already doing the work.

“Providing staff efficiency is very important especially in today’s job market,” Larsen said.

That requires the design team to understand how the building will operate beyond the resident-facing spaces. Architects and engineers must consider how food, laundry, supplies and maintenance personnel move through the building. They also need to plan how waste leaves the building without creating unnecessary traffic, noise or disruption.

These are practical questions, but their effects reach residents. Better service routes can reduce activity in residential areas and help staff spend less time working around an inefficient layout.

Finding Opportunity in a Site Challenge

Schemmer recently completed the design of a replacement Motherhouse in St. Augustine, Florida, where stormwater management presented a difficult site challenge.

Rather than hiding the stormwater feature, the project team placed a reflecting pool in front of the chapel. What began as a technical response became a focal point for the project. Landscaping, walking paths and a prayer garden were added around it, creating a setting for reflection, movement and time outdoors.

The reflecting pool still performs an important site function, but residents will experience it as part of the place they call home. That is the larger goal of senior living design: make the building work without allowing the building’s operational needs to dictate how people live within it.

Planning a senior living community or considering improvements to an existing one? Contact Schemmer to discuss how our architecture and engineering team can help create a place that supports residents, staff and daily life.

SCHEMMER – ARCHITECTURE | ENGINEERING | +

At Schemmer, we believe that great design goes beyond structures; it strengthens communities. As a full-service architecture, engineering, and construction field services consultant, we deliver innovative solutions that enhance the built environment and improve lives.

Since 1959, we have been shaping the future while honoring our legacy. With nine offices across six states in the Midwest, our expertise reaches coast-to-coast, bringing thoughtful, sustainable, and impactful solutions to every project.

Our Comprehensive Services:

• Architecture
• Structural Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Site/Civil Engineering
• Transportation Engineering
• Water/Wastewater Engineering
• Surveying
• Interior Design
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Field Services

At Schemmer, we don’t just design projects, we create lasting impact. Let’s design a better future together.

Contact Us Today!