Environments for Aging - Summer 2021 - 11

team can prioritize and choose based on cost,
the extent of the threat to residents, and the
owner's ability to cope with change. The matrix
should help guide the community's master
plan and identify items that can be done easily
and quickly versus those that are longer term.
While the resilient design goals may be
the same for new construction and renovation
projects, the strategies to achieve these
goals may differ. For example, a community
in Northern California would certainly list
wildfire as a potential threat. The matrix would
describe that the likelihood of a fire at the
community is low, but the likelihood of severe
smoke that impacts residents and staff is high.
While both scenarios can be planned for, the
smoke event is a higher priority. Strategies to
deal with this scenario in a new construction
project would include enhanced filtration in the
HVAC unit and air sealing, while in a renovation
project, a viable small-scale solution
would be having portable filters on hand.
Incorporating strategies
Once a resiliency plan is developed and the
framework is set, concrete design strategies
are defined and prioritized. These strategies
fall into four categories: energy, resource use
and sourcing, physical plant durability, and
passive systems. Energy is a major focus
because it's a fundamental requirement of
keeping residents safe and comfortable.
Strategies focus on energy independence,
which includes backup power and storage,
incorporating redundant energy systems, and
including on-site renewable sources.
Resource use and sourcing concentrates
on materials, food and water, and energy as
well as having the ability to store those items
and source them locally so the supply chain
is less likely to be disrupted during a disaster.
For example, it's beneficial for a building to
be as water independent as possible. This
means incorporating rainwater capture, water
storage, and greywater reuse strategies, all
while trying to reduce water needs.
Additionally, it's critical to build a durable
physical environment that can withstand intense
climate stressors such as high heat and strong
winds. This can be achieved by using highquality
construction materials and methods that
utilize both vernacular and passive approaches.
Examples include high-performance windows,
continuous insulation, and rain screen exterior
cladding systems. A passive resilient design approach
can include strategies such as building
orientation and shading devices.
While some of these resilient strategies
cost more at the project's inception, they
save money over the building's life cycle by
reducing operational and maintenance costs
and creating more comfort for occupants.
Looking ahead, it's likely that many of these
changes, especially those focused on energy
usage, will be required in building and
zoning codes or by insurance providers to
maintain policies.
Better yet
Developing climate resiliency plans now will
allow the senior living design industry to come
out of 2021 better than before, introducing
strategies that allow it to adapt, mitigate risk,
and ultimately help solve the underlying problems
that create crises.-Betsy del Monte,
principal consultant, Cameron MacAllister
Group (Dallas); and Alexis Denton, associate
principal, Perkins Eastman (San Francisco)
Mirabella ASU brings senior living to college campus
FIRST LOOK
A
fter decades away, many of the senior alumni of Arizona
State University (ASU) in Tempe, Ariz., are returning
to live and learn on campus. Mirabella ASU, a 62+
continuing care retirement community (CCRC) that opened on
campus in May, features memory care, skilled nursing, assisted
living, and independent living, as well as on-site healthcare
services, three penthouse dining options, a fitness and aquatic
center, and woodworking shop. Architect Ankrom Moisan
Architects (Portland, Ore.) designed the 600,000-square-foot,
20-story high-rise to mitigate and embrace the local climate of
the Sonoran Desert. For example, the building is oriented along
an east/west access, allowing the north façade to be in full
shade to deliver floor-to-ceiling glass in the residential units. By
contrast, the south façade was designed to shield residents from
the sun's rays, using a recessed window design and cantilevered
unit balconies for shade, with an exterior clad in a variegated
metal panel meant to mimic the desert. For more on the project,
visit EFAmagazine.com/projects/mirabella.
Summer 2021 * EFAmagazine.com 11
ANKROM MOISAN ARCHITECTS
http://www.EFAmagazine.com/projects/mirabella http://www.EFAmagazine.com
Environments for Aging - Summer 2021

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