Environments for Aging - Winter 2022 - 20

photo tour
Bruce Hurowitz
ASSOC. AIA, PRINCIPAL, MERLINO DESIGN PARTNERSHIP (MDP]
[GULPH MILLS, PA.]
industry's commitment to providing more choices
for seniors.
RiverSpring Living, Riverwalk Residences, Riverdale, N.Y.
J
OINING MDP IN 1988, Bruce Hurowitz has
since played a key role not just in the fi rm's
success but in guiding its commitment to
senior living design. Over the years, he's cultivated
a passion for improving environments for
aging, with a keen eye on the spaces that matter
most in creating vibrant, engaging communities
that bring residents together and help them
thrive. Specifically, Hurowitz has long focused
on hospitality-inspired dining experiences,
breaking down the institutional walls of old and
replacing them with smaller-scale, fl exible destinations.
Meanwhile, he's adopted a design practice
that embraces wellness initiatives on every
project, delivering amenity spaces that support
activity and connectedness. Recent efforts include
award-winning project Th e Vista, a Christian
Health community in Wyckoff , N.J., as well
as ongoing work with client RiverSpring Living,
which credits Hurowitz for guiding innovative
approaches to everything from the gut renovation
of a skilled nursing unit into an assisted living/
memory care community to the introduction of
20 | winter 2022
a new Low Vision Center. He's known for his assessment
of worthwhile capital investments and
long-term fi nancial implications against operational,
safety, and consumer preferences to ensure
industry evolution is ongoing.
EFA: What originally drew you to rethinking the dining
experience in senior living?
Hurowitz: Th e fi rm was doing a lot of renovation
work after the 1993 recession, and the fi rst thing I
always noticed as we toured the communities was
the dining experience. It was so institutional, just
one big room with no ambience, no variety, and it
was so uninspiring. People were just being fed-a
fl ow of residents in and out with no real experience.
Th ere was so much room for improvement
and innovation in dining across all levels of care. It
was a part of every project and really grabbed my
interest. I just kept digging deeper into what could
make each experience better. In the beginning, it
was about breaking down the scale of the large,
cavernous spaces into smaller, more intimate,
and uniquely diff erent venues. Th is supported the
How do you defi ne spaces that provide seniors with
wellness in their daily living?
Just as the industry has prioritized the importance
of the dining experience, it's good to see providers
committed to supporting multiple dimensions of
resident wellness. I am particularly proud of the
work we've done at Th e Vista, where we were able
to truly explore design solutions that support holistic
wellness and put those wellness components
front and center. From fi tness centers, spas, dining
venues, and auditoriums for cultural events to
classrooms, courtyards, and meditation gardens,
we have the opportunity to create so many interesting
spaces that add color, energy, and vibrancy
to resident life. It's exciting to play a role in the
changing perception of senior living, a mindset of
providing environments that support full, active,
healthy lives.
Where do you hope to see senior living go next?
For so long we have seen self-contained communities
that are recreated resort worlds with
everything residents need beyond the gated entrance.
We've been seeing more interest in urban
infi ll and localized projects. Th at's what I hope
we continue to work on, senior living stitched
into local communities. Instead of isolation in
beautiful destination communities, we need to
continue to create deeper connections to the
greater community-and not just in urban areas. I
hope to see all types of towns and neighborhoods
provide opportunities to keep their long-time
community members close to home and active
in the areas they know and love. Th is will infl uence
commons areas and amenities, as well as
resident interactions with local businesses and
services. Th is is how we accomplish true intergenerational
living and open the doors for more
inspired design solutions.
efamagazine.com
ZAPIR VISUALIZATIONS LLC
http://www.efamagazine.com
Environments for Aging - Winter 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Environments for Aging - Winter 2022
