Environments for Aging - Fall 2017 - 64

REMODEL/RENOVATION COMPETITION
FINALIST

Rosemont, a Presby's Inspired Life Community - Main Dining Room Renovation ROSEMONT, PA.
Submitted by: Yohe Architecture + Design P.C. LANCASTER, PA.
Cost per square foot: $125
Design team: Yohe Architecture
+ Design P.C. (architect); Horst
Construction (general contractor);
Clark Food Service Equipment
(kitchen equipment contractor);
Creative Spaces (interior designer);
Mulhern Consulting Engineers
(electrical engineer); The Procz Group
(mechanical engineer)
Photography: Bill Hock Photography
(after images)

BEFORE

The goals of the main dining room

scatter-style system, thus reducing

renovation for Rosemont, a Presby's

wait time for the residents. The

Inspired Life Community (Rosemont,

elongated serving line also allowed

Pa.), as determined by the execu-

for more culinary features and

tive team with insight from a focus

offerings.

group of residents, were to provide an

Typically, the breakfasts and

upscale dining experience through

lunches are served buffet-style with

improved efficiency of service,

elements served to order. Dinners

worldly culinary options, flexibility in

are served restaurant-style with the

style of dining (buffet or restaurant),

cooking line used for appetizers and

and enhanced comfort and lighting.

desserts. The design of the space

The existing space was character-

offers the staff abundant flexibility

ized by a dated ceiling design that

with how they serve the population.

created a dreary, dimly lit space. The

While some residents prefer the

HVAC distribution was unbalanced,

restaurant-style service at dinner,

making it difficult to keep the resi-

the cooking line can be converted

evenly light the space. Stone and

dents comfortable. As the main buffet

to a buffet line for those wishing to

stained wood were introduced to

station was at the only entrance into

dine more quickly. As an additional

provide warm and textural high-

the space, traffic jams commonly oc-

amenity during non-dining hours,

lights within the space. The stone

curred in the ante-area outside of the

residents can be seated in front

wing walls at the serving line were

dining room. Finishes, fixtures, and

of the action station while the

positioned and proportioned to

equipment were also outdated. The

executive chef provides live cooking

frame the cooking station, screen

layout and equipment of the serving

demonstrations.

views into the main kitchen, and

line limited the culinary offerings that
the kitchen staff could provide.
The main feature of the design

The architect and contractor
studied the existing ceiling and
determined that it could be modi-

is the display cooking line which

fied economically to provide a more

was stretched along the long edge

open and airy feel. The additional

of the dining room. This created a

volume also allowed for a simple

shortest possible walk from a table to

solution to the issue of HVAC dis-

any point along the serving line in a

tribution and provided the ability to

64

Environments for Aging * special supplement

provide utilities to the serving
line from the ceiling above.
Jury comments:
* Appealing dining room,
exhibition-style cooking,
natural stone and pergola
design, along with the ability
to change table design from

BEFORE

2 to a side to 4 chairs facing one
another invites conversation.
* Higher ceilings, new light fixtures,
and wall finishes enhance
the space with a refreshing
brightness.
* Has a great story! Liked the
overall use of the space.
Environments for Aging - Fall 2017

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