Environments for Aging - Spring 2020 - 26

EFAmagazine.com * Spring 2020

nity's affiliations with the neighboring Texas
A&M University Health Science Center and
CHI St. Joseph Health MatureWell Lifestyle
Center. "They brought a unique overlay of
key lifestyle components that we think positively benefit senior health and wellness,"
Slavin says.
With the principals of Parc Communities
both from Houston, and Slavin himself a
graduate of Texas A&M, the Texas market
had natural appeal for the company's growth
plans. After touring Traditions and seeing the
dynamic growth of the market, combined
with the nearby amenities, the partners saw
a compelling opportunity to create something special, Slavin says. In November 2015,
ground broke on the 186,000-square-foot
Parc at Traditions, set on approximately 13
acres within Traditions. The new community,
which was completed in spring 2018, comprises independent living, assisted living, and
memory care-Parc Communities' first time
offering a continuum of care for residents.
"It's been a further evolution of our target
market," he says.

Nature of the site
Parc Communities designs each of its sites to
fit with the surrounding region, so for its Texas
debut, the project team sought to integrate
the building into the heavily wooded parcel.
The design took advantage of the site's natural
features and treescape to create an organic
building shape and layout that winds across
the site instead of in a straight horizontal orientation, says Rockland Berg, principal, business
development, senior living, at Three, the
Dallas-based architecture firm on the project.
"It's nested into the typography," he says.
For the entrance, the project team preserved the trees at the front of the property
and added a curvilinear drive that leads to a
front porch veranda and port cochere, creating a "sense of discovery" as residents and
guests arrive. "You come around through the
trees and the building kind of reveals itself,"
Berg says.
After maximizing the natural setting, designers then turned to the architectural style of the
community, seeking to adapt Parc's hospitality-driven model with a vernacular representa-

COURTESY OF THREE

arc Communities
has made a name
for itself by bringing
hospitality-enriched
independent living and assisted
living communities to affluent,
densely populated suburban locations, primarily in the southeastern part of
the U.S. "The company was formed on the
concept of delivering a high-end, high-touch
experience to residents," says Andy Slavin,
principal and executive vice president at
Parc Communities (Atlanta). "Our DNA has
always been about hospitality."
In 2013, the operator began considering
an expansion outside its traditional markets
with a new location in Bryan, Texas, to be
part of the Traditions Club and Community,
an upscale, master planned development
near Texas A&M University. The site was a
natural fit: Located on 1,000 acres of rolling
woodlands, the property already features
luxury homes; a Nicklaus Design golf course;
and nearby retail, dining, and entertainment
attractions. Another draw was the commu-

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Environments for Aging - Spring 2020

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