Environments for Aging - Fall 2020 - 7

EDITORIAL

Reflect and renew
It's time to assess where this industry and our brand were
heading pre-pandemic, and where we go from here
By Jennifer Kovacs Silvis
The Fall issue of Environments for Aging is always home to
our annual Remodel/Renovation Competition. This year,
it's particularly poignant to peruse the submissions, which
capture projects completed before any of us were aware
of COVID-19 or the devastating effects it would have on
senior living. It also serves as a reminder of the trajectory
this industry was on prior to the current pause in efforts.
You'll find in both the profiles of winners (see page 34)
and our gallery of all participants (see page 43) that there's
a clear trend in the call to refresh and modernize amenity
spaces, particularly dining areas. This mirrors a trend
found in our 2019 competition, as well. It's evidence of
a movement in senior living design to rethink spaces that matter deeply in terms of the
engagement and livelihood of residents. And while actions to create more vibrant spaces
that support goals for enhanced experience-be it in introducing more contemporary
dining options, enhanced health and wellness offerings, or welcoming common areas-
will certainly return, they'll likely come with a new twist.
As detailed in the trend report "Together Again" by Executive Editor Anne DiNardo
(see page 22), industry experts say that while a few short-term design solutions are being
introduced in response to the safety and infection control requirements top of mind today,
long-range planning is considering all of the above and then some. For example, the
recent trend of introducing small-scale dining offerings like cafés, bistros, and grab-and-go
food counters answers the modern resident's dining desires while also serving as flexible
space in a pandemic response. Main dining rooms that have been strategically divided
to provide residents with more seating options and table types may evolve to leverage
movable walls and structures that could flex capacity for social distancing, if necessary.
It seems that while inspired by other drivers, the course we were already on is still the
right one.
Meanwhile, we here at EFA are considering the future of design, as well-our own. Our
team is about to embark on the exploration of a brand redesign for both the EFA Expo &
Conference and the magazine. Like so many communities pursuing remodels, the foundation
is here, but it's time for a refresh.
We'll be diving into meaningful questions that explore who we are and how we want
to be perceived by the industry. We'll consider how the design of our brand is reflective
of our mission and the design of these magazine pages helps support our editorial team
in delivering the content you need in a manner that's effective and enjoyable. If you have
feedback on how we can improve the look and feel of EFA, I'd love to hear it.
There will be numerous changes taking place as we all move toward 2021 and beyond.
I look forward to navigating them together. EFA

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Lori Alford
Chief Operating Officer
Avanti Senior Living
CC Andrews
President and Chief Strategist
Quantum Age Collaborative
David Banta
Associate
Wiencek + Associates Architects + Planners
Laura Busalacchi
Senior Director of Interior Services
Brookdale Senior Living
Vassar Byrd
Chief Executive Officer
Rose Villa Senior Living
Margaret Calkins
Board Chair
Ideas Institute
Daniel J. Cinelli
Managing Principal and Board Director
Perkins Eastman
Michelle Clark
Vice President of Development
Domus Development
Andy Coelho
Senior Vice President of Facilities, Design,
and Development
Sunrise Senior Living
Alexis Denton
Associate Principal
Perkins Eastman
Mitch Elliott
Senior Partner
RDG Planning & Design
Lorraine Hiatt
Environmental Gerontologist
Planning, Research and Design Consultation
Steve Lindsey
Chief Executive Officer
Garden Spot Communities
Dean Maddalena
Founder and President
StudioSix5
Eric McRoberts
Partner
RLPS Architects
Robert C. Pfauth
Director of Senior Living Planning
Erdman
Jane Rohde
Principal
JSR Associates Inc.
Jill Schroeder
Senior Planner/Senior Interior Designer
Pope Architects
Rob Simonetti
Senior Associate and Design Director
SWBR

Spring
Fall 2020
2019 * EFAmagazine.com

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Environments for Aging - Fall 2020

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