Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 21

VIRTUAL
CONFERENCE

REVIEW
Successful pubs require
a multifaceted approach
Pubs are one of the quickest growing
amenity spaces in senior living communities, and not having one could be a dealbreaker for many prospective residents.
Although rare 15 years ago, shifting
generational norms have made pubs more
popular with today's residents entering
continuing care retirement communities
(CCRCs). During the session "Gin Joints,
Tap Rooms, Taverns, and Pubs," speakers Quinn DeMenna, project manager at
Spiezle Architectural Group Inc.; Schelley
Hollyday, principal at The Hollyday Group;
and Keith Grady, executive director at
Applewood Estates CCRC, addressed how
this new trend is impacting design and
space requirements.
Currently, 65 percent of retirement communities have alcoholic beverage licenses
or are in the process of obtaining one,
and more than 50 percent have a cocktail
lounge, pub, or tap room, Hollyday said.
As more communities move forward on
projects, bar configurations and seating
are among the considerations that need to
be addressed in design, DeMenna added.
"Each bar height has a different way of
making us feel while seated at a bar.
There is no one size that fits all communities," he said. For example, a tableheight bar is easiest for a frail resident to
navigate and accommodates residents
in wheelchairs. However, a 42-inch bar
height is what most people associate with
a traditional bar setup, putting the patron
and bartender at the same eye level. "It's
also a comfortable height when another
resident walks up from behind and joins in
a conversation with the seated resident,"
DeMenna said.
Most recently, organizations must deal
with COVID-19 restrictions, which can
impact pub design and operations. For
example, Hollyday said communities need
to think about supporting social distancing
with the removal and spacing of tables
and bar stools and implementing a table
waitlist or reservation system.-Tracey
Walker

Making the middle market viable
Consider these statistics: 50 percent of households 55+ have no retirement savings and nearly
40 percent of individuals aged 62 and older are projected to have financial assets of $25,000 or
less over the next 20 years, according to the National Investment Center. "And you combine that
with the fact that the number of middle income seniors will increase to over 14 million residents
by 2029, and in less than 10 years, there's a need for a middle-market senior housing product
of over 7 million households," said Craig Kimmel, partner at RLPS Architects (Lancaster, Pa.).
"That's really frightening."
Kimmel and Margaret Yu, designer at RLPS Architects, used these statistics to kick off a discussion during the session "Design Strategies to Meet the Needs of the Middle Market." "Trying
to respond to that need is what we're spending a lot of time at the firm investing our efforts in as
we start looking to the future and what that actually might be," Kimmel said.
One thing is clear, he said. "[Middle market projects are] different than a product we create
for a CCRC." Specifically, he said project teams need to think differently about such elements as
location, building elements, finishes and materials, and maximizing square footage to drive down
costs without sacrificing the quality of the living environment. "It's requires a lot of rigor."
Sharing an example of a pocket neighborhood concept RLPS did for a community in South
Carolina, Kimmel and Yu explained how the project team used a combination of indoor and outdoor spaces to maximize the living environment. The community features clusters of 10 attached
cottages with front porches that share an outdoor courtyard and a community room, which includes a kitchen and outdoor patio. "The product allows us to keep the footprint of the individual
units smaller because of the community space," Yu said.
Additionally, construction savings were realized by using repetitive bathrooms and kitchens
in the community's two unit options-a one-bedroom, 700-square-foot unit and a two-bedroom, 865-square-foot model-while interior finishes were used to help maximize daylight in
the units, including a frosted glass insert in the bedroom door to allow light further into the unit.
While looking for ways to maximize costs and efficiencies, Kimmel said it's important to
deliver environments that appeal to seniors' tastes through strategic use of materials and
amenity spaces. Yu noted that because many of these units are rentals, operators can offer
a simple finish package with different color options to provide a sense of choice and customization. She added that there are several products on the market, including plastic laminate
countertops or carpet and sheet vinyl flooring, that can be used to freshen up spaces without a big price tag.
An additional cost-saving strategy is to minimize the building shape, including reducing ins
and outs and utilizing repetitive building elements such as flat or sloped roofs. During renovation
projects it's important to try not to relocate bathrooms or entry doors to reduce costly expenses
related to rerouting plumbing or constructing new entries, Kimmel said. Additionally, the speakers noted that attention should be paid to make sure efficiencies don't drive up other construction costs. For example, adding floors to a building to accommodate more units (and increase
revenue) can put a project into a different code category, which can result in eliminating the
opportunity to do wood-frame construction or add to equipment costs for generators or sprinkler
systems. "Taller isn't always cheaper," Kimmel said.
To appeal to seniors' desire for more urban locations, Kimmel and Yu said that there are opportunities for projects in existing, underutilized spaces, including former warehouses, retail and
shopping center locations, and corporate campuses. However, Kimmel noted that there's growing competition with millennials for urban rental housing. "It becomes tough to find properties
that are inexpensive enough to make the middle market viable."
Utilizing such design approaches as repetition, scale, simplicity, and non-custom environments can help deliver cost-effective approaches that are appealing to seniors. "You need to put
a new set of glasses on when you look at this type of building product and be disciplined about
everything you do," Kimmel said.-Anne DiNardo

Summer 2020 * EFAmagazine.com

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Environments for Aging - Summer 2020

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