Earlier this month at the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging Conference in Philadelphia, the American Institute of Architects and the IDEAS Institute announced Rosemann & Associates, P.C. and Mount Carmel Senior Living as the first place winner of THE GREEN HOUSE ® Design Charrette in the Urban Design category.Supported by the not-for-profit NCB Capital Impact organization, a “Green House ® Project” is a design concept for group residences where frail seniors live independently in a “home-like” environment while simultaneously receiving skilled nursing care. According to NCB’s website, this innovative concept is a radical departure from traditional care communities as its design intent is to offer more privacy, autonomy and community support.
“The theory is that providing more choices and an intimate, ‘home-like’ atmosphere supports an active living environment which can lead to a sense of meaning and fulfillment in one’s life,” says senior living design expert Nancy Rodney, AIA, LEED AP.
The GREEN HOUSE ® Design Charrette involved teams from all over the country, categorized into professional and student teams. Each team was assigned one of three site types: Urban, Suburban, or Rural. Rosemann was assigned the Urban site and provided a design entitled “Garden in the City.”
“Our design creates a connection to nature and community activity that is welcoming and familiar to senior residents,” says Rodney. "For frail seniors that are unable to get outside every day these connections are necessary for mental health and personal interest.”
Each design category received roughly 20 entries and was judged based on creativity, feasibility and its ability to capture the spirit of the Green House model. According to the IDEAS Institute’s website, the jury consisted of design professionals, an elder, a “Shabaz”, a family member of an elder living in a Green House ® home and care providers who are familiar with the concept.
Though Green House ® homes are a fairly new concept among design professionals and care providers in the Midwest Rodney says the idea is spreading. Currently, there is one Green House model community in Kansas, one in Ohio and three in Michigan. At the same time, the cost to participate in the Green House ® Project is moving out of reach for many senior care providers.
“I do think that we will see a Green House ® community soon in our part of the Midwest,” she says. “This is because there are providers who feel the support offered by the program to develop a community is worth the cost.”
But the Green House ® idea is bigger than the program. Rodney says she feels it has already affected radically the way design professionals and care providers think about new skilled nursing projects.
“It will continue to spread influence not only over the physical arrangement of spaces but the concept of care and caregivers in skilled nursing homes,” she says. “This benefit will be felt in the entire community.”
For more information contact Pam Boelhauf at 314.678.1448.
To read an article written for Multi Housing News click on this link: http://www.multihousingnews.com/multihousing/content_display/industry-news/e3i2998df2f8111f6a83be409e1fabd2336
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