Seniors Housing Business is the magazine that helps you navigate the evolution of the seniors housing industry.
Issue link: https://seniorshousingbusiness.epubxp.com/i/484276
Ragsdale. "There are a lot of great products out there, even what's considered lower-end." LED lighting has allowed for a compromise between the danger- ous shadows and low light asso- ciated with incandescent bulbs and the institutional brightness of fuorescent bulbs. "By far the most important aspect of aesthetics is lighting," says Ragsdale. "We have to bal- ance not wanting an overly bright, clinical atmosphere, but wanting suffcient light to see things, not cast shadows, not create dark spots and trip hazards. Striking that fne line without an institu- tional look is really an art." The layout can be liberating Interior design is about a lot more than what flls a space, of course. The space itself is part of the overall mission, and possibly the most important. Layout can be the key to improving residents' lives, says JSR's Rohde, because it can encourage them to use all the community's amenities. From welcoming outdoor spaces to simple additions like more handrails, layout can "multiply someone's independence." "You can design something that either supports independence or limits independence," says Rohde. "You want to design toward allowing people to have as much independence as possible." Ragsdale says Thrive designs everything around driving residents into socialization areas using strategically placed walk- ing trails, benches and heaters. The company's designs often start with the outdoor space because that's a place that encourages both healthy living and socialization. "Like most providers, one of our programming goals is to have our residents spend as little time in their rooms alone as possible," says Ragsdale. Both Ragsdale and Rohde observe that it's important to work with architects who under- stand the nuances in the seniors housing industry so that their construction plans mesh with the design elements. "It's absolutely crucial to have an interior design frm that's very experienced in this space, and an interior design frm that plays well with architects. There's always a lot of friction there," says Ragsdale, noting the com- mon clash between tactical archi- tects and artsy designers. "We often partner with local architects who are familiar with the local code requirements," says Rohde. "Providing knowl- edgeable senior living consulting and interior design services flls the knowledge gap of under- standing the needs of seniors." Maddalena of studioSIX5 is an architect himself, and he says his company always seeks designers who specialize in seniors housing for exactly that reason. "There is a premium to hire a designer with seniors expe- rience, but the payback is many fold on the back side." n Thrive designs everything around driving residents into socialization areas using strategically placed walking trails, benches and heaters. The company's designs often start with the outdoor space because that's a place that encourages both healthy living and socialization. — Jeramy Ragsdale Founder Thrive Senior Living 48 www.seniorshousingbusiness.com Seniors Housing Business n February-March 2015