New Canaan, CT — Amenta Emma Architects recently joined Waveny LifeCare Network in celebrating the groundbreaking of a new 41,000sf short-term inpatient rehabilitation facility in New Canaan.
Designed in close collaboration with Waveny’s clinical teams, the 2-story center will feature 30 private patient rooms, expanded inpatient and outpatient therapy services, dedicated education and training spaces, an interfaith chapel, and telemedicine capabilities. A dramatic curved terracotta and glass façade are designed to establish a welcoming arrival experience, while evidence-based design principles guide the interior environment. Biophilic elements, warm natural materials, nature-inspired colors and patterns, and expansive windows in every patient room are designed to create spaces that actively support healing and recovery. The facility will serve individuals age 16 and older recovering from illness, injury, or surgery, with thoughtfully designed areas to encourage family participation throughout the recovery process.
“This project reflects our belief that the built environment is inseparable from the quality of care,” said Myles Brown, AIA, principal at Amenta Emma Architects. “We worked closely with Waveny’s clinical and operational teams to design a facility that is not only functionally excellent, but genuinely restorative – a place where patients feel supported from the moment they arrive.”
Waveny Care Center
Waveny’s existing Care Center operates at more than 90% occupancy and is currently able to accept only a small percentage of hospital referrals for short-term rehabilitation. Upon completion in spring 2028, the center will more than double Waveny’s private-room rehabilitation capacity and enable the organization to serve more than 400 additional patients annually.
The project team includes Wesley Stout Associates as landscape architect, LandTech as civil engineer, CES as MEP engineer, Michael Horton Associates as structural engineer, A.P. Construction as construction manager, and M&T Bank providing project financing.
