Interior view / photographer Lucy Chen
Lowell, MA – Element Care partnered with Chapman Construction/Design and Architectural Consulting Services to renovate 166 Central Street in Lowell, a 19th century High Victorian Gothic building that had not been fully utilized in more than 30 years.
As they embarked on this year-long project, the team knew it would present many challenges, but everyone shared the same vision of the building’s potential. The layout was not typical of an adult day health facility, but with a creative design and a thoughtful construction approach, the team was able to modernize the building’s systems and structure to create a space that is now home to one of the most advanced Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) centers in the country.
166 Lowell / photo by Lucy Chen
To keep the building’s historic charm, many period details were restored, including the colonnade that was incorporated into the building’s central hallway and the ornamental ceiling medallions in the main day room. The addition of a roof deck, two new elevators, more than 200 new windows, and an insulated envelope were among the major renovations.
Multipurpose rooms offer space for art, music, and cooking programs, while the many exam and physical therapy rooms allow for in-house patient care from top physicians and nurses, and the occupational therapy apartment helps train patients in self-care tasks.
At full capacity, the space can provide comprehensive care to more than 250 participants and staff living in the area. What had once been a blight on the community is now a thriving resource for the elderly in the heart of downtown Lowell.
