Margulies Perruzzi Designs Expansion of Edgewood Retirement Community By John Pearson, AIA, LEED AP

North Andover, MA – The senior population in the United States is growing and changing, and so too are housing options for the senior set. A variety of senior housing is available, from independent living facilities and residents’ apartments to assisted living and long-term nursing care.

North Andover, MA – The senior population in the United States is growing and changing, and so too are housing options for the senior set. A variety of senior housing is available, from independent living facilities and residents’ apartments to assisted living and long-term nursing care.

To accommodate older adults as their medical needs and living requirements change, independent living retirement communities are incorporating assisting living facilities, long-term care wings, and Alzheimer’s/dementia units. This integrated approach to care, as an individual’s needs change, is often referred to as “continuing care.” Designing comfortable, safe, and enriching spaces and facilities for these senior years has become the focus of architects, designers, and facility managers.

The Edgewood Retirement Community, an independent living and continuing care facility in North Andover is nearing completion of a major expansion and renovation, the first significant expansion of the facility in over 10 years. Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA), prime architect, designed the project in association with Levi Wong Design Associates (LWDA), senior care and healthcare architect.

MPA and LWDA developed the design for the expanded facility through active listening, by conducting focus groups and discussions with Edgewood residents, families of residents, staff and administrators. Given the overall scope of the project and its impact, physically and psychologically, on the entire Edgewood community, it was critical that the development process include opportunities for community members to express their needs, hopes and dreams, as well as their fears and concerns. Through these discussions, utmost attention was paid to the sensitivities, special interests and needs of the elderly population – over 260 senior residents – that call this community home.

Located on a rural 80-acre site, the 12-year-old Edgewood retirement community offers independent living and a continuum of care that provides assistance as needed. The 40,000sf renovation and expansion project features 20 patient beds in The Meadows Health Center, Edgewood’s skilled care unit, connected to a wing of “The Garden Path,” a new 15,000sf, 40-bed cognitively impaired unit. Ten of the new beds in the CIU are allocated as “swing space,” offering flexibility for nursing care as the resident population changes over time. The renovations also include new space for staff support and Edgewood’s Adult Social Day Program, an expanded Wellness and Rehabilitation Clinic, expansion of the Commons Building Living Room, and a new 80-seat informal dining bistro.

Beginning in the fall of 2008, a phased construction process was developed, and clearly communicated to residents, to minimize impact and allow occupancy as spaces were completed. Special attention was paid to the protection of residents and property, and construction areas and activities were isolated from occupied areas.

Designing the expansion for the Edgewood Retirement Community involved the collaborative effort of residents, their families, staff, and facility administrators, to create a living and working environment that facilitates and supports the continuum of care and the health and well being of Edgewood residents.

The project will be completed in the spring of 2010. Trident Project Advantage Group of Salem, N.H. served as the owner’s project manager. Eckman Construction of Bedford, N.H. was the construction manager.John P. Pearson, AIA, LEED AP, is a senior associate at Boston-based Margulies Perruzzi Architects, a 22-year-old design firm specializing in corporate, professional services, real estate, healthcare, and research and development fieldsapril NESEA article