2013 Citation of Merit winners: Celebrating excellence in LTC design

The Environments for Aging annual design issue showcases the latest trends and best practices in senior housing and long-term care design. Each year, a group of senior living designers, architects, educators and providers gather to review project submissions representing a wide range of design projects.

The objective is not only to recognize the best in eldercare design but to inspire and continue to elevate facilities in ways that benefit all stakeholders: residents, family members, owners, operators, investors, staff and those who pay for housing and care.

This year’s group of jurors convened in January at St. John’s on the Lake, Milwaukee, Wisc., for two days of judging and commentary. Renee Anderson, president, St. John’s, and her team provided a warm welcome and generous hospitality as host for this year’s judging.

Whether it’s an apartment complex where seniors can live independently, a vibrant assisted living facility, or a hospice providing palliative care for the terminally ill, each of the 2013 recipients advances the idea of housing for the elderly in ways that can inspire their fellow architects and designers as well as owners and operators of facilities where seniors live.

After hours of review, discussion and at times heated debate, the dozens of submissions were winnowed down to four finalists. These facilities and their designers will be recognized at the Environments for Aging Conference in New Orleans this April.

Long-Term Living and Environments for Aging, along with our co-sponsors, the Center for Healthcare Design (CHD), the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments (SAGE), congratulate the winners of the Environments for Aging 2013 Citations of Merit:

• Camphill Elder Initiative for Developmentally Disabled Adults, Ghent, N.Y. (Perkins Eastman)
• Cosby Spears High Rise, Atlanta, Ga. (THW Design)
• Good Shepherd Cottage at Santa Teresita, Duarte, Calif. (SmithGroupJJR)
• Haven Hospice Custead Care Center, Orange Park, Fla. (AG Architecture)

Over the next few days, we’ll post profiles of the Citation of Merit winners on the Long-Term Living website. Be sure to take a look and be inspired by great design, driven by the best in resident-centered concepts.

Patricia Sheehan

Patricia Sheehan was Editor in Chief of I Advance Senior Care / Long Term Living from 2010-2013. She is now manager, communications at Nestlé USA.