January 1, 2002 |

Tsomides Associates Architects, Carleton-Willard Village

Carleton-Willard Village – Bedford, Massachusetts
Tsomides Associates Architects
Planners/TAAP – Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts

Type of Facility/Setting: Wellness Center/Pool Pavilion on CCRC campus

Facility Contact: Barbara A. Doyle, CEO

Firm: Tsomides Associates Architects Planners/TAAP, (617) 969-4774

Design Team: Tsomides Associates Architects Planners/TAAP, Architect; Woodman Design Group, Interior Designer; Carol R. Johnson, Inc., Landscape Architect; Linbeck/Kennedy & Rossi, Construction Manager; Foley and Buhl Engineering, Inc., Structural Engineer

Photography: Hutchins Photography, Inc.

Resident Capacity: Used by 155 IL units and 69 AL units/day

Space/Resident (sq. ft.): N/A

Total Area (sq. ft.): 3,090 (gross)

Total Cost (excluding land): $1.2 million

Cost/Sq. Ft.: $388.35

Completion: March 2000

The new Pool Pavilion (Natatorium), part of a larger comprehensive Wellness Center, was strategically located to be accessible to the residents directly from the outside and the main internal circulation corridor. Local conservation ordinances restricted the amount of impervious surface area that could be added to this existing 67-acre, not-for-profit CCRC campus, thus limiting the amount of land available for new structures. As outdoor paved terraces for the pool were not feasible, a large overhead skylight, bringing the outside into the interior, was introduced. The large skylight is centrally located over the pool, and the undulating ceiling surfaces leading up to and framing it were designed to convey movement and inspire and encourage residents’ activity.

The new Pavilion houses a lap pool for recreational exercise and swimming (with two racing lanes) and a smaller, separate therapy whirlpool. Maximum depth of the lap pool at 4′ 0″ and a minimum pool-floor slope ensure safety and provide a sense of security, while accommodating swimming and recreational activities.

Integral horizontal blinds inside the window glazing provide flexibility: Residents can see out, yet the blinds tilt for privacy from passersby. A custom-designed, nonslip, ceramic-tile pool deck in a nautical theme (dolphins and waves) surrounds the pool, while glazed office partitions allow therapists to constantly observe the pool area.

The Pavilion is located adjacent to the Main Administration (restored) Farm House building and is intimately detailed and sheathed with gray-stained (fire-retardant) shingles to convey a warm and welcoming residential quality. The structure is of Type 1 noncombustible construction to meet Building Code and Life Safety Code requirements for healthcare facilities, to accommodate future use by adjacent nursing center residents.

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