The Best is Yet to Be: Carolina Bay Continuing Care Retirement Community by LS3P

THE BEST IS YET TO BE

Carolina Bay Continuing Care Retirement Community

The good news is that we’re in good company. The American population, on average, is older than it used to be. As the Baby Boomers edge into their senior years, the 65+ demographic will continue to grow. Right now, one in every seven Americans is a senior citizen. By 2030, it will be nearly one in five. The better news? Multiple studies show that our senior years may be our happiest. Surprised? Consider this: after the struggles of youth and the stresses of middle age, many find that the Golden Years bring new interests, stronger relationships, more security, a better sense of perspective, and the freedom to pursue one’s passions. Happiness, it seems, is generally graphed as a U-curve across our lives. For those on the downward slope, don’t fret: starting at age 50, happiness levels tend to climb significantly with each passing decade.

We are all aging, every day.

How, then, should we plan to enjoy these senior years? LS3P’s Wilmington office has some ideas. A design team led by Chris Boney recently completed the first phases of Carolina Bay, a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in the thriving Autumn Hall mixed-use development. The developer, Liberty Healthcare, hired LS3P as Architect of Record and Brown Craig Turner Architects for the master planning and design of this multi-phase development at the forefront of senior living trends.

Aside from its stellar coastal location, Carolina Bay offers some very appealing advantages as a senior living option: flexibility, connectivity, and a gracious lifestyle. In a CCRC, “community” is the key word. A far cry from the institutional, isolated environment of the stereotypical “nursing homes” of the past, a CCRC offers appealing, engaging choices for just about everyone.

At Carolina Bay, seniors desiring an active lifestyle might choose a luxurious detached Garden Flat which gives them access to an active social community while allowing plenty of independence. These generously sized condominiums, 6 units per building, come with upscale finishes, a variety of floor plans, garages, and wraparound porches in a traditional coastal Southern vernacular.

CLOSET

CLOSET MECH 5'8" x 4’3"

5'8" x 4’3"

C L

MECH

FOYER

7'8" x 12'3"

OFFICE

10'8" x 9'7"

ENTRY

C ENTRYL

ENTRY

15’3” x 5’7”

BEDROOM

12’1” x 11’9”

12’1” x 11’11”

BEDROOM 12’5” x 11’9”

BATH

10’3” x 7’1”

CORRIDOR

BATH 10’2” x 7’0”

MECH

CORRIDOR

HVAC

BATH 10’2” x 7’0”

CLOSET L

CORRIDOR

CLOSET

CLOSET HVAC

HVAC

CLOSET

BATHROOM

10’10” x 7’4”

CLOSET

MASTER BATH

5’1” x 7’9” W

MASTER BATH

10’3” x 13’3”

KITCHEN

16’7” x 12’1”

T D

MASTER BATH

KITCHEN

16’7” x 12’1”

19’9” x 7’7”

STUDY

MASTER BATH

10’10” x 9’10”

10’3” x 13’3”

MASTER SUITE 15’3” x 14’9”

CLOSET

7’1” x 6’5”

7’1” CL x 6’5”

DINING CL

16’7” x 9’3”

DINING 16’7” x 9’3”

CLOSET

7’1” x 6’5”

7’1” CL x 6’5”

DINING

16’7” x 9’3”

KITCHEN 15’4” x 11’3”

MASTER SUITE 14’0” x 15’5”

UNIT PLAN A

LIVING

16’7” x 15’0”

02 FLOOR- MARKETING 02 FLOOR- MARKETING PLAN UNIT APLAN UNIT A 2 1/4" = 1'-0" 1/4" = 1'-0"

MASTER SUITE

14’0” x 15’5”

LIVING 16’7” x 15’0”

LIVING

16’7” x 15’0”

15’8” x 15’5”

DINING 15’4” x 11’2”

03 FLOOR- MARKETING 03 FLOOR- MARKETING 3 3 UNIT PLAN B PLAN UNIT A+PLAN UNIT A+ 1/4" = 1'-0"

1/4" = 1'-0"

02 FLOORMARKETING UNIT PLAN C PLAN UNIT B

1/4" = 1'-0"

Marketing Units Marketing A & BCare Units A & B Liberty Health 02.18.16 02.18.16

CAROLINA BAY CCRC MFA-#01

Residents who want a little more assistance with daily activities may prefer an apartment (independent or assisted living) on the primary campus. From the entrance, the 350,000 SF main building looks more like a grand hotel than a senior living community, with an expansive courtyard, tower, fountain, and wide textured concrete drive. This welcoming first impression and beautiful native landscape hint at the charming, well-appointed spaces inside.

To celebrate the coastal surroundings and give the campus a sense of place, the design team integrated architectural elements and materials which will be familiar to those who have visited the Cape Fear region: weathered brick, shingle siding, detailed metalwork, deep eaves, covered porches, and balconies. The high-quality finishes, furnishings, and art all combine to create a graceful, comfortable, welcoming atmosphere which typifies Southern hospitality.

NHA OFFICE

MEDICAL RECORDS

NURSING MARKETING

MDS COORDINATOR

ALF MARKETING

CLOSET

OFFICE

CORRIDOR TRAINING

TRAINING OFFICE SOCIAL WORK OFFICE MANAGER INFORMATION

EMR

VESTIBULE LOBBY

CORRIDOR

BATH

ACT DIR CONFERENCE RM MECH

LOUNGE

MENS WC

WOMENS WC

STOR

STOR STAFF

TEAM

MS FOYER

UNIT MS

CORRIDOR

UNIT MS LIVING RM

CORRIDOR

PORCH UNIT MS

UNIT MS STOR

DINING ROOM

UNIT MS

KITCHEN

UNIT MS PANTRY

CORRIDOR

UNIT MS

ELEC.

MEDS

STAFF

UNIT MS

LAUNDRY

BATHING SPA

UNIT MS

UNIT M

CORRIDOR

MS ENTRANCE

STAIR 2 JAN/ MAINT.

For all residents, connectivity within the Carolina Bay community and beyond is key. To that end, the design team masterplanned the 24 acre campus with ease of circulation in mind. Outdoors, inviting paths link all of the campus spaces to the wider community through walking trails and golf cart paths. Covered podium parking is connected to direct elevator access to all levels of the building for easier travel. Indoors, barrier-free hallways are light-filled and attractive and showcase views to nature while minimizing thresholds. Connections to the health care center required a delicate balance; residents can easily access the center to visit loved ones, but the health care center is visually separated from the independent living area.

UNIT MS

UNIT B6

UNIT C4

UNIT C5 STORAGE

OFFICE

UNIT F RISER ROOM UNIT C1

UNIT F

EMR

UP STAIR 1

STORAGE UNIT D1

VESTIBULE

STORAGE

RESIDENT STOR

PT/OT CORRIDOR UNIT C1

RESIDENT STOR

UNIT B1 UNIT B1

UNIT C1

RESIDENT STOR UNIT B3 CORRIDOR

UNIT B1

STAIR 6

ELECTRICAL

UNIT C1

M.P. STORAGE

STAIR 5

RESIDENT STOR

TRASH

UNIT A1 VESTIBULE

UNIT B1

ART ROOM

MULTI-PURPOSE CORRIDOR WC

WC-HC

WORK RM WC WC-HC

ADMIN BUSINESS MANAGER BUSINESS OFFICE

CONF. LIVING RM/ LIBRARY

LOBBY UNIT MS

UNIT MS

VESTIBULE

OFFICE READING RM

SOILED LINEN

MECH.

MKTG. RECEPTION

VESTIBULE

BREAK ROOM

WHEELCHAIR STORAGE

CORRIDOR

UNIT MS

E.M.R.

BILLIARDS

ACT. OFFICE

OFFICE

CORRIDOR

UP UNIT MS

STAFF TOILET

MEN

STAIR 3

LOBBY CORRIDOR

WOMEN

MEN WOMEN

CARDS

LAUNDRY

PRIVATE DINING CLEAN LINEN

OFFICE

STAIR 7

OFFICE

GRILL BAR

MECH

MARKET/CAFE

CORRIDOR

FITNESS RM

ELECTRICAL SPA/SALON

MECH.

STOR MASSAGE

TEMP RES. STOR.

ELECTRICAL

KITCHEN

MENS LOCKER

UNIT E

WELLNESS LOUNGE WC

RISER ROOM

BOILER

UNIT A2 UNIT B2

WOMENS LOCKER POOL OFFICE EXERCISE RM

POOL EQUIP STOR

CORRIDOR

UNIT B5 CORRIDOR

EQUIP RM POOL UNIT A3

DN UNIT A1

UP STAIR 4

UNIT A1

“

Do not deprive me of my age. I have earned it. - May Sarton

”

Social engagement has a huge impact on happiness, so the design team wove enticing gathering spaces into the design throughout the campus. The Garden Flats feature wide shared covered porches. In the main building, a book-filled library offers a variety of nooks for reading or conversation, and a game room draws people in for billiards or cards. The four dining spaces include a grill, a market café, a private dining room, and a full-service pub. Outdoor courtyards also encourage socializing, shared meals, and relaxation.

To help residents stay fit and active, Carolina Bay provides fitness facilities, physical therapy, an occupational gym, an indoor therapy pool, locker rooms, and group classes. The Carolina Bay program also offers residents an abundance of opportunities for engagement in the way of social gatherings, lifelong learning classes through the local university, volunteer options, fitness activities, and hobbies. An indoor pool, inhouse salon/spa, and flexible spaces for formal and informal gatherings are popular spaces for meet-ups.

If health needs change, Carolina Bay’s Health Care Center and Memory Care Unit are designed to ease the transition to greater support. The three-story HealthCare Center has a separate entrance, administration, and reception space, and units are separated by floor. Each floor has its own living, dining, and activity spaces as well as a screen porch or sunroom and support spaces. The Memory Care Unit addresses the particular needs of people with dementia, caring for residents in dedicated “households” with studio apartments; shared kitchen, living, and dining areas; and a secure private garden.

The design and construction process is never without its challenges. Designing carefully considered spaces for seniors required both big-picture ideas and exacting detail to achieve connectedness, Southern charm, flexibility, and safety. From threshold-free design to appealing circulation paths to space proportions, the team kept the needs of the end users at the forefront of the process. The complex master planning and design process required a long schedule. As construction ended and the center’s staff came on board, a flurry of late-stage changes made for a compressed schedule before a grand opening. LS3P and the contractor, however, were committed to fulfilling requests as seamlessly as possible, so quick coordination and a spirit of cooperation resulted in a very satisfied client and a very successful opening. The independent living portion of the project was, in fact, completed ahead of schedule, and residents began arriving in fall of 2015. The health care center was scheduled for a later opening; despite having to clear numerous rigorous inspections, the center received final approval from the state in June of 2016.

the Golden Years ahead

Now that Carolina Bay is up and running, the client is extremely satisfied, and the successful partnership has led to a flurry of new projects. Most importantly, the residents have a new place to call home which allows them to stay active, connected, and happy. Here’s to a brand new chapter for each of them, and to the Golden Years ahead.

.COM