Senior Community Planning Major Expansion
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA retirement community in West Lafayette has hired Indianapolis-based InterDesign to lead a $10 million building project. Westminster Village's expansion will include additional housing units and a new fitness facility.
September 9, 2013
News Release
Indianapolis, Ind. — InterDesign, an Indianapolis based architectural design and planning services firm, announced today that it was recently awarded a $10 million building project with Westminster Village in West Lafayette, Indiana. Westminster Village is a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) located in Lafayette, Indiana that offers independent living for seniors, along with a full continuum of care including assisted living, Alzheimer’s/dementia care, and intermediate and skilled nursing. The project, slated to break ground in 2014, will provide Westminster Village in West Lafayette with a new, large-scale wellness and fitness facility and additional independent living housing.
“This expansion is significant,” says Dan Ware, architect and project manager at InterDesign. “It will allow Westminster Village in West Lafayette to serve the community at a much greater level by offering enhanced wellness services, and independent housing units with spacious floor plans.”
The project, lead by InterDesign, brings together three heavy hitters in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction arena:
• InterDesign- A renowned Indianapolis-based architecture and design services firm specializing in senior living and assisted living facilities;
• Barker, Rinker, Seacat Architecture – A Colorado based architecture firm with significant experience providing services for recreational centers; and
• Water Technology, Inc.—A Wisconsin-based aquatic planning, design and engineering consultant.
Acquiring land adjacent to the existing facility is allowing Westminster Village the ability to undertake the expansion project that includes the addition of an impressive wellness center for the residents. Plans are in development for the center that will house a fitness center, complete with workout equipment, and a fairly large aquatics area that will include a lap swimming pool. The building will be used to provide wellness consultations, check-ups and aerobic exercise classes for residents.
“In Indiana, there is no other community that offers a wellness and fitness center for their residents on the scale that is being planned for this facility,” continues Ware. “Today's active senior community wants a place where they can go to tend to their wellness needs and stay active. This center will meet the fitness needs for Westminster’s independent and assisted living residents while providing state-of-the-art wellness care in the form of check-ups and other services for those residents who need it.”
Along with the wellness center, Westminster Village in Lafayette is adding an additional 24 units of housing for residents seeking an independent living environment. The units, which will range between 1,400 and 2,200 square feet in size, are larger than typical independent housing units found in most CCRCs.
“Seniors can have a hesitancy to move from their home into an independent living facility after retirement,” explains Ware, “because many units cannot accommodate their family, visitors, or the possessions they’ve accumulated over the course of their life. These homes will be bigger and more upscale. They will be designed with functionality in mind so that residents can enjoy their retirement years in a spacious, upscale environment.”
“That's not all,” continues Ware. Parking will be a primary consideration during the design process as well. “Parking is a huge concern for retirement communities. It's what is lacking at most CCRCs. Many have surface parking, garages or carports that are not convenient or safe. It takes too many steps to get from their car to their home,” explains Ware. “One goal we have for this project is to face the challenge of parking head on and provide residents with a convenient and safe place to park their cars.”
The $10 million project, set to break ground in spring of 2014, is estimated to be complete by mid 2015.
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InterDesign
InterDesign, a local architectural design and planning services firm, is a headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Established in 1975, InterDesign provides comprehensive professional design services for Higher Education, K12 Education, Healthcare/Senior Living, Governmental, Corporate/Commercial and Non-Profit/Faith Based. Visit www.interdesign.com for information.
Westminster Village – West Lafayette
Westminster Village in West Lafayette, Indiana, is a continuing care retirement community for seniors who want to maintain an independent and fulfilling lifestyle filled with activity, wellness, companionship and peace of mind. Westminster Village offers independent living in 137 apartments and 57 homes, as well as a full continuum of care including Assisted Living, Alzheimer’s/Dementia care, and Intermediate and Skilled Nursing. More information can be found by logging onto http://www.wvwl.org.
Source: InterDesign