Rockhill Mennonite Community

PART II
2014 Design for Aging Forum:
Post-Occupancy Review
Course Number: 31-C
Andrew Alden, Studio Director, Eppstein Uhen Architects
Renee Anderson, President, Saint John’s Communities Inc.
Shekhar Bhushan, AIA, President, SB Architecture PC Inc.
Ingrid L. Fraley, President, Design Services Inc.
Linford Good, VP Planning & Marketing, Landis Communities
Bill Trawick, President & CEO, Bishop Gadsden
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Sellersville, PA
SFCS Architects
Review by: Bill Trawick
Rockhill Mennonite Community
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Introduction
Located on a 44 rolling acre park-like setting in Bucks County, PA,
with ponds, fountains, walking trails and lush gardens
75-year history, beginning as a tourist home converted into a
convalescent home for short term stays
Prior to present project, Community consisted of 212 ILUs, 33
Personal Care beds, and 90 skilled care beds.
RMC’s commitment to excellence was recently recognized by the
U. S. News and World Report’s survey of the best nursing homes in
the country, as RMC’s health care center was awarded a five-star
rating, the highest that is given.
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Architect’s Statement
Rockhill Mennonite Community needed to evaluate their nursing
and assisted living programs. A two-phase master plan was
developed to expand the campus and create a “residential village”.
The owner, administration, and staff conducted significant research
prior to embarking on this project. They felt their expansion
revealed many “cookie cutter” plans, but RMC wanted to achieve
something that had not been done before. A series of charrettes
were held to render potential design solutions.
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Architect’s Statement
The final outcome was a new three-story Personal Care building for
20 residents, Adult Day Services serving up to 40 residents, an
expanded Wellness Center, and Chapel.
Personal Care offers enhanced “person-centered” care through a
new concept of living and social interaction. It provides an
environment in which to live in that is “home”, where the living
areas, open kitchens, activity centers, and other spaces allow the
same choices residents had in their previous homes or communities.
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Project Information
Personal Care for 20 Residents
Adult Day Care for 40 Residents
Expanded Wellness Center, Spa and Chapel
Resident Room:
385 GSF
Total Area:
9,700 GSF / Residential Space
6,400 GSF / Common Space
Overall Total Area:
32,254 GSF
Project Cost:
$161/GSF
Total Project Cost:
$5.2M
First Occupancy:
June 2012
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Objectives
 To create an exciting new vision for RMC through design, while
supporting concepts of sustainable design and energy
conservation
 To respect the heritage, simplicity and materiality of the existing
campus, but to present a new and bold vision
 To challenge all paradigms of typical Assisted Living designs and
create a new model that encourages independence and wellbeing
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Master Plan
2012 Addition
Existing Apartment Building
Rockhill Mennonite Community
New Vision
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Contemporary Details / Materials
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Daycare / Wellness Center – Ground Level
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Personal Care Households – 2nd & 3rd Floors
Entrance
Foyer
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Personal Care
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Dining Kitchen – Sky View
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Living Room – Garden View Level
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Layering of Spaces / Resident Room Cluster
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Resident Room – Floor Plan
Resident Room
Light Shelf + Motorized Shade
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Resident Room
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Resident Bathroom
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Adult Daycare
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Adult Daycare - Courtyard
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Wellness
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Chapel
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Details
 Clerestory windows produced glare
 High ceilings and hard finishes made space acoustically
problematic
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Observations
 Lack of direct connectivity between day care interior and exterior
spaces
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Observations
 Privacy Partitions – Institutional / Incongruent
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Observations
 Staff Workstations were not ergonomically well designed
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Observations
 Lack of covered transportation entrance for Adult Daycare
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Observations
 The Chapel – Size / Scale Problematic
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Observations
 LEED© Certified
 Enriched interiors / cluster design of resident rooms
 Layering of experiences from Public to Semi-Public to Private
interior spaces
 Excellent resident room design with ample size and multiple
options for bed / furniture placement
 Generous use of glass enabling visual connectivity to outside
 Use of light shelves / motorized shades to bring in & control light
 Resident room and bathroom connectivity for visual queuing
 Attention to lighting in resident bathrooms
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Accolades – Personal Care
 Three separate activity zones enable a variety of experiences
 Under surface cooktop to enable a multi-use island
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Accolades – Adult Daycare
 Easy access from both Personal Care and Adult Daycare
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Accolades – Fitness Center / Spa
Rockhill Mennonite Community
Clearly a Home Run!
Architecture is daring and different and makes a contemporary and
dramatic statement for the Community.
END OF PART II
Contact Information
Anita Little
alittle@LeadingAge.org