CHALLENGE:

The proposed site for the CCRC was an industrially zoned site near a historic mill and stream not far from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. The six acre site has a slope of 60 feet over the property and the single buildable acre had a 30 foot change in elevation. The grades presented a challenge for a design to be the home to people who are accessibility challenged.

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OUTCOME:

RM SOVICH ARCHITECTURE created an elegant senior living community of 160 units, including 36 assisted living units, and underground parking on a challenging industrial site in Wallingford, Pennsylvania. The landscape surrounding the building creates a link to the public park system running along Crum Creek to the Swarthmore Arboretum.

This award-winning building draws on the historic architecture of adjacent Victoria Mills. The building takes the form of an “L” cradling the structured parking. Entrance to the building is on the top level of the three level parking structure – an elevated platform in the trees overlooking the creek. The west side of the building overlooks a meadow, the east overlooks the creek, and the north end overlooks the creek and falls. The program includes 36 assisted living residences, and 124 one and two bedroom apartments for independent living, a lobby lounge, dining room, bar, internet cafe, a serving kitchen, activity rooms, theater, visiting physician’s office and exam, beauty shop, men’s lounge, full kitchen, and structured parking all overlooking Crum Creek and the historic 19th century mill buildings of Victoria Mills.