Colorado-Real-Estate-Journal_367708

Page 12 — Health Care, Senior & Life Sciences Quarterly — October 2023 www.crej.com SENIOR HOUSING: OFFICE CONVERSIONS D enver is full of underper- forming office buildings waiting for their next life. Converting vacant office buildings into residential is a trend gaining traction in Colo- rado as cities like Denver continue to incentivize their conversions. Attracting older adults to occupy these repositioned buildings may be Denver’s solution as new trends for senior living appear for developers. Nearly a quarter of Denver office spaces were still vacant in Sep- tember, according to the Down- town Denver Partnership’s “High- Frequency Economic Update.” Across the United States, another 1.4 billion square feet of office space – approximately the size of Greeley – could become obsolete in the next few years, according to news reports. Fewer employees are going into the office after the pandemic as Denver grapples with one of the worst housing shortages in the country. Zillow estimates Colorado’s capital is missing 70,000 units. Older Americans are also expected to reach unprecedented levels in the next 30 years. Accord- ing to Edward Jones, Americans 65 and older are expected to reach 86 million by 2050. That is up from 35 million in 2000. Residential conversions offer a two-birds, one-stone approach by breathing new life into the urban corridor and replacing workers with residents. Denver is expediting the process with a pilot program where develop- ers can meet one-on-one with staff to fast-track the development review process. “These distressed buildings have an opportunity for a new life,” said Melissa Rum- mel, development director of Nichols Partnership. She serves on Denver’s task force for office to residential conversions. “It’s a way to bring vibrancy back into the urban core while preserving a piece of history.” Converting vacant office build- ings for residential use has been a mainstream idea with minimal movement. Developers may face structural, zoning and legal issues, among other regulations, that can make conversions costly. However, officials are open to conversions and cutting the red tape to help. Besides regulations, the evaluation and input from MEP engineers are critical, according to Rummel. It is also crucial to evaluate the building as it currently exists, con- sidering the geometry, structure, systems and daylight to figure out what must be changed for residen- tial use. Rummel recently complet- Converting offices to senior living havens W hen I was in graduate school studying architecture an uncomfortably large number of years ago, I went through a season of soul searching. In that season I wrote an essay titled, “Buildings Are Not Important.”This title definitely received some raised eyebrows! But, the content of the paper explained my intent; indeed, it is the people who inhabit and use the buildings who are important. Architec- ture needs to be in service of its users. In school there was such an empha- sis on form and material and grand accomplishments of artistry. In my soul searching, I was trying to codify a philosophy of design that excelled while rejecting the draw of simply stroking a designer’s ego – my ego! I did not want to spend a career design- ing avant-garde impractical places aiming for magazine covers. I wanted to make spaces that enhanced peo- ple’s lives – enabling active experienc- es of home and providing the back- drop for the building and maintaining of relationships. Good architecture, I determined, required an inconspicu- ous excellence in service of its users. If I fast-forward to the present and my work designing senior liv- ing facilities, I am reminded of those words, “Buildings are not important; it is the people who inhabit and use the buildings who are important.” On most occasions when I ask for opinions about a senior living facil- ity, the responses will revolve around the quality of the food and the friendliness and competence of the staff. Next you might hear about the grounds and the garden areas, or the programs and inter- actions with other residents. Rarely does the archi- tecture itself take center stage with comments about the vaulted spaces, the day-lighting or the well-proportioned exterior. You might hear that the facil- ity is beautiful, nice, inviting or comfort- able. Those last few tell me that some- thing is working right in the architec- ture. One daughter of a resident told me, “I couldn’t care less about the stained wood trim as long as the care my father receives is kind and attentive.”This was a response that really got me thinking. As an archi- tect, I am not in charge of her father’s care. How does what I do in service of senior living facilities affect the care he might receive? Would that daughter really have been happy to have her father in a facility that was dull, dingy, unkempt, squat, boxy or uninspired? I don’t think so. It is just that in comparison to the kind and attentive care she wants her father to receive, such aesthetic consider- ations are unimportant. The spaces we inhabit affect the psychological feelings and needs of the people who inhabit them. My assertion is that her desire for positive experiences of care will be marked by spaces that have a level of aesthetic consider- ation and ergonomic intention where the architecture passively enhances the quality of care that is available. There is a tangible purpose in the design and the pursuit of beautiful spaces.Well-designed, attractive facili- ties generate a sense of pride in place for residents and families. Staff and service providers feel good about going to work when they know they will be spending it in an attractive facility. Employee retention is increased when staff enjoys their work environment. This is a benefit to the administration and the resident. Site selection and building layouts that frame views of nature and embrace biophilic prin- ciples can reduce heart rates. Site circulation that flows well for families, staff, service providers, trash removal, deliveries and emergency medical ser- vices can be remarkably stress reduc- ing. Inviting and well-spaced seating groupings along the site and building circulation encourage interaction and relationship building. Balanced propor- tions for rooms, effective day lighting of spaces, and appropriate use of color lessen anxiety and agitation, and they engender peace. Programming and arranging of spaces with appropri- ate storage on hand, with well-placed screening for privacy can bolster the experience of dignity. Finishes with complementary visual and textural patterns activate sensory synapses. Building systems can be shaped to keep a facility from being too cool or too hot without being noisy or breezy. With intentional design, all of these Inconspicuous excellence in senior living design John Binder Principal, director of architecture, Kephart SENIOR HOUSING: ARCHITECTURE Erik Hall, AIA Partner, VTBS Architects Please see Binder, Page 18 Residential conversions offer a two-birds, one-stone approach by breathing new life into the urban corridor and replacing workers with residents. Senior living architecture needs to be a well-functioning backdrop for the real and important living that happens within the space. Please see Hall, Page 17