STUDIO Architecture’s design for a new senior care facility in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin received unanimous approval by the city council and architectural review board. STUDIO was selected by Colorado and Wisconsin-based Azura Living, a premier memory care provider, to design the project.
“We’re pleased that the regulatory authorities were unanimous in their approval. That’s pretty rare” said Jeff Dawson, founder and managing principal of STUDIO. According to Dawson, Azura Living has been an active partner in STUDIO’s design effort. “We went through a highly collaborative process with the Azura development team.”
“Azura Living is changing the way memory care is being delivered. It’s been rewarding for STUDIO to help them implement design solutions that achieve their mission to change the culture of care,” said Dawson.
Construction is slated to begin this summer on the 28,800 SF facility which incorporates several design concepts considered to be highly innovative in the memory care industry.
Some of those innovations include the creation of smaller communities within the project which are linked with intuitive markers to provide residents the opportunity to “travel” beyond their neighborhood, looped circulation corridors that will provide a safe environment for self-directed resident navigation and exploration, a “memory café” to encourage family and guests to relax and spend time within the community, , intuitive wayfinding design elements integrating interior finishes, colors, artwork and other visual connectivity devices and relieve the stress associated with wandering, low contrast flooring to reduce the experience of ‘visual cliffs’, and integration of Snoezelon multi-sensory environments into the project.
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