A trend is defined as a state of fashion or the general direction in which something is developing or changing. At studioSIX5, an interior design firm focused on senior living facilities, designers are helping senior living communities stay fashionable and ahead of the game, taking the lead as the change agents of the senior living industry.
As 2018 kicks off, the studioSIX5 team has forecasted the following trends for the senior living market:
• Designing boutique and upscale communities for seniors and their baby boomer family members has been at the forefront of design considerations. But employee retention has become a new focus. Senior living communities are looking at ways they can cater to their employees’ needs in ways which result in increased efficiency and job satisfaction. Not only do operators want employees to feel comfortable while doing their job, they want them to feel valued as team members providing valuable care to residents.
• While integrated technology is now a norm, studioSIX5 anticipates that 2018 will bring about a heavier focus on building scalable technological capabilities into community infrastructures.
• The boom of building more urban communities in 2017 is creating a push to integrate senior living communities into master-planned communities, where amenities like salons, dining areas, and fitness centers are public-facing to encourage increased socialization with the community at large.• Designers are encouraging providers to include accent pieces and décor with local flavor, creating a sense of history and pride of place within a space. Mass-produced items have less character and feel less personal.
LED lighting is being incorporated beyond just saving energy and is being used more and more to promote healthy sleep patterns and reduce anxiety by aligning lamp color temperature with residents’ circadian rhythms. Photo: studioSIX5
• Consumer demand is causing manufacturers to embrace senior living requirements when designing products, materials, and furnishings. This rise in availability and variety will bring about more aesthetically-pleasing, functional products and furnishings for senior living.
• The use of less restrictive cooking technologies such as hoodless cooking, sous vide, and induction ranges will expand farm-to-table offerings and menu offerings to higher levels of care.
• Spaces with multiple uses and flexibility are still popular, but instead of having an area deemed as the “multipurpose room,” providers are looking at amenities that they can combine to serve a variety of purposes. For example, instead of having both a library and a coffee shop, they are combining the two.
• LED lighting is being incorporated beyond just saving energy and is being used more and more to promote healthy sleep patterns and reduce anxiety by aligning lamp color temperature with residents’ circadian rhythms.
• Luxe environments are moving beyond an understated elegance toward designs featuring jewel tones, mixed metals, and lush fabrics, allowing designers to create opulent custom pieces tailored to meet the needs of seniors.
• Senior living operators are creating opportunities for purposeful engagement in programming and operations, rather than simply providing activities. This encourages residents to participate in actual daily activities like meal prep, laundry, and gardening. The three zones of socialization will be used to create spaces which promote integration for each resident’s choice of socialization.
Designers are encouraging providers to include accent pieces and décor with local flavor, creating a sense of history and pride of place within a space. Mass-produced items have less character and feel less personal. Photo: studioSIX5
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 90 Construction Management Firms for 2022
CBRE, Alfa Tech, Jacobs, and Hill International head the rankings of the nation's largest construction management (as agent) and program/project management firms for nonresidential and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 200 Contractors for 2022
Turner Construction, STO Building Group, Whiting-Turner, and DPR Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest general contractors, CM at risk firms, and design-builders for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 45 Engineering Architecture Firms for 2022
Jacobs, AECOM, WSP, and Burns & McDonnell top the rankings of the nation's largest engineering architecture (EA) firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 21, 2022
Top 110 Architecture/Engineering Firms for 2022
Stantec, HDR, HOK, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture engineering (AE) firms for nonresidential and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 19, 2022
2022 Giants 400 Report: Tracking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
Now 46 years running, Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report rankings the largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. This year a record 519 AEC firms participated in BD+C's Giants 400 report. The final report includes more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 3, 2022
NEW DEADLINE for Senior Living and Student Housing projects for "MULTIFAMILY Design+Construction" Fall issue
Fall 2022 issue of MULTIFAMILY Design+Construction will have reports on Senior Living and Student Housing.
Senior Living Design | Apr 19, 2022
Affordable housing for L.A. veterans and low-income seniors built on former parking lot site
The Howard and Irene Levine Senior Community, designed by KFA Architecture for Mercy Housing of California, provides badly needed housing for Los Angeles veterans and low-income seniors
Senior Living Design | Feb 11, 2022
Design for senior living: A chat with Rocky Berg, AIA
Rob Cassidy, Editor of MULTIFAMILY Design + Construction, chats with Rocky Berg, AIA, Principal with Dallas architecture firm three, about how to design senior living communities to meet the needs of the owner, seniors, their families, and staff.
Coronavirus | Jan 20, 2022
Advances and challenges in improving indoor air quality in commercial buildings
Michael Dreidger, CEO of IAQ tech startup Airsset speaks with BD+C's John Caulfield about how building owners and property managers can improve their buildings' air quality.
Senior Living Design | Jan 6, 2022
Senior living: 4 themes, 9 trends
Three top experts explain why senior living communities need greater resilience, more flexibility, new and unconventional models, and larger market share.