A BUILDING THAT SPEAKS the language of its surroundings is always a worthy goal, but nowhere is it more important than in an assisted living facility, where familiar architecture is a source of comfort to residents. To ensure that the elderly residents of the new 100-unit Sunrise Senior Living felt completely at home, architects at BeeryRio canvassed the upper northwest Washington neighborhood, borrowing motifs from significant turn-of-the-century colonial and Victorian homes. Elements such as soaring corner turrets, classical columns, and ornamental metalwork make the building instantly recognizable, while playing off the familiarity of the existing streetscape.
The building’s public spaces continue that sense of order and elegance, while encouraging social interaction. Sidewalk connections to canopy-covered porches and a wide, landscaped entry plaza invite casual conversation with the neighbors. Even inside, the outside world is not far from view. A grand foyer has views of rear gardens. A formal dining room is flanked by landscaped terraces. And a two-story atrium on the second floor surrounds an activity room. Clearly, it’s a building that makes the comfort of vulnerable residents a priority.
Category: Assisted living; Entrant/Architect/Land planner: BeeryRio, Springfield, Va.; Builder: Glenn Construction, Gaithersburg, Md.; Developer: Sunrise Senior Living, McLean, Va.; Landscape architect: Slater Associates, Columbia, Md.; Interior designer: Martha Child Interiors, McLean
Learn more about markets featured in this article: Washington, DC.
