9 Questions Your Senior Living Design Team Should Ask

You’ve done the initial planning for your next senior living community. Your market study shows there is sufficient demand, you’ve got a great location, and a business plan is in place. Congratulations! You’re ready to brainstorm with your architecture and engineering team on bringing the project to life. It’s the time when you can dream a bit, hone in on what’s important, and plan the big picture. We need to know your pinch points, your goals, and your aspirations. To get the ideas flowing – and your architecture and engineering team’s creative and practical juices running – here are some conversation starters:

1. Fill in the blank: If our next senior living community could ____, then we would_____.

2. What does your community need? In addition to senior living accommodations, how can the senior living facility draw in the community and serve it? For example, if your community needs wellness services, think about exploring a partnership with a YMCA or other fitness organization; if the need is access to medical services, you could consider partnering with a clinic or physical therapist that could serve others in the community as well as your residents.

3. What is your competition doing, and how do you differentiate yourself in the market?

4. What do consumers in this market expect today?  Will that be different in five years? 10 years? Check out this article from Senior Living Executive magazine for a recent report on senior living trends.

5. Who is the facility designed for? The answer is often complicated, and it requires carefully considering the needs of many stakeholders – the residents, the residents’ families, staff, code officials, investors, health care providers, and/or the community.

6. What do you love about your current senior communities, and where do you see opportunities for improvement?

7. Are any grants, tax credits, or other incentives available? If so, are there requirements that should be factored into the design to qualify? For example, does the community have any TIF district, low-interest loans, or other funding available? Have you visited with your tax adviser about the benefits of the accelerated depreciation provided through the Energy Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction in IRS Code 179?

8. What organizations do you partner with, and what’s important to them? For example, as you work with hospitals, consider how to design the space for staff to care for residents efficiently, safely, and comfortably to reduce hospital readmittance rates.

9. What’s your long-term plan for the building? Will this be a long-term holding, or do you plan to sell within a few years? Is there room on the site to plan now for future additions or other types of complementary facilities?

For an in-depth conversation about these questions, contact one of our architects. Click here for more about our senior living design services.