Nestled in the mild climate of Northern California’s Sonoma Valley wine country and just steps from the scenic Spring Lake Parksits Spring Lake Village, a 26-acre life plan community that recently underwent a significant renovation and expansion, led by Perkins Eastman. Already a successful retirement community with a reputation for strong neighborhood ties and quality healthcare, Spring Lake Village set out to enhance its offerings with a series of new products, amenities, and a campus-wide lifestyle of holistic wellness that would attract active adults and exceed the expectations of future residents.
This campus transformation was actually more of a community reinvention.In the early design stages, a prevailing discussion topicwas the current landscape of senior care; residents value both their independence and the benefits that come with living in a larger community. With that in mind, the existing Main Campus was redeveloped to include a new fitness/auditorium building, additions and renovations to the Village Center building, a new commons space, and upgrades to campus lighting, parking, landscaping, and utilities.The seven dimensions—social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, intellectual, and physical—and the goals associated with each, became the central theme on which the community’s transformation was based.
In addition to expanded independent living options, owner Episcopal Senior Communities desired an Assisted Living Memory Support program to round out their housing offerings. To meet this need the design team repurposed a portion of one of the Main Campus’ larger buildings with a new household model of care. Residents now enjoy easier access to dining and recreation, an outdoor courtyard, and a new enclosed wandering garden adjacent to the Memory Support wing’s dining area.
For the brand new West Grove campus,market-rate villas and cottages were introduced to expand upon Spring Lake Village’s independent living offerings. The expansion consists of three 2-story and one 3-story Villas comprising a total of 50 independent living apartments, plus a series of single-story Cottage duplexes comprising 12 independent living apartments. A much larger 22-unit Villa building sits atop an underground parking garage with a rooftop garden courtyard entry.
Creating a sustainable and eco-responsible campus was of paramount concern to all parties. Being mindful of California’s ongoing drought issues, this campus repositioning included the planting of native vegetation to limit irrigation use and the installation of water-saving plumbing fixtures. Such mindful measures, which meet the environmental wellness standard, also have a cumulative effect for residents and staff, who derive greater social, spiritual, emotional, and physical fulfillment from living and working in a community that respects its natural resources.
