Building a community Amica and Barry J. Hobin & Associates Architects

What makes a great retirement facility? In short, the answer is community. That’s what Amica Mature Lifestyles and Barry J. Hobin & Associates Architects set out to create when they worked together to develop the Amica at Westboro Park facility in Ottawa, Ontario.

Community is about that sense of belonging to a group that has similar lifestyles or interests as you. As human beings, we are drawn to communities and it is an essential part of our daily life. As we get older, our community changes to suit our needs. When you build a retirement home you are at the same time, building a community.

Often when you think of a retirement facility, you don’t pause to consider how it got there; the steps and the people it took to achieve its creation. A retirement facility starts with a plan. According to Wendy Brawley of Barry J. Hobin & Associates Architects, the first steps are to, “ensure that there’s a market for a facility.”

What does this mean? It’s about assessing the needs of the community to determine whether a retirement facility is a viable plan, but ultimately, it’s about the people.

Examining the people in the community allows you to determine the scale and value of the project. Creating a building that doesn’t accommodate the community’s needs wouldn’t work. As a large portion of the population ages, it’s important to develop the right type of retirement community for the right town.

One way this is done is by assessing an appropriate location. Several locations are examined and the pros and cons are weighed for all.

In picking a location, you need to consider the needs of both the residents and staff. A perfect example of this is driving. Many seniors give up their car or no longer drive, so it is extremely important to ensure appropriate transportation is available along with access to things like shops, and restaurants. Also, ensuring that the facility is near enough activities for seniors to participate so they don’t, as Brawley says, “come into a retirement home and never leave the building.”

Andrew Bailey, General Manager of Amica Westboro Park adds that, “first and foremost, we want the facility to be a complement to the community.”

It’s also important during the building and planning phase to create the best team possible to achieve everything you need. This includes engineers, plumbers, and more; all who can determine the right permits and the correct regulations to follow. Because of these complexities Brawley notes that, “from the time the site is selected, and depending on the approvals, it’s usually about a year,” to start the build.

The length of construction varies by the project. Great care is taken in every step of the planning process to ensure that the best retirement facility is being created.

“From the time the building is completed,” notes Brawley, “to the time [the rooms] are filled usually takes about 18 months.” The reason is that, “it’s an emotional, huge life decision” for seniors many of whom feel they are moving away from their independence. It takes time to make that decision.

In building a new retirement facility, both Amica and Barry J. Hobin & Associates Architects recognized the need for the facility to be as much about the people, as it is the building. During every step, future residents are kept in mind. In fact, Amica at Westboro Park has a “resort-inspired feel” that caters to seniors with an active lifestyle. By understanding the needs of seniors, they can plan for the best possible retirement home.

So what features should a great retirement facility have?

This depends on the type of facility you are creating. It’s important to keep residents in mind as you continue through the steps of the build process.

Amica at Westboro Park, being an active lifestyle facility, has many features including heated indoor pool, corner store, library, conservatory, hair salon, and spa. There are many conveniences for seniors to enjoy including a wellness and vitality area featuring specially designed equipment that works with seniors’ limitations.

Amica is about promoting an active lifestyle so there’s no shortage of things for seniors to do. Bailey says that it’s important to “have different things that promote all kinds of different areas of a person’s life; the spiritual aspect, the emotional aspect…we want to give residents a range of things they can enjoy.” He goes on to comment that he wants seniors to be “very proud of living here.”

Brawley adds that having “things that allow them to fill their days” ultimately ensure the well being of every resident.

These things can include creating their own gardens, cooking their own meals and participating in a number of activities that the facility hosts. It’s also a place where residents can bring family and friends and have unique experiences like meeting an executive Red Seal chef. It’s these experiences that make their days better and make them happy.

Amica at Westboro Park also features a “24 hour nursing presence.” Although not a long term care facility, Amica retains the nurse to ensure that any incidents can be taken care of.

But, a great facility isn’t just about the perks, as great as they might be. What it comes down to is service. Bailey notes that, “at the end of the day, it’s also about the people. It comes back to the service we’re providing. It comes down to the people.”

Amica at Westboro Park is about building a community within a community. It can be difficult for residents to leave their life behind and move into a strange place, since they often have to move away from their friends and give up some of their belongings. It’s not just a retirement facility to the residents, it’s their home, and so Amica is dedicated to ensuring that each and every senior feels welcome.

Bailey notes that the, “features are an important part of it but it’s also creating that welcoming atmosphere.” He goes on to say that, “service is the most important thing.”

Brawley agrees, commenting that an excellent retirement home is, “a building that meets the expectations of those living there, a building that has integrated within it systems and design features that will provide the person living there with as much independence as possible.”

Both Amica & Barry J. Hobin and Associates Architects have worked hard to ensure that residents receive not only a top-notch facility with all the amenities and perks they need, but also a warm and caring place where they can feel welcome at home.

This is how you build a great community.