Lessons Learned
Designing and building assisted-living communities
By David J. Raysich, Plunkett Raysich Architects
Overseeing the building of an assisted-living community can be an interesting but
intimidating task.
 One way to
ensure the successful creation of an assisted-living community is to select an
architectural firm that can handle the entire scope of your project. Being well-versed in
building assisted-living communities is a given. Just as important, your architect must
work as a partner with you, designing a facility that meets your goals of a home-like
atmosphere, allowing for staff efficiencies and resident conveniences, such as shorter
corridors or amenities your clients want, such as banking, concierge services, salons and
wellness facilities.
The following are lessons learned from building scores of assisted-living communities
to help you avoid common mistakes (as well as the sleepless nights and gnawing headaches
that come with them).
Investigate Before Buying
Purchasing a site for a new building without a design professional can lead to trouble.
The least expensive site initially may be the most expensive in the long run. Hire a
professional to investigate such items as zoning, setbacks, wetlands, flood plain
restrictions, subsoil conditions, hazardous materials and the availability of utilities
and local transportation before you make an offer to purchase a site.
Budgetary Issues
 When choosing
a design professional, be aware that design services are packaged differently from firm to
firm. Question each organization as to the scope of their services; what might be
considered standard in one firm may be considered additional in another. Services commonly
available include master planning, space and programming, schematic design, design
development, construction documentation, equipment planning, interior design, furniture
selection and procurement, bidding, field observation and post-occupancy evaluation.
Do not confuse construction cost with total project cost. Total project cost includes
construction costs plus design fees, construction management fees, furniture, equipment,
land purchases, site work, building permits, legal fees and a contingency.
Budgeting sufficient funds for furniture and equipment in the project cost is a must.
Furniture and equipment costs often run as high as 15 percent of the total project cost.
Appoint a staff member to prepare a schedule of equipment, or retain an outside consultant
to perform these services. Often your design professional can provide this service, which
should begin during the schematic design phase and include the size, cost and utility
requirements of each item.
Your budget also should consider signs or other means of directing people through the
building. An exterior identification sign usually costs anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000.
It is also important to remember that people find their way through buildings in many
different ways. Following signs is only one way. In dementia units, it can be useful to
incorporate a particular element of design such as wall graphics or memory boxes to help
people find their way around the building.
Starting the Design
Don't presume your neighbors will show the same enthusiasm for your project as you.
Prepare a site plan with ample landscaping. Show how shadows from the new structure won't
impact the neighbor's environment, and illustrate that on-site parking is more than
adequate. Invite the neighbors to a social hour before requesting zoning changes or
special occupancy permits.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
Not everyone can remember all the decisions made during the design process. Confusion
and arguments can be held to a minimum if detailed minutes are kept documenting every
design decision. Include the construction manager or contractor, engineers and inter- ior
designer on the distribution list.
Frequently, staff members don't understand the implications of the architect's
drawings. They may not be able to perceive the amount of storage, height of counters or
location of lights from a two-dimensional plan. Prepare three-dimensional drawings and
build models or mock-ups so staff can better visualize the area. Locations for bed
position, lighting, help call buttons and staff workstations can then easily decided.
Start furniture planning early in the design process. While furniture is the last thing
installed, it needs to be one of the first items planned, as room sizes must accommodate
it. Interior design also needs to be incorporated early in the design development phase to
respond to furniture needs or expensive changes may result. Moreover, it is not unusual to
have a four- to six-month delivery schedule for furniture.
Is Fast-Track Construction for You?
When contemplating a large, complex building project, you may find it necessary to
consider fast-track construction (starting construction before the plans for the project
are finished). One of the misconceptions is that because it's fast, it's going to be
cheaper. The reverse is sometimes true. Decisions made late in the construction drawing
process may be inconsistent with early design assumptions, which may mean expensive
changes. Fast-tracking can result in unhappy compromises and a chance for error on
everyone's part. If you cannot resist fast-tracking, select a design professional and
construction manager or contractor experienced in this process and increase your
contingency fund at construction to 10 percent to allow for these changes.
Think Long-Term
Too often clients look at the initial cost of construction materials and ignore the
lifecycle cost. This will eliminate materials that initially appear expensive, but require
little or no maintenance and last for decades. The labor and equipment required to
maintain a seemingly inexpensive building material should be counted in its real cost. The
most expensive options may turn out to be the cheapest in the long run. Good examples of
this include the following:
- the use of low E glass;
- quality carpeting;
- rooftop vs. internal HVAC units;
- thickness of insulation; and
- energy-saving light ballasts.
Under Construction
Understand the difference in construction delivery systems. Three common delivery
systems are traditional bidding, design/build and construction management. Traditional
bidding may include the receiving of competitive sealed bids from a preselected list of
contractors or alternatively negotiating a cost plus contract. Design/build involves
architect and contractor working under one contract. If your construction project is
large, complex or if time is of the essence, construction management may be the best for
you.
Continue Relying on the Architects
Don't let your architect abandon you once construction has begun. It is the contractor
or construction manager's responsibility to follow the architect's plans, but
representatives of your architectural firm should attend job site meetings to make sure
that everyone adheres to quality. Since contractors are generally not part of the design
team or the user-groups that made the design decisions, they often do not see the logic
behind some of the plans. They may not know:
- a particular area is set aside for a dedication plaque;
- a wall has to be a certain dimension to accommodate a special piece of equipment; or
- it took three hours to decide where to put a certain pipe in order to satisfy a user
problem.
After You're In
If you don't hear from your architect once the project is complete, don't hesitate to
call. If something is not working right, the architect may have a solution. In any event,
the architect should be more than happy to give you a post-occupancy evaluation and a
one-year warranty check as well. Your architect is as eager as you are to know what
problems have occurred, to check out what worked well and what didn't and to see how
satisfied you are using your new facility.
A strong working partnership between you, the architects and the contractor will help
ensure your desired environment.
David J. Raysich is a partner with Plunkett Raysich Architects in Milwaukee, Wis.
Plunkett Raysich Architects specializes in corporate, healthcare, eldercare and
educational architecture and interior design. He can be reached at (414) 410-2919 or draysich@prarch.com.
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