Approach
Charter Senior Living of Oak Openings combines the feeling of a boutique hotel with universal design concepts to create a unique living environment for its residents focused on upscale accommodations and individualized amenities.
Committed to creating a charming unique experience for residents and their families, the community is concierge-focused with a nautical theme carrying through the entire building. Oak Openings was intentionally kept to a small number of units — only 24 assisted living residences and 36 memory support units — to keep with the boutique hospitality atmosphere and allow for an individualistic focus and intimate feel.
Atypical to senior living environments, the building layout offers a front and back of house, designed to amplify hospitality and differentiate residents from facility functions. Support functions, including administration and housekeeping, have their own back-of-house entry and circulation, creating space without sacrificing the experience for residents.
This self-contained circulation core design was the catalyst to take the institutional feel out of the center, heightening the boutique experience of the space for residents. Interior finishes were selected to create layers of distinction. Contrasts between walls and flooring colors allow residents with low vision to better navigate the facility. Based on research conducted on lighting levels for seniors, the lights selected provide brighter levels necessary for aged eyes to see better.
