As our society grows older, the importance of senior care comes into sharper and sharper focus. How can we provide a comforting and safe environment for our parents and grandparents without losing our own independence in the process? The Heights at Mt. View, an innovative senior care and memory support residence in Saanich, British Columbia, appears to represent a way forward.
Designed in collaboration between Cotter Architects (architect of record) and Perkins Eastman (interior architect), The Heights at Mt. View will feature 220 apartments divided among 13 distinct neighborhoods, two of which will be dedicated to memory support rooms for approximately 40 residents. These unique neighborhoods—each with its own home-style kitchen, dining room and living area—are comprised entirely of private residential rooms, making The Heights at Mt. View a pioneering model for the Continuing Care Housing industry.
The facility’s first floor is designed as a vibrant community center, encouraging interaction among all ages throughout the larger Saanich area. Nestled in a tranquil, park-like setting within an 8-acre complex of affordable and market-rate senior housing, area residents will be afforded use of several of the facility’s first-floor amenities, including the Towne Hall room for gatherings, concerts, and lectures; a fireplace lounge with generous views of the area’s abundant natural reserves; and a playground area and gallery.
The project is part of Mt. View Heights, a larger development comprised of Carey Place, with 55 units of affordable senior housing; Vergo Townhouses, with 18 units of affordable rental housing; and Olympic Vista, with 36 units for people at risk of homelessness. The development is funded through a partnership between Baptist Housing Ministries, the Vancouver-based Capital Region Hospital District and the Vancouver Island Health Authority.
“The Heights at Mt. View represents a new paradigm for senior living care communities, both in British Columbia and on the West Coast,” says Perkins Eastman Principal Leslie Moldow FAIA, LEED AP. “Baptist Housing Ministries is forward-thinking in its focus to provide a non-institutional environment that promotes resident-centered design.”
Construction is currently underway on the 7-story, 160,000-square-foot facility, with completion set for the fall of 2014. For more information, visit www.baptisthousing.org or www.perkinseastman.com.
