A 3-phase repositioning and renovation effort on the Mason Pointe Assisted Dwelling and Reminiscence Assist campus close to St. Louis has modernized the group and helps to satisfy the wants of immediately’s senior dwelling clients who signify the “way forward for senior dwelling.”
The repositioning venture reconfigured 205 items into 147 items providing 30 distinctive unit sorts spanning assisted dwelling and reminiscence care. The venture additionally modernized the group’s eating, out of doors and exercise areas. Some additions included circadian lighting, a dwelling wall of vegetation and interactive gear for these experiencing cognitive change.
The venture, which was a “sensible repositioning for contemporary wants,” remodeled the campus with studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom areas to satisfy the rising want for bigger, modernized items in assisted dwelling and reminiscence care. The modernized group contains designs that meet the wants of present and future residents that demand privateness, flexibility and a “true sense of dwelling.”
By way of the repositioning, workers labored to beat challenges in sustaining group life throughout development and the completed group contains inviting lounges, welcoming eating areas and exercise areas for numerous occasions and social packages. Upgrades included lighting enhancements, digital reminiscence containers for residents and a redesigned format to supply higher wayfinding for these dwelling with dementia or cognitive change.
St. Louis-based nonprofit supplier EverTrue oversaw the group’s transformation with venture companions together with structure agency The Lawrence Group, inside design by LNB Studio and contractor BSI Contractors.
For these causes, Mason Pointe obtained the primary place award within the 2025 Senior Housing Information Structure & Design Awards class for “Finest Repositioning: Campus.”
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The idea
Assembly the calls for of immediately’s senior dwelling clients is simpler mentioned than carried out, and in recent times, many operators have made bodily plant modifications to their communities to maintain up with demand and client preferences. At this time, senior dwelling residents worth their independence and require personalised facilities and providers that may enhance engagement and wellbeing of residents.
“This renovation was one thing we wanted to reposition ourselves to accommodate all of the needs and desires that our residents have,” mentioned Mason Pointe Government Director Julia Cissell Buchler. “We wish to assist them transfer via the continuum with probably the most dignity and have the very best wellness expertise via providing enrichment.”
The venture planners’ main purpose was to create a “home-like setting” whereas residents progressed in acuity and wanted extra assist in assisted dwelling and reminiscence care. The design course of was a “deliberate and evidence-based effort” that appeared into how bodily design can influence temper and well being, whereas additionally emphasizing “purposeful and useful” design components, Cissell Buchler mentioned.
“Essentially the most difficult half in design was combining present items and utilizing them in probably the most environment friendly method,” mentioned Lawrence Group Senior Affiliate Julie Spengler. “Making an attempt to mesh these along with the right combination was a problem.”
To beat this, the design crew labored intently with EverTrue to find out the correct unit combine for the group, whereas additionally redesigning the house to satisfy assisted dwelling requirements from the bones of a constructing initially constructed for expert nursing, in line with EverTrue Architect Todd Hageman.
The 135,000-square-foot multi-phase venture represents a neighborhood transformation that rebalanced the campus to higher serve the wants of upper acuity older adults whereas additionally elevating the each day expertise, Spengler mentioned.
The redesign contains assisted dwelling, reminiscence assist and expert nursing segments which can be organized into distinct program zones which can be related by a central circulation backbone that helps enhance circulation of the campus and promote wayfinding for these with cognitive change.
Outside areas have been one other essential a part of the venture’s design, with the redesigned Concord Backyard anchored by a gazebo and pavilion with out of doors musical components that assist create a multi-sensory expertise for older adults in a safe setting. Hallways, residences and customary areas have been all renovated as a part of the repositioning venture, bringing the campus from having an institutional really feel with drop ceilings and lengthy sightlines to creating brighter interiors with wood-like vinyl flooring accompanied by a heat colour palette.
“We wished to create an area the place residents may stroll via and really feel prefer it was all related like a neighborhood,” mentioned Senior Inside Designer Karen Smith. “We wished to additionally add components that introduced nature indoors and create stopping factors inside the group itself.”
It was essential to stability the social vitality of the shared areas, with areas just like the “Tranquility Room” providing respite and emotional regulation whereas the “Studying & Rising House” was designed as a versatile discussion board with brilliant, open ground plan that helps group programming, Smith mentioned. Different factors of curiosity inside the group embody a “dwelling wall” of indoor vegetation and exercise areas with sensory gear.
“It was essential to create these purposeful locations all through your entire group,” Cissell Buchler mentioned.
The development
Development for the repositioning of Mason Pointe spanned three phases and took two and a half years to finish, however the venture was accomplished on finances, venture stakeholders advised SHN.
Essentially the most difficult facet throughout development was sustaining a each day routine whereas development was actively occurring, because the group needed to transfer residents from a number of items whereas renovations occurred, Cissell Buchler mentioned.
“It was an enormous, in depth effort and it’s a testomony to the connection now we have with our residents and households that they trusted us to assist them transfer via this journey with us,” Cissell Buchler mentioned. “It impacts each single operational layer and it’s adjusting staffing to accommodate the modifications.”
Residents have been moved from residences into non permanent items whereas development occurred, which was a “labor of affection” whereas additionally navigating the necessities of each day operations at a senior dwelling group amid the development work.
Residents additionally acquired in on the motion, not less than in a way. Development groups designated a resident dwelling on the group because the venture’s honorary development superintendent. The resident even acquired a hardhat for his or her work, Hageman mentioned.
A design aspect that was added after development began included upgraded circadian rhythm lighting to assist older adults dwelling with dementia alter to elements of the day, whereas additionally including within the “dwelling wall” part, Hageman mentioned. One other added aspect included the “Home windows to the World” show wall that may present photographs of locations around the globe to assist residents expertise distant locations.
The primary section was accomplished in January of 2024, adopted by the second section in February of 2025 and the ultimate section in October of 2025.
“The explanation why development was so profitable was the communication between all stakeholders,” Hageman mentioned.
“The communication was phenomenal and it made the development course of go very nicely.”
The completion
After the mud settled on the finish of final yr, residents and households have been in a position to expertise the complete scope of the brand new Mason Pointe campus.
Widespread facilities embody the health middle, artwork studio and social gathering house—combining bodily, psychological and artistic wellness into the group’s new each day rhythm, Cissell Buchler mentioned, with the completed product “exceeding our expectations.”
Whereas unable to share particular occupancy knowledge, Cissell Buchler mentioned the group was “doing very nicely” following the ultimate section of renovations.
“We’re thriving,” Cissell Buchler mentioned. “The residents have shared such optimistic suggestions and it’s a focus for individuals desirous to tour EverTrue communities.”
In scoring the group, SHN Structure and Design Award judges famous the group’s dedication to including facilities for reminiscence care. Aptura Managing Companion Chris Frommell mentioned the venture was a “very good renovation.”
“The earlier than and after pictures present a dramatic enchancment in brightness and stimulating areas and facilities,” Frommell mentioned. “The addition of musical components within the courtyard serves to make that extra interactive and engaging.”
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