Journey To The Hilltop
Designing a senior center that meets the needs of its members
By Peri Sutton and Ray Holliday
Photos: BRW Architects
The Hilltop at Eagle Pointe is a trendsetting, active-adult facility designed to accommodate Mont Belvieu, Texas, residents 55 years and older. The 12,240-square-foot center has many amenities and an increased number of program offerings. Since the center opened in October 2018, membership has risen from 118 to 506—a nearly 500-percent increase—and many members have reported significant improvements in their mental and physical health.
Selecting A Site
As with many publicly funded facilities, the road to completion was paved with politically charged discussions and difficult choices. The design team assisted the city with thorough site analyses of three city-owned properties to identify the best location for a new facility. For programming purposes, city staff members preferred the site adjacent to the existing recreation center; however, the senior citizens were vehemently opposed to this site due to concerns the rec would soon overtake the new facility. City council and the seniors were deadlocked.
After meeting to understand all of the concerns and expectations for the new facility, the design team analyzed and rated each site on 22 characteristics. An overall rating system quantified site compatibility with the new senior center program. From this study, the design team concluded that the site adjacent to the rec center was the ideal location. Unfortunately, this decision did not assuage the seniors’ fears. BRW analyzed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of each site with the seniors on the design committee to help them see the benefits of being near the rec. While looking at an aerial view of the site, the mayor inquired about a wooded area near, but not directly adjacent to, the recreation center. Though the wooded area was used for overflow drainage, city staff agreed the drainage plan could be reconfigured to meet both staff and senior wishes for the new facility’s location.
Determining The Program Of Spaces
As site selection continued, the design team began to develop building program and spatial requirements to ascertain if the necessary building footprint, parking, and rainwater detention could fit on each site. BRW brought the design committee on tours of five senior centers to gather ideas and to ensure all potential spaces in the new facility were considered. Following the tours, the design team developed a list of the desired spaces.
Due to budgetary constraints, not every desired space could be included in the building program. The design team developed a “money game” exercise to assist senior center members in narrowing the choices. To achieve a consensus, all members were included in the exercise. The design team distributed an allotment of tokens representative of the project budget to each participant. Spaces on the wish list—a multi-purpose room, fitness room, and movie theater—were given an approximate cost, in tokens, to “purchase” that space. In giving each person a set number of tokens, the seniors were forced to identify and prioritize programmatic spaces in the new facility. The design team then recorded the money-game data into a spreadsheet. The results, however, were unexpected. By far, the most desired space was a kitchen. A multi-purpose room, aerobics room, great room, and game room closely followed. Members did not desire a stage in the multi-purpose room, a dedicated technology room, or a community garden.
Designed For Seniors
The image and purpose of senior centers, or active-adult facilities, have changed drastically in recent years. Modern senior centers are vibrant, lively, and inviting, and provide many older citizens with vital services for both physical and mental health. The goal for The Hilltop was to design a comfortable, home-like environment where seniors want to exercise, learn, create, play, and congregate.
To encourage seniors to use the amenities, accessibility and navigation should be intuitive. Circulation from the parking lot to the entrance is designed to be more accessible through the removal of tripping hazards and obstacles, like curbs and uneven paving surfaces. The entrance and covered drop-off are strategically located in the center of the facility to reduce walking distances.
A senior center should be as easily accessible on the interior as the exterior. The hallways are wide enough to allow two people using wheelchairs to pass each other, and the restrooms are doorless to ensure ease of access by members using wheelchairs, walkers, or canes. Additional safety measures include wall-mounted Automated External Defibrillator machines and recessed seating areas in the event a member needs a place to rest.
Upon entry to the building, guests are greeted at a reception desk with digital check-in equipment. From this desk, program managers and staff members can assist visitors and supervise communal spaces and hallways nearby. The adjacent administration suite includes the director’s office, a break room, a copy room, and five staff workstations. This centralized area allows staff members to oversee the emergency-monitoring and camera systems. Emergency call buttons can be found in the fitness room, the aerobics room, the multi-purpose room, and bathroom stalls to immediately notify staff members of an incident.
Incorporated Senior-Center Design Trends
In senior centers, many trends are growing in both necessity and popularity. One such trend is the creation of dedicated socialization areas. Some of the featured areas in The Hilltop are a great room for gathering, a library, and a game room with pool tables, card tables, a custom dart board, an entertainment center, and a wall-sized scrabble board. Many senior centers, including The Hilltop, have seen a boost in male membership by including these types of spaces.
The emphasis on physical fitness is another growing trend in senior centers. Nearly every director of the toured facilities indicated their fitness rooms were not large enough. Taking this into account, the design team increased the size of the fitness room in The Hilltop for multiple treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, and machine weights. Due to the popularity of group fitness, the aerobics room is designed to fit 46 attendees. To be more accommodating for seniors, the room features shock-absorptive flooring, mirrors for checking alignment, and a ballet barre for stability.
Another popular trend in senior-center design is a wellness room. This room is outfitted with a sink, storage cabinets, a medical-grade exam reclining chair, and a small refrigerator for medication storage. The wellness room can be used for health screenings, immunizations, or glucose testing. For members who prefer the outdoors, the back porch is a great place for lounging, with spectacular views of the Eagle Pointe Golf Club’s 17th fairway. The adjacent nature trail encompasses the entire recreational complex and can be accessed from the back patio.
One of the most anticipated spaces is a multi-purpose room, which can comfortably seat 150 people, and includes high ceilings, durable, luxury vinyl-tile flooring, a movable wall, two projectors and projector screens for movies or presentations, and excellent views of surrounding trees and the golf course. Adjacent to the multi-purpose room is a kitchen—the heart and soul of the center. Equipped with commercial-grade appliances, three sinks, an ice maker, two pantries, exterior delivery access, and a buffet bar with a roll-up door, the kitchen is ready for weekly member lunches.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, The Hilltop continued to provide programming services and weekly to-go meals. Additionally, members were given the opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccine through a mobile drive-thru event provided by the county health department.
BRW Architects is honored to have worked with the city of Mont Belvieu staff members and citizens to provide the community with this specialized facility. Through the leadership and foresight of city personnel The Hilltop will improve the lives of many senior citizens for decades to come.
Peri Sutton, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is an Associate with BRW Architects. She has a passion for senior-center design and raising the status quo of these essential facilities. Reach her at Psutton@brwarch.com.
Ray Holliday, AIA, ASLA, ASID, APA, LI, is a Principal with BRW Architects with over 30 years of experience in designing municipal and recreational facilities. Reach him at Rholliday@brwarch.com.