About Retirement Homes - Makow Architects
Makow Associates provides services in the health care field, particularly in the area of elder care building types for those capable of independent living. The firm’s long standing experience in providing sensitive designs, that address people’s domestic needs, has equipped it to provide high quality services for those with special requirements in a group living circumstance. Seniors who are self sufficient require a normative environment that feels warm, familiar, and comfortable from a residential perspective, yet provides the necessary assistance, when required, for basic as well as social needs. Makow Associates has been instrumental in establishing an up-to-date prototype building, supportive of these requirements.
As retirement residences enter a new phase that may require some authoritative overview, the work done by the firm places it in a position to readily respond to anticipated future requirements.
Specific areas of design for retirement residences of the future include the following:
CONVERTIBLE BATHROOM - Space requirements dictate a suite bathroom that supports the frailties of the elderly, but is not totally barrier free as defined by the Code. Bathroom fixtures and the adjacent bedroom would be planned to allow for necessary expansion as required and dictated by changing needs in the future.
SUITE LAYOUT - Layout and modified structural systems would permit alterations as needs within living units change. Units may be enlarged or minimized depending on possible redefinition of a residence’s mission. Within the unit, dedicated in-suite storage, an ensuite bathroom, and French doors between the bedroom and living room convey a residential feel, rather than an institutional one.
DINING ROOM - The look and feel convey a well-appointed restaurant, sensitive to patrons, rather than a dining hall perfunctorily providing sustenance.
OTHER COMMON AREAS – A generous elevator lobby/lounge, sitting lounge, library, upper floor gathering area, activity room, beauty parlour and more provide a resort-like environment as opposed to an institutional one. At the same time, finishes, while elegant, are detailed to be low maintenance.
Makow Associates also provides full in-house interior design services. This streamlines the design process. Immediate coordination with interior design elements can be undertaken concurrent to completion of the architectural component of the building. This arrangement also provides economies to the client, who would otherwise have to contract out to another design professional for these services.