Holden of Bellevue has received an INaward from the IIDA Northern Pacific Chapter. This senior living center won in the category of “INhome” thanks to its community-focused design.

A community within a community.

Bellevue, Washington is remaking its identity from suburban and car-centric to dense and pedestrian-oriented, a shift that includes emphasizing light rail transit and walkability for people of all abilities and ages. More broadly, a growing trend in senior community design brings senior living back into urban centers from the suburbs while adding public programming to planning that, until recently, was exclusively private. Our design for Holden of Bellevue focuses squarely on these priorities.

Not only does Holden of Bellevue bring senior community living from the suburbs into the city, it exemplifies infill development. Where the site was once a low-rise, low-density medical building, Holden is now a seven-story, 136-unit community with a real presence.

A critical part of our development began with a new pedestrian connection, running through the site’s long city block. Before, it wasn’t possible to quickly walk from one side of this sprawling block to the other. But with Bellevue including through-blocks for pedestrians in their downtown zoning code, our design for Holden of Bellevue halves the superblock to a more walkable scale, places its parking and main entry in an internal lot, and lays the framework for future urban development.

Connection to the neighborhood.

Designed for seniors who need varying levels of care, and want ready access to downtown Bellevue’s amenities, Holden of Bellevue sits one block from Bellevue’s upcoming East Main light-rail station. Its contemporary design language, active street-facing retail, and pedestrian passageway contribute to the neighborhood’s street life, as does its location, easily reached by families who live and work in Bellevue.

The Salon and Bistro, located on the ground-floor, are open to the public which creates opportunities for community connection and engagement. We designed these spaces to have a bold look: sparkling gold, metallics, dramatic lighting, and plenty of options for varying experiences. This creates a contemporary feel that connects to the vibrant urban fabric of the community.

Connection amongst residents and families.

Inside, our interior design program promotes community building through connection. Luxurious, hospitality-influenced amenities prompt seniors to get together outside their individual residences for shared mealtimes, social events, and fitness.

Knowing that dining is an essential social anchor in people’s lives, we used it as an opportunity for connection amongst Holden of Bellevue’s residents.

To offer multiple dining experiences, we designed an open-plan dining room divided into two halves by a partial-height wall with patterned metal screens above. On one side, we designed a two-sided gas fireplace; on the other, an open kitchen with a large, pass-through window. Both halves offer two separate but related dining experiences.

Our calming memory-care amenity space, too, is open and centrally located. The living room opens to dining and an intimate residential kitchen that leads to other activity spaces. A covered courtyard gives Holden of Bellevue’s memory-care residents year-round access to the fresh air outside.

The main lobby opens to the living room, bringing a warm, residential feeling to this space. The two-sided gas fireplace, clad in onyx tile, is shared with the equally luxurious dining room. Stretched fabric acoustical ceilings reduce echoes and background noise, adding to this community’s sense of comfort and calm. And of course, our design includes wellness amenities for all residents, including, a well-appointed fitness room for yoga and chair exercises. When necessary, this opens to the adjacent activity room for large-group activities.

Every material, detail and layout was intentionally crafted to foster community by connecting residents to each other, to their families, and to their city.

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Consultants:

Landscape Architecture

Fazio Associates

Structural Engineering

Bykonen, Carter, Quinn

Envelope Consulting

Cross2 Design Group

MEP Design-Assist

Rushing

Civil Engineering

Bush, Roed, and Hitchings

by Mackenzie Gilstrap, Sr. Marketing Coordinator