Inspired by lodges of the Pacific Northwest, Aegis Mercer Island is an elegant, contemporary, yet approachable senior community on the most populated lake island in the U.S. Our interior design and architecture teams collaborated to customize interior and exterior elements, from plentiful daylight and the lobby’s four-story stacked-stone fireplace to onyx glass wall features and live-edge wood. Because we integrated these indoor and outdoor elements and blended natural materials with bold textures, residents experience Aegis Mercer Island as deeply rooted in its geographic place, the exact opposite of cookie-cutter design. Speaking of place, Aegis projects frequently focus on quirky, odd-shaped sites, locations that present genuinely distinct opportunities. For example, this site itself—a narrow, environmentally sensitive area with a steep slope, high water table, and an existing wetland—required boundary modification. Working with the state’s department of ecology, our team examined the wetland’s ecological processes and determined a workable boundary that would protect it from construction damage. This phase affected not only where we delineated our workable boundaries, but informed how the v-shaped building itself supports this sensitive ecosystem by retaining earth and preventing runoff. As negotiations with Mercer Island continued through the design review phase, the building’s aesthetic evolved from a historically inspired mountain lodge into a far more contemporary expression of Northwest themes: exposed heavy timber, an overhanging roof and entry canopy, blackened steel fasteners, wood siding, and stacked stone. Now, as visitors and residents enter this wide, narrow building through an open entryway at its center, they’re welcomed by a grand entry connected to a double-height living room, which brings in generous daylight and presents a direct floor-to-ceiling view of a stunning outdoor water wall surrounded by a gorgeous courtyard. Measuring 14 feet high by 35 feet wide, this waterfall-slash-retaining wall anchors the project’s outdoor terraces and gardens and activates what would otherwise be a static hillside—a dramatic, welcoming gesture that makes a huge first impression. Off to either side of the entry, high-end amenities aim to inspire residents’ minds, encourage physical activity, and nurture their relationships with a spa, fitness center, dining room, cinema, and sports den, sky lounge, and more. These, along with 89 apartments that include 73 assisted living and 16 memory care units, make Aegis Mercer Island a continuous, supportive senior community rooted in the elemental materials of the coastal Northwest.

Guided by biophilic concepts and aligned with Aegis, our client, on a design strategy that emphasizes access to indoor and outdoor spaces to encourage overall wellness, our overarching theme for Aegis Mercer Island is that of a contemporary, luxury lodge—a Pacific Northwest mountain lodge re-envisioned for a 21st Century city—expressed in natural materials, meticulous and finely tuned details, and the warmth of home. To knit all these elements together, and to bridge our owner-operator client’s vision with the realities of the site and the city’s approval, took significant design experience and plenty of design reviews, none of which dilute the spirit of this senior community. Aegis is all about grand gestures, an approach we brought to vibrant life inside. Stone and wood elements connect exterior expressions with interior spaces for an uninterrupted visual flow. As visitors arrive through the expansive entryway of Aegis Mercer Island, they’re flanked on either side by high-end shared amenities, the senior community’s dining room, activities, and wellness spaces. Straight ahead is an unforgettable, grand view: A 14 feet high, 35 feet wide waterfall cascades softly down a stone water wall with the soothing sound of falling water, encouraging relaxation and bringing the spirit of the outside in. Such beautiful, biophilic details permeate Aegis Mercer Island. Exterior materials are brought inside, from the wood ceiling and birch trees to generous daylight pouring in through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second story that, along with the ample lower-level light that casts upward, beautifully illuminates textures and materials. In the lobby, a glass NanaWall opens completely to the courtyard and its two-story, stacked-stone fireplace. A dramatic custom feature staircase with wrought-iron railings shaped like tree branches leads up to a catwalk on the second level. The indoor dining room is anchored by an indoor/outdoor fireplace that connects to an outdoor patio where residents can dine al fresco. There’s even a display kitchen with an ornate pizza oven and, prominently hanging on a wall, a colorful Pendleton blanket display—an icon of Pacific Northwest culture. Ultimately, in its materiality and indoor expressions of Mercer Island’s environment, Aegis Mercer Island carries tremendous respect for this place. When you’re here, you know exactly where in the world you are. For its residents, this means you’re home.