Rising above the heart of First Hill, the beautiful, 24-story Murano Tower reimagines senior living communities through a unified, functional design concept that fits perfectly on-site. The Murano’s central location makes urban living possible for seniors who want to age in place, who care about walkability and proximity to city-dwelling family members. Contributing to the development and character of the neighborhood, Murano complements the network of open spaces around the site and the social connections among them. Because it’s located across the street from the Frye Art Museum, the public realm of the building promotes cultural and generational co-mingling, younger adults and families regularly crossing paths with the Murano’s older residents, most prominently at its shared auditorium and public cafe. Many of Seattle’s activities are within walking distance—museums, churches, restaurants, hotels—as are other senior communities and hospitals. At its street level, Murano encourages human interaction and activity with clear connections to building entries and edges. In salon-style art display, larger paintings are positioned above smaller, more detailed paintings at eye level. With the tower as the grand canvas above the more detailed, intricate brick base and framed windows, our exterior design evokes this style to create a pedestrian-focused streetscape. Vibrant colors and lush plantings frame the block’s everyday interactions and artistic character. LEED Gold-certified, Murano’s energy efficient amenities include a living wall, a green roof, and a communal garden area, with an herb garden reserved for the restaurant’s chef. A stormwater-treatment system purifies rainwater before flowing back into Puget Sound. Biophilic activities and spaces are promoted and encouraged with trees and landscaping in the accessible memory care garden, as well as two interior Eldergrow gardens on both the memory care and acute assisted living floors. There, residents can engage meaningfully with nature. On the dining floor, a large outdoor terrace boasts of a chef's garden complete with herbs, vegetables and fruit trees and a large vine wall that screens the mechanical system. On the 24th floor in the Solarium, a large living green wall that brings the benefits of nature into the space by increasing the feeling of well-being in a healing environment.

Art defines the Murano’s aesthetic, and Murano is a home that encourages personal artistic growth and expression. As senior living residents move between amenity spaces throughout the building, they experience distinct "framed experiences" that elevate corridors themselves as immersive pieces of art. Playful yet sophisticated pops of color were created with architectural details, glass art, fabrics, reproduction artwork, commissioned pieces, and finishing accessories—all against warm neutral backgrounds. To root Murano with a sense of place, we commissioned a local artist to create a large-scale digital mural of Seattle in the Card/Bridge Room. In the Art Studio, a custom wall covering depicts illustrations of the city’s iconic landmarks and culture. The one "blank canvas" wall in the studio will soon evolve into a gallery of resident-created art. The display style of each illustration recalls that of the nearby Frye Art Museum's Salon Room. Art pieces in each area aim to evoke thoughts and shared memories to enrich resident lives. We designed each residential floor with one of three color schemes. Within those schemes, classic art masterpieces from the "greats" were curated and labeled to give residents an enduring opportunity to tour and engage with art. One challenge within a tower is promoting community and creating accessibility. To solve this, we designed gathering places—locations that make it easy to use amenities. We moved the elevators closer to the amenities, reducing the walking distances from each unit, and created a beautiful gathering area in the elevator lobby that gets people talking to one another. In this highly walkable community tower, people can get anywhere they want easily, because we’ve programmed the community spaces around vertical transportation. Colors used throughout the building correspond to the dominant colors of the Pacific Northwest, complemented by expansive windows that let in plenty of daylight—and gorgeous, sweeping views. Signature lighting adds ambiance and an upscale look and feel.