Photo of The Village at Mary's Woods

© Cheryl McIntosh

Photo of The Village at Mary's Woods

© Cheryl McIntosh

Photo of The Village at Mary's Woods

© Cheryl McIntosh

Photo of The Village at Mary's Woods

© Cheryl McIntosh

Photo of The Village at Mary's Woods

© Cheryl McIntosh

Photo of The Village at Mary's Woods

© Cheryl McIntosh

 

The Village at Mary's Woods

An Innovative Senior Living Campus

Our design began atypically from other senior housing developments. Originally, it was intended as market-rate apartments, with senior housing to be a secondary function. The project is now comprised of nine buildings, including a retail center and 246 units of senior housing. Located adjacent to the Willamette River in Lake Oswego, Oregon, the Mary’s Woods campus is designed to encourage residents to socialize and explore the idyllic natural surroundings outside. Providing facilities that are open to public use, our client aimed to create a significant presence in the community. So, we developed a design that features a large-scale, European village feel, as opposed to a senior living center. Our project architect George Signori, having recently returned from a research trip to Europe, studied exactly that: European villages and what makes them special. Mary’s Woods offers a fresh alternative to seniors with a connected, public community layout.We expanded upon the existing greenspace with native landscaping to create a flexible outdoor space for residents, their families, and the public to enjoy each other’s company amid lovely natural surroundings.

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Lake Oswego, Oregon
  • 246 units
  • 2 and 3 stories
  • 523,600 sq. ft.
  • Completed in 2020
PROGRAM

Not for Profit

PROJECT CONTACT

Architecture: Laurie Linville-Gregston

seniorliving@ankrommoisan.com


Architecture Story

Vitality in the Village

Architecture Photo of The Village at Mary's Woods

© Cheryl McIntosh

Architecture Photo of The Village at Mary's Woods

© RDH Construction

Architecture Photo of The Village at Mary's Woods

© Cheryl McIntosh

Architecture Photo of The Village at Mary's Woods

© Cheryl McIntosh

Architecture Photo of The Village at Mary's Woods

© Cheryl McIntosh

Architecture Photo of The Village at Mary's Woods

© Cheryl McIntosh

“A village has a clearly defined perimeter that delineates what is built from what is unbuilt, what is city and what is landscape, what is urban and what is rural.” -George Signori, project architect The Village at Mary’s Woods expands the existing retirement community in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Complementing the character of the main historic 1910 Provincial House, The Village at Mary’s Woods comprises nine buildings that create a European village feel. Inspired by the architecture of Spain, Sweden, Germany, and Italy, our design draws on traditional European village life for our architectural design. Our overall design concept centers on the idea of social interaction, strongly encouraging seniors to leave their buildings and gain all the benefits of time outdoors, right on campus. Positioned on the undeveloped southwest field of the Mary’s Woods campus, our master plan supports plenty of green space, honoring the serenity of the site’s natural surroundings and using plants indigenous to the Northwest. Living units overlook the community greenspace, where residents can play bocce ball, host various parties, and enjoy the lush greenery and large yard with visiting families. Four buildings in the eastern portion of the site provide a total of 198 units of congregate-care independent living. All residents will have access to both formal and casual dining—five different dining rooms. The campus also has shared vegetable and flower gardens, a separate residence with 48 units of assisted living, and numerous amenity spaces for hobbies, events, and socializing. The Village also includes three buildings with commercial space for retail services, a restaurant, and a wellness facility that create a town square on the western edge of the property. We thoughtfully connect the landscaping with the buildings, creating an almost processional layout that communicates comfort and intuitive navigability. Drawn from the centuries-old practice of using a tower to signify an important civic space, a campanile denotes the Village Square as a place of public importance. By code, the building height was capped at 35 feet, but our design proposed a 65-foot tower. So we scoured city codes and, finding an exception for belfry towers, were not only able to include the tower but add a carillon that plays each hour. This height gave the tower the stunning visual effect we were looking for.

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