Lifespan Design Studio: The Center at Belvedere
Credit: Virginia Hamrick Photography
Project Overview
Project Name: The Center at Belvedere
Owner: Senior Center, Inc.
Architect: Bushman Dreyfus Architects
Senior Center and Design for Aging Specialist: Lifespan Design Studio
Project Details
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has awarded Bushman Dreyfus Architects (Charlottesville, VA) the prestigious Design for Aging Review Award of Merit for The Center at Belvedere. Loveland, OH-based Senior Center Design Specialists Lifespan Design Studio served as part of the Bushman Dreyfus team from planning through construction of the innovative 47,000 square foot senior community center completed in 2020. This award recognizes advanced design concepts, research, and solutions sensitive to the needs of an aging population.
In announcing the award, AIA representatives hailed The Center as a new prototype and model for similar centers. Calling the robust offering of activities, layout, and level of detailed design “exceptional,” the jury noted that “Every aspect of the site, program, and building reflects a strong desire to be comfortable, safe, and life-enriching for its users … This is not a classic senior environment and works hard to break stereotypes.”
Douglas Gallow Jr., AIA and Lifespan co-founder Ellen Gallow have completed more than 100 senior center planning and design projects in 28 states since 2006. As Doug Gallow explained “We have chosen to become immersed in the senior center community in a way that allows us to understand our clients’ operational goals and challenges, and partner with them in designing effective solutions.” But the unique team’s focus doesn’t stop there: “Universal design features are incorporated seamlessly and without compromise throughout the building and site to create a setting in which people of all ages and abilities can participate in comfort and confidence,” he concluded.
Along with accommodating programming for the seven dimensions of wellness—core to The Center’s healthy aging model—the design ensures sustainability of The Center’s business model, which relies on a diverse revenue stream from earned income and philanthropy. Amenities include group exercise studios, an equipped fitness center, a performing arts auditorium, classrooms, conference rooms, and outdoor spaces for programs and events.
Insight provided by Lifespan Design Studio was key to The Center’s appeal and accessibility. "This landmark facility is reshaping attitudes, raising expectations, and propelling an industry in search of a new way to engage and enrich the community forward,” said Ellen Gallow. “We have no doubt that its impact will be transformational."