Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/292860
Chris bolin I n the hilly northwest Calgary com- munity of Evanston sit two build- ings – one completed and one in the advanced stages of construction – that could easily be mistaken for community centres or perhaps a new multi-unit res- idential complex. The buildings boast large windows, complex roof lines, varied massing and generous, inviting landscaped grounds. In a sense, the buildings are both community centres and residences – but Holy Cross Manor and St. Marguerite Manor are exclusively for senior care. As the main components of a 229-bed continuing care campus, the facilities feature home-like designs, with three types of rooms to meet the varied and changing needs of its residents. When the government of Alberta and the facilities' developer, Covenant Health, first announced the project in September of 2012, Covenant president and CEO Patrick Dumelie told report- ers, "we're proud to be chosen by the Province to expand our services to Red Deer and Calgary as we continue our 150-year legacy and work toward our vision to meet the needs of those most vulnerable in communities across the province." Covenant Health is one of the larg- est providers of senior care facilities outside of Alberta Health Services, operating 6.5 per cent of the provin- cially-funded continuing care and sup- portive living spaces. While different in appearance, Holy Cross Manor and St. Marguerite Manor have been designed to be flexible and adaptable to multiple levels of care, spanning from supportive living and long-term care to specialized dementia and palliative care. The idea behind the facilities is to locate them in new resi- dential neighbourhoods and make them inviting and open rather than closed-off to the public. The province regards the 100-bed, $27.5-million Holy Cross Manor and the 129-bed, $36-million St. Marguerite Manor as a demonstration site for an aging-in-place continuing care model. In addition to the three different types of rooms, the two buildings include couple suites (where one member may need care and the other may not); com- fortable common spaces for dining and social interaction; and future growth options based on community needs (the surrounding 11.4-acre property can accommodate an additional 120 units). Holy Cross Manor contains 68 studio suites, 24 dementia suites, eight one- bedroom suites for couples, a small café, lounges, a chapel and two large multi- purpose rooms. Similarly structured, St. Marguerite Manor boasts 94 studio suites, 24 dementia suites, 11 one-bed- room suites, a café, lounges and a chapel. Ferrari Westwood Babits Architects was retained to design the two facilities, based on the firm's lengthy track record with Covenant Health. "We worked on Covenant's St. Michael's Health Centre in Lethbridge in the late 1990s, and the result was a series of 12-suite care pods organized along a spine," says principal Christopher Babits. "One of the issues arising from this approach was it nega- tively impacted building and opera- tional efficiency over time." In 2002 the architects worked with St. Michael's Housing Association to develop a new model for independent living. The result, Martha's House in Lethbridge, exhibited a distinct hos- pitality ambiance. "Following that, in 2005 we designed St. Therese Villa in Lethbridge incorporating the best ele- ments of the previous two projects and the most current model of care. With the Calgary projects we were fortunate to have the opportunity to refine the con- cept even further," says Babits. The designers frequently found themselves walking a fine line: on the one hand, the residences had to impart a home-like rather than institutional ambiance, but on the other they had to withstand the rigours of institutional- ized living. Covenant wanted to provide residents with a sense of privacy with- out compromising the work of the staff. In the resident suites these balances were achieved partly through the archi- tecture and placement of furniture: for example, suite design allows for the greatest possible privacy with beds located away from the entry door to the common corridor, and with views through large windows to the outdoors. There is generous millwork in the kitchenettes and bathroom storage, and the suite entry doorways are recessed and augmented by millwork frames, glass display cases and sconces. It was also a priority to provide gathering areas that look out onto the surrounding gardens and adjacent neighbourhood activity. "For example, one wing of Holy Cross Manor has a beautiful seating area that faces a neigh- bourhood playground," says Babits. " T here's also an adjacent com- mercial development with shops and restaurants to the east of our property that residents will be able to see and visit. There are sidewalk connections through the site to the neighbourhood pathways. It's all about community inclusion rather than isolating seniors." Developing the property itself was a challenge due to a significant elevation drop across the site. It was decided that the two-storey Holy Cross Manor should occupy the higher northwest corner of the site, while St. Marguerite Manor was located at the lower east side and built to three storeys. When asked why Covenant devel- oped t wo buildings instead of one large facility, Babits replies, "When we selected the site all we had for certain was Holy Cross Manor and we com- menced development accordingly. The addition of St. Marguerite Manor enabled us to create more of a sense of community, and to help streamline operations we linked both buildings with an underground tunnel, which allows the sharing of laundry and food services." W hile Holy Cross Manor was designed as a wood frame structure, St. Marguerite Manor is built of steel frame, and this posed some challenges. "We wanted an asphalt shingle roof for St. Marguerite Manor to harmonize with the residential neighbourhood, but we couldn't find an acceptable substrate, so we upgraded to a metal roof," says Babits. Despite St . Marguerite Manor's lower elevation compared to Holy Cross Manor, it was a challenge to meet the zoning height restriction to the under- side of eaves. "Bringing the roof lines Holy Cross Manor and St. Marguerite Manor by Robin Brunet April 2014 /85 Holy Cross Manor and St. Marguerite Manor p84-87_HolyCross_St Marguerite.indd 85 14-04-03 10:06 AM