Shaker Pointe at Carondelet, a project five years in the making, has been nationally recognized for its dedication to Shaker architecture and remaining environmentally friendly in all steps of the project.
The “Senior Housing News” recognized Shaker Pointe as the best independent living facility in its 2014 Architecture and Design Awards in late December. The awards received over fifty applications with only seven chosen winners.
“We were delighted to receive the award,” Sister Lauren Van Denmark said. She said that finding out about the award was a nice addition to Christmastime.
Shaker Pointe broke ground in 2010 with 38 housing units built. Now, Phase two is celebrating is one-year anniversary with The Pointe, or the Commons Building, and its residential wing having opened in January 2014. Phase three is currently under construction and includes a three-story residential building with 56 apartments, a marketing office and pastoral care. It has a projected completion date of June 2015.
Sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the facilities were designed by KDA Architects based in New Jersey and the Rochester-based company LeCesse Construction Services LLC. It was the architectural company that submitted the application for Shaker Pointe to be considered for the award.
The floor plans, design, pictures and a narrative were sent to “Senior Housing News,” said Van Denmark. She said the judging panel looked at a number of different components beyond architecture, such as how the lives of the senior community are being enhanced by Shaker Pointe, to determine the winners of the awards.
“And so they saw in Shaker Pointe all of those aspects being dealt with by our project team, being built and now its implementation. Being, you know, well served by the people who live here and by our senior neighbors,” said Van Denmark.
However, a lot of thought was put into Shaker Pointe’s architecture.
“There was a whole process for the design, and when the Sisters were planning Shaker Pointe, they were talking about the name, Shaker, given the territory. This was an original Shaker site,” said Sister Kay Ryan. “What the architects did was go in and look at a lot of Shaker sites….And then they met with the Sisters in planning, saying what are the kinds of things we want in our development. What do we want, what are we looking for?”
The Pointe was built specifically with Shaker architecture in mind. The great room, a wide-open space with seating designed for meetings and recreation, is modeled after the Shaker communal buildings.
“This is similar to the Shakers, because the Shakers had a communal building, which is what they called their meeting house,” said Van Denmark. “So it was built on that concept. It’s a central place where people can come and take park of the life in the community.”
Another part of Shaker Pointe that had a large role in the award was the eco-friendly design. The facilities were built based on LEED, or Leadership Energy Environmental Design, certification.
The Sisters of St. Joseph worked with the architects and designers to be sure Shaker Pointe was designed with a “green initiative.” All aspects, from the air conditioning and heating system to the furniture used were modeled around the environmental impact.
Van Denmark said that, while complying with the certifications meant longer construction time and more money, the Sisters wanted to be sure Shaker Pointe was environmentally suitable.
In phase one of the project, Shaker Pointe received gold certification from LEED. Going into phase two, Van Denmark said Shaker Pointe received platinum certification, which is the highest certification residential buildings can receive.
“Senior Housing News” also looked at the educational and community services Shaker Pointe provides to residents and the larger senior population. With community speakers, a movie theater, public restaurant and recreational facilities, Shaker Pointe serves a larger community of seniors than merely its residents.
Ryan said the residents largely run the programs, with coordinators ensuring things run smoothly. Residents choose what movies play at the theater in the Commons Building, and which books go into the library. And with 56 new residential units currently being built, such programs are expected to grow.
“Shaker Pointe in trying to improve the community, in the sense that it doesn’t just stay within our walls, but that it flows out into the community. And we think it’s doing that,” said Ryan.
