ARCHITECTURE

DESIGN BRIEF
STUDENT COMPETITION

Students shall work to create a submission for ABC Personal Care, a client that would like to develop
a community that will provide 19 units of assisted living and incorporate a common area (“Town
Center”). This community, situated in Scarborough, Maine, will cater to the aging community and
shall provide flexibility for older adults with/without moderate levels of cognitive impairment and
their families. One of the key goals is to provide future residents with options that enable quality
care in a stigma-free, residential environment.

Submissions for the competition shall incorporate ABC Personal Care’s philosophy and standard of
care, which is centered on the delicate balance between offering independence/quality of life to their
community members, while still providing an environment secure enough to facilitate excellent care.

Students can choose to rename the client and choose a building name. Students have the option of
choosing a different site location but will need to justify their choice of site.

Successful Architectural Design will:

1. Allow residents to maintain connections to the community and live in an environment that is at
the same scale and massing of its immediate context.

2. Follow a cohesive parti/scheme and shall establish a congruent and harmonious relationship
(aesthetic and spatial) that reinforces the sense of community and home-like setting. This is
critical to allow residents to maintain dignity and independence as they transition into a new
chapter of their lives.

3. Be inviting and welcoming for residents, care providers and visitors.

4. Massing and architecture shall be designed to account for adequate temperature, lighting and
acoustics, as well as appropriate materials, scale and visual interest, and shall incorporate
appropriate materials, patterns and architectural language that are based on a residential
origin, site/region, and shall provide adequate access to exterior/interior spaces, daylight, views.

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5. Materials (exterior/Interior) shall be of good quality, of appropriate color, and scale, with durable,
easy to maintain finishes and shall adhere to best sustainability practices in terms of sourcing/
future disposal

6. It is important that the design allow for Residents to come and go as they choose; and allow
those with wandering tendencies to be safe and monitored. It is also important that the design
also provide for adequate

7. Provide adequate access to/from the site for residents, visitors and service providers. This
includes walks, ramps, stairs, public transportation/private vehicles, parking, etc.

8. Support areas (mechanical, electrical, trash, recycling, loading/unloading) shall be screened

with elements that are of the same material and language/proportions as the proposed main
building mass.

9. Zoning requirements/set-backs and height limitations shall be observed.

10. Solutions that provide passive environmental control are encouraged, as these approaches
result in lower operating costs, increased building performance and lessen their impact on our
environment.

11. Provide access to exterior areas for resident activities. These areas shall provide natural/man
made shading, paths/walkways, seating and visual interest elements that may provide activities
for residents (mail boxes, planting gardens, etc.), as well as adequately design enclosures that
provide privacy and safety for residents.

12. Service/Back of house/support spaces shall be located in such a manner as to be screened from
residents/visitors and shall provide the minimum possible interruption to resident activity/life

13. Plan layout shall take care to avoid abrupt changes in level or create unnecessary impediments
for free resident access/circulation

14. Circulation corridors shall be no less than 6’-0” wide, with main/public area corridors being
wider (max. 10’)

15. Locate main mechanical/electrical/laundry and support spaces away from resident wings and
common areas. These spaces shall be appropriately insulated from an acoustical/vibration
standpoint (mounted on pads, facing exterior walls).

16. Connectivity is important to enhance residents and staff’s quality of life – circulation patterns
should be clear and easy to follow.

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SPACE PROGRAM AND REQUIREMENTS:
Resident Wing Spaces
1. Standard Units – 2@ 640 sf. Ea. – 1,280 sf.

2. Accessible Units – 17@ 363 sf. Ea. – 6,171 sf.

3. Family Meeting Room 2@ 200 sf. Ea. – 400 sf.

4. Public Restroom 2@ 50 sf. Ea. – 100 sf.

5. Janitor 2@ 50 sf. Ea. – 100 sf.

6. Housekeeping – 80 sf.

7. Medication Room – 2@ 48 sf. Ea. – 96 sf.

8. Clean linen – 2@ 48 sf. Ea. – 96 sf.

9. Soiled Linen – 2@ 48 sf. Ea. – 96 sf.

10. Soiled Utility Room – 2@ 48 sf. Ea. – 96 sf.

11. Equipment Storage – 2@ 120 sf. ea. – 240 sf.

12. Cart/Wheelchair Storage – 2@ 80 sf. ea. – 160 sf.

13. Mechanical Room – 2@ 90 sf. ea. – 180 sf.

14. Electrical Room – 2@ 90 sf. ea. – 180 sf.

15. IT Closet – 2@ 90 sf. ea. – 180 sf.

TOTAL SF – 9,355 SF.

Project Deliverables
1. Written Essay between 500 and 1000 words that addresses the overall concept and design
approach.

2. 1/16” scale Site Plan identifying adjacencies, building setback lines, pedestrian/vehicular/service
access to /from building, exterior spaces, pathways, plantings, parking. Site plan shall include
the following information:

• Overall site area (acres)

• Overall Gross Square Feet

• Type and total number of units (19)

• Total parking count

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3. 1/8” scale floor plan clearly identifying room names, square feet, north arrow

4. 1/8” scale Reflected Ceiling Plan

5. 1/8” Scale Overall Elevations. One for each Main Façade

6. ¼” resident unit plans identifying furniture layouts, accessibility, fenestration, bathroom layout
and overall unit Net SF

7. ¼” Scale enlarged elevations of areas the submission would like to highlight.

8. 1/8” Scale Overall Building Sections indicating floor to floor heights and clearly identifying major
features of the building massing/design

9. ½” Scale custom details of major architectural features to be chosen by student. These should
focus on fenestration/penetrations and any major roof features.

10. Minimum 2 exterior 3D renderings that provide clarity as to how the proposed building relates to
its context/surroundings/scale

11. (1) Mood Board to convey building image, style, language and story to include:

• Concept Imagery

• Materials and Finishes

12. Written detail for how the design integrates program services and activities.

All materials should be submitted at www.shnawards.com/enter

Questions? Contact us:

PHONE: 312-268-2420

EMAIL: info@shnawards.com

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