FreemanWhite Senior Living, WindsorMeade of Williamsburg

Facility Contact: Marco Brancker, Project Manager

Firm: FreemanWhite Senior Living, (704) 523-2230

Design Team: Jay Stewart, AIA, Principal-in-Charge;
Steve Chomick, AIA, Project Designer; Julie Moeller,
ASID, Interior Designer; Louis Anderson, AIA, Project Architect

Illustrators: Steve Chomick, AIA; Louis Anderson, AIA

Resident Capacity: 300 Independent Living units; 56 healthcare beds

Space/Resident (sq. ft.): 1,912 (gross)

Total Area (sq. ft.): 680,900 (gross)

Total Cost (excluding land): $71 million

Cost/Sq. Ft.: $107

Expected Completion: Summer 2005

The major objective was to use a New Urbanist approach to create a nurturing, village environment with numerous amenities for the area’s high-end, active seniors that would fit within the historic context of Williamsburg. The New Urbanist approach called for a master plan that would begin with a grid-like street system that strategically distributes important public buildings throughout the site in prominent locations. The approach also called for promoting connectivity to neighbors, and creating numerous open spaces and outdoor gathering places.

In response to these objectives and the considerable constraints of the site-with its rolling and sloping woodlands and significant wetlands-the built area will be high-density. The high-density plan creates intimate public spaces, such as squares, greens and courtyards located throughout the community. These inviting outdoor spaces are accessible to all residents and function as focal points and site-ordering devices. Necessary utilities, services and vehicular access are accommodated by means of nonintrusive back service alleys.

In keeping with the project location of Williamsburg, and New Urbanist principles that call for contextual imagery and material, the design has adopted a colonial theme. The primary buildings-the commons and apartments-use brick as the dominant material. Added details, such as cupolas and domes, express the importance of these buildings. Many of the commons spaces open into lovely, formal English garden courtyards that serve as focal points for the community and invite residents outdoors.

In response to the desires of the area’s active seniors, numerous amenities were included, such as a holistic wellness/fitness program with an aerobics room, exercise/weight room, lap pool, aerobics pool, tennis court, massage room, putting green, bed and breakfast for visitors, classrooms and other supporting spaces. Additionally, residents will enjoy a choice of five dining venues, including formal waited dining, informal buffet dining, cafT/bistro dining, terrace dining overlooking the courtyard and an old-fashioned soda fountain in the pharmacy/gift shop.

WindsorMeade is a gated community with a guardhouse and a campus-wide emergency call system supported by fiberoptic loop.

A central service spine is unobtrusively buried into the hillside, helping to fit the building to the site and offering efficient service. It enters at one end of the building in a basement level and connects to all major corridors without crossing public spaces.

Additionally, this project is planned as a “pioneer” program, allowing residents to move in before the community is complete. The marketing office is not buried in the main building, as with many CCRCs, but is located at the front gate and can be constructed very early in the process. This eliminates the expense of a temporary marketing office and gives a welcoming first impression.