Noelker and Hull Associates, Inc., Pleasant View Retirement Community

Pleasant View Retirement Community - Manheim, Pennsylvania
Noelker and Hull Associates, Inc. - Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Type of Facility/Setting: CCRC

Facility Contact: Darwin S. Johnson, NHA, President/CEO

Firm: Noelker and Hull Associates, Inc., (717) 263-8464

Design Team: Michael Allen-Hall, AIA, Project Principal, Designer; Don Scruggs, CSI, CCCA, Senior Project Manager; Sanda Allen-Hall, CSI, Senior Interior Designer (Noelker and Hull Associates, Inc.); Abel Consulting Engineers, Structural Engineer; Derck & Edson, Civil/Landscape Engineer

Photography: Mark Samu

Resident Capacity: 132 units

Space/Resident (sq. ft.): 1,552

Total Area (sq. ft.): 204,937

Total Cost (excluding land): $23,471,000

Cost/Sq. Ft.: $115

Completion: December 2001 The location of Pleasant View Retirement Community is strongly linked culturally to the agricultural, religious, social and historical elements of the Mennonite population from surrounding Lancaster County.

Inspired by the Victorian and farmhouse styles of nearby Manheim, the architect chose to recreate a small town "Main Street," which became the new "Town Square" at Pleasant View. One of the challenges of this Main Street design was transforming the existing three- and four-story residential buildings with a repetitive module and creating a series of houses and commercial buildings appearing to have been built along a street at different historical time periods. This was accomplished partly by reducing the scale of the buildings with different roof configurations and fatades. Both pedestrian and vehicular traffic are encouraged, and the streetscape incorporates different gardens in front of each house. In addition, each of the main buildings is connected to provide sheltered resident circulation.

Additional amenities include a community center with a three-story atrium, restaurant and cafT dining, billiards and activity rooms, and a 12,000-sq.-ft. wellness center/fitness center with a swimming pool. The two independent living apartment buildings of 77 units, connected by an overhead pedestrian bridge and clock tower, were designed to maximize the views of the surrounding countryside and Main Street. A state-of-the-art geothermal well system heats and cools all buildings at the facility to ensure residents' comfort at all times.