O’Keefe Architects, Inc., Lexington Manor at Port Charlotte

Facility Contact: Jim Outhouse, Executive Director

Firm: O’Keefe Architects, Inc., (727) 781-5885

Design Team: O’Keefe Architects, Inc., Architect; McCarthy and Associates, Inc., Structural Engineer; Stepanek and Associates, Mechanical Engineer; M.P. Spychala and Associates, Inc., Electrical Engineer; Waldemar Schickedanz, Developer (Schickedanz Capital Group, LLC)

Photography: Greg Wilson, The Greg Wilson Group

Resident Capacity: 91 units

Space/Resident (sq. ft.): 692

Total Area (sq. ft.): 63,000

Total Cost (excluding land): $4,095,000

Cost/Sq. Ft.: $65

Completion: October 2000

The activity spaces include a large, open dining area, beauty salon, library, ice-cream parlor and lounge spaces. A graciously large lounge space is found on the second floor of the building where residents enjoy live musical performances. A private dining area is located directly adjacent to the main dining room where residents may visit with their loved ones in a more personal atmosphere. Also, an exterior porch wraps the front of the building, encouraging residents to gather outside and partake in events that occur throughout the day.

Structurally, the facility was built using an innovative concrete construction technique called the “tunnel form concrete system.” This system is ideal for the construction of repetitive elements such as the resident units because it allows the builder to reuse formwork during the construction process and reduce construction time by approximately 15%. In addition, the use of concrete inherently satisfies the fire-resistive rating and acoustical separation required between dwelling units. The cost savings incurred by using this system were used in other areas of the building to enhance resident care.