Projects
Kirkland Village – Northwood Gardens
Bethlehem, PA
This senior living community expansion introduced a new luxury housing model. The terrace-style hybrid homes reflect a high caliber design for gracious living. Each building provides direct connections back to the community center. The common areas on each floor focus on sophisticated, contemporary styling with bold colors and metallic accents. We also assisted the client with interior design for a model home apartment and sales center during construction. Low or zero-emitting, recycled content and regional materials were selected to help the building achieve LEED for Homes Silver Certification.
Learn More About Hybrid HomesPhoto Credit: Nathan Cox Photography
The Grove at Meadowood Senior Living
Worcester, PA
The next step in implementing the Meadowood campus master plan involved adding a new independent living residential offering on a portion of the existing senior living campus. Four hybrid home buildings, each comprised of two floors of residences over under-building parking, surround a new campus pond, fire pit, seating areas, and pergola to be enjoyed by the entire community.
The 52 residences range between 1300-1800 SF and each has its own corner view that allows in ample daylight. Each unit also features a balcony or patio in addition to contemporary features, full laundry rooms, and walk-in closets in each bedroom. Each floor is also anchored by a central seating area where residents can gather to socialize.
Learn More About Hybrid HomesPhoto Credit: Nathan Cox Photography
Sycamore Square Hybrid Homes at Masonic Village
Elizabethtown, PA
Masonic Village in Elizabethtown has a scenic 2,500-acre campus with abundant space for a mix of cottages and apartments. The community was looking for something fresh and new to offer as independent housing that could be added incrementally. The design result was a new style of hybrid homes on the perimeter of the campus. Constructed in two phases, the Sycamore Square hybrid homes are four, 3-story wood framed structures, each with 12 apartments and modest gathering areas. Based on positive marketing results for these new residences, located in easy walking distance to Elizabethtown amenities, there was no break between phases.
Hybrid Homes 2.0
The Sycamore Square hybrids feature a new approach to covered parking. Each residence has a private garage in lieu of a podium-style, under-building parking garage. Providing separate garages with individual doors eliminates the needs for a solid concrete-and-steel floor above, thereby reducing the construction cost. As is typical for hybrid homes, each residence is positioned for multi-directional views and includes a private balcony.
Smart Homes
Masonic Village is committed to technology that provides added conveniences, fosters opportunities for social connections and supports aging in place. Each apartment is equipped with smart technology and residents receive an iPad to access built-in and optional features. Home automation options include motion sensors with light activation, safety sensors, light switches and thermostats that can be programmed and controlled through any mobile device and an online portal with access to dining menus, campus updates, event calendars, games, photo/video sharing and more.
Construction photos courtesy of Wohlsen Construction
Emerald Terraces at Village on the Isle
Venice, FL
The first of their kind in Florida, the Emerald Terraces introduced a new hybrid housing model to the Village on the Isle campus. The Emerald Terraces have parking on the ground floor, as well as covered sidewalk access to community center amenities. Each residence functions as a corner unit with multi-directional views and the added benefit of private lanais without visual or noise distractions from neighbors.
A Community within a Community
Each hybrid building includes a top floor community room for residents to gather together or entertain guests. The main clubroom area features a flexible great room space with a catering kitchen, comfortable seating, tables, stackable chairs and a large screen television. A sliding barn door leads into a modest fitness room that provides residents with easy access to wellness equipment. Retractable walls in both the clubroom and fitness area provide a seamless outdoor connection and enable events to spill out onto the large outdoor deck.
Age-Friendly Design for Hybrid Homes
Each building has 23 one- and two-bedroom residences ranging from approximately 1,250 square feet to 1,600 square feet of living space in an open floor plan. The residences are carefully detailed in accordance with universal design principles for people of varying ages and abilities without compromising the upscale residential design aesthetic. Accessibility, from door clearances to space templates, is designed into all homes to accommodate active residents, those who require assistance from a spouse or caregiver, and those who utilize wheelchairs or scooters to maintain their independent mobility. Supportive features such as elevated vanities and extra blocking in walls to accommodate shower grab rails, if needed, are discreetly integrated into the contemporary design.
Sustainable Design Features
Energy efficient, hurricane impact-resident windows and doors, continuous insulation, LED lighting and energy star appliances are just a few of the features built into the homes. Low or zero emitting floor coverings, paints, adhesives and composite woods have been specified as well as recycled content and regionally extracted and manufactured materials. Locating parking on the first floor under the homes offers the additional benefits of less impervious surface space being needed.
Learn More About Hybrid HomesRLPS really takes an owner’s position in the planning and design process—they took the time to understand our needs way before “putting a pencil to any paper.”
Joel Anderson, CEO
Photo Credit: Nathan Cox Photography
The Crescent at Oakleaf Village
Toledo, OH
Hybrid Homes 2.0
Wallick Communities wanted to add a new independent living component to the Oakleaf Village of Toledo community, comprised of a recently introduced memory care residence and a 1980s era building providing licensed residential living and assisted living. The new housing needed to meet consumer expectations for abundant daylight, open floor plans and covered parking while maintaining affordability for older adults in this Midwestern working class area. And it had to fit on a 1.46 acre site. The design result is two parallel hybrid home apartment buildings with a connected dining pavilion between them. These three buildings form The Crescent, a micro rental housing community for active seniors.
Maintaining Affordability
The smaller size of the individual hybrid home buildings compared to a traditional apartment building allowed for more economical wood-frame construction. The individual apartments are relatively small, ranging from 842 to 1,156 square feet, yet the design maintains marketable features such as open floor plans and wood-look luxury vinyl tile in the main living spaces to make the spaces feel larger and spacious tile shower with frameless glass door systems to help maximize the experience of the modest size bathroom. Private garage parking and carport options are available for a separate fee which helps keep the base costs down.
Integrating Amenities for Market Appeal
Recognizing that the minimal amenities in the existing building would not appeal to today’s consumers, the design team was challenged to create a community-within-a-community. Each upper floor of the hybrid apartment buildings incorporates a different activity area including a woodshop, arts and crafts room, and a beauty shop, as well as fitness centers in both buildings and an employee lounge. The main lobby, a dining venue and living room comprise the pavilion building, which can be accessed from inside the hybrid homes or through an exterior landscaped courtyard. The compact 814 square foot living room features a large fireplace and is equipped with a portable bar, projector/screen and flexible seating to allow for a host of educational seminars, cultural and social events and informal gatherings. The dining room is modestly sized at 1,445 square feet and features a bar, multiple types of seating and a coffee station. Both the dining and living spaces open up to a patio, allowing events to flow through both areas.
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Penick Village – Parkview Hybrid Homes
Southern Pines, NC
Higher density replacement housing
The Parkview replaces aging existing cottages with a desirable higher density independent living option. Each three-story, 17-residence hybrid home is made up of units ranging from 600 to 1600 square feet. The balconies for individual residences are carefully positioned to maintain privacy and views. Parking is provided on the ground floor which also includes two moderately priced efficiency apartment options. Sitting areas on the residential floors provide additional spaces for casual interactions.
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The Villas at RiverMead Hybrid Homes
The Villas at RiverMead provide a new hybrid homes™ option that complements the existing cottages and apartments. Taking advantage of the site contours so that the parking level is tucked into the hillside, the four-story hybrid buildings reinforce the residential scale of the campus.
The two buildings include 12 corner villas, four on each floor. Each villa, with its open-concept design and corner orientation, is thoughtfully planned for maximum flow and light. Other features include fireplaces, walk-in closets, laundry rooms and open kitchens. A modest gathering area is included on each floor to provide opportunities for social connections among residents.
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Patriots Colony – Presidents Pavilion Hybrid Homes
Williamsburg, VA
Presidents Pavilion, a three-building hybrid homes™ apartment complex, is the first phase of a multi-year independent living expansion. Each building is five stories tall with covered parking as the first story. The hybrid homes incorporate a traditional brick-accented exterior to blend seamlessly into Patriots Colony’s stately Colonial Williamsburg architecture. Three distinct layouts for the 60 individual residences feature open floor plans, a master suite with a walk-in closet, full-size washer and dryers, patios and covered balconies.
Renovations to the community center focused on dining updates to provide a contemporary experience and accommodate additional residents. Casual dining, including a bistro with display kitchen and pub, were expanded and formal full-service dining received a more intimate restaurant space. An outdoor patio area was expanded to provide for al fresco dining and incorporated a new pavilion, fire pit and outdoor grilling area.
Learn More About Hybrid Homes
Photo Credit: Nathan Cox Photography
Hybrid Homes at Landis Homes
Lititz, PA
“We knew we wanted a different type of residential housing that was higher density but wasn’t a typical apartment building. RLPS took that idea and development the hybrid homes.”
Linford Good, Vice President of Planning Marketing
This new neighborhood of hybrid homes™ was developed in three phases of two buildings each. Phase I included 25 residences and earned LEED Gold Certification. Phases 2 and 3 were designed to the same standards but were not registered for formal recognition. Each building includes up to 13 individual residences, a hearth room on each floor, ground floor community room and service areas.
Hybrid Homes™ Combine the Best Features of Apartments and Cottage Homes
The hybrid homes™ provide a new seniors’ housing option, blending the benefits of both cottage and apartment living to provide an intentional community that can be tailored to special interests, educational development or economic need. Multiple exposures, sheltered parking, outdoor living and an absence of corridors are among the cottage-like benefits. Apartment-like features include indoor access to common and service areas and opportunities for social connections in a multi-story building which requires less site area. Hybrid homes foster a sense of community between occupants of up to 13 homes per household with shared living areas including a hearth room on each floor, community room and service areas.
Sustainable Design Features
The hybrid homes™ provide a more compact footprint than traditional patio homes to preserve open space. Under-building resident parking reduces surface parking lots and the associated heat island effects. A geothermal mechanical system, high performance windows and increased insulation are projected to help the project achieve 48.6% higher efficiency than ASHRAE base models. Ultra low-flow fixtures and rainwater harvesting for non-potable uses will be used to increase water efficiency. A legacy stormwater management initiative is restoring campus stream channels and adjacent floodplains to historical elevations and locations to ultimately improve groundwater filtration and recharge.
Learn More About Hybrid HomesAwards: Citation Award for AIA/LeadingAge Design for Aging Review, Honorable Mention Award – Design Environments for Aging, NAHB Best of 50+ Housing Council – Gold Achievement Award / Innovation Award, LEED Gold Certification
Photo Credit: Larry Lefever Photography
Givens Estates Creekside Hybrid Homes
Asheville, NC
This multi-phased hybrid homes™ project allowed Givens Estates to incrementally replace outdated villa housing with a new independent living model. Each household has 12 residences with a shared social space on the first floor. The four-story hybrid households take advantage of the sloped site to provide parking on the lower level while maintaining a three-story facade with an inviting front porch on the street side.
Learn More About Hybrid HomesAwards: Citation, Exhibition and Publication in AIA/LeadingAge Design for Aging Review
Photo Credit: Nathan Cox Photography; Third image courtesy of Landmark Builders