Projects
Bishop Gadsden – The Gadsden Glen Center for Health and Rehab
Charleston, SC
In a world where most communities are downsizing healthcare, Gadsden Glen reflects Bishop Gadsden’s commitment to excellence throughout the continuum of senior care. Every design decision centered on enhancing the day-to-day resident, staff and family experiences while upholding their mission to provide exceptional care and service.
Gracious Senior Care Residences
The entry lobby features a two-story library and sitting area with grand fireplace, large skylight, grand piano, locally commissioned painting and glass sculptures which are symbolic of the guiding design themes for the project. The adjacent cheerful bistro and curated gift shop offers refreshments to all while also functioning as a social hub to promote a sense of community.
Intimate dining rooms are serviced by the central kitchen, designed specifically to maintain Bishop Gadsden’s
culinary excellence. The large rehab gym features vaulted ceilings, large windows for ample natural light, and commissioned art. The adjacent wellness gym is available for community use.
Resident rooms were designed around multiple large-scale windows keeping the interior sunny and featuring views of old growth oak trees. Senior care neighborhoods are connected by unique engaging courtyards, accessible through screened porches. Memory care neighborhoods can be entered via the main building entrance or through their own residential-scale vestibule directly from the parking lot.
Design Strategies to Supports Staffing Recruitment and Retention
A highlight of Gadsden Glen is the spacious, light-filled staff lounge. It provides a place of comfort, community, and respite for staff. A wide range of seating, plenty of TVs, power outlets and lockers are included. Toilet and shower rooms are available as well as a dedicated room for lactating persons. Owner-inspired motivational graphics grace feature walls.
Staff members can order meals via a smartphone app and pick up their selections in the lounge. A dedicated food service station includes complimentary beverages, self-serve kitchenette, and vending machines.
Mock-ups of resident rooms and bathrooms were created during design so staff members could help fine-tune the design. Considerations such as toilet locations, lift access, and bed size were debated and tested. The Bishop Gadsden nursing care leadership team provide input, such as how a lift would enter and be maneuvered within the resident room. They also tested sample beds before purchase. Each staff work area was designed around detailed program information to ensure spaces support and enhance daily staff functions. The staff lounge was also created to help alleviate hesitancy of staff to move to a new building.
Read our Interior Design Case Study
Photo Credit: Nathan Cox Photography
St. Vincent’s Seminary
Philadelphia, PA
Interior renovations to a skilled nursing residence for retired priests focused on updating the existing spaces to provide a better quality of life in a comfortable, appealing setting. We updated the existing modern design aesthetic with contemporary finishes while eliminating many of the institutional features that made the living spaces feel like a hospital.
Built-in bookshelves were added to resident rooms and the addition of a full accessible shower with half wall supports resident dignity and privacy. The biggest change was replacing the central nursing “command station” with a new living room that focuses attention on a distinctive fireplace feature rather than staff areas which are now tucked behind the scenes.
Photo Credit: Nathan Cox Photography