Plymouth, MA The Architectural Team, Inc. completed Laurelwood at the Pinehills, the latest in the firm’s portfolio of senior communities. The 88,000 s/f project offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care under one roof.

Laurelwood at the Pinehills is among the first facilities of its kind designed from the start to be integrated into a pre-existing planned community. Located in the Pinehills residential development, Laurelwood offers amenities both on site and nearby, encouraging residents to lead an active and participatory lifestyle in a coastal New England-style residence.

Laurelwood at the Pinehills - Plymouth, MA

Based on feedback from resident focus groups conducted by The Northbridge Companies, The Architectural Team’s principal and vice president Michael Liu, AIA, and his project team approached Laurelwood with the goal of creating a senior living community without walls: a resident-centered space that would break the mold of traditional turnkey assisted-living environments.

Northbridge CEO Jim Coughlin and president Wendy Nowokunski said, “Laurelwood at the Pinehills is the culmination of years of collaboration and joint learning between The Architectural Team, Northbridge, and construction consultants Waypoint KLA. The keys to the successful design and programming of Laurelwood were to listen and understand the needs and desires of our market, and then to have The Architectural Team design to meet those needs.”

Seamless integration

Northbridge worked with The Architectural Team toward the goal of expanding their scope of offerings for senior living. By combining thought leadership and design expertise, the companies collaborated on a new residence that would look and feel like the surrounding Pinehills community, and function as a true part of it rather than as a secluded or closed-off portion.

The resulting structure offers room for 80 residents to enjoy a timeless New England aesthetic. A gambrel roof and stained western red cedar shingle siding reflect the style of the Pinehills milieu, and natural materials such as exposed stone and wood cladding harmonize the design with the adjacent woodland, pond, and golf settings. Native trees and shrubs mark the new landscaping, both for aesthetics and resource conservation.

“Laurelwood at the Pinehills is a uniquely long and narrow property, which required a creative multi-level design,” said Liu. “The end result is a delightfully atypical community that allows for full use of the wooded vistas, and that offers widely varied apartment layouts and amenity spaces – an uncommon feature in senior living environments.”

Amenities were designed not only to meet the diverse needs of residents but also to create a desirable destination for the greater Plymouth community. With a theater room designed for musical performances and plays, along with a flexible atrium space perfect for informal gatherings or planned events, Laurelwood encourages groups of all ages to interact, enhancing an intergenerational approach to senior living.

Living, not just “senior living”

Northbridge also sought to offer Laurelwood residents a wide range of choices to promote wellness, intellectual stimulation, and independence. Most importantly, Laurelwood would have to provide residents with the freedom to use community amenities as they desire, including the adjacent Village Green. The Architectural Team supported Northbridge in meeting these goals.

Amenities available within walking distance of Laurelwood include a fitness center, outdoor pool and spa. Residents can relax on one of four common area porches or take a stroll along meandering paths designed to avoid dead ends and backtracking. Inside the building itself, a wide range of apartment styles and available design options allow residents to feel empowered and personalize their spaces. Laurelwood also offers residents several choices for dining. 

For those now living at Laurelwood, the benefits of The Architectural Team’s paradigm-shifting design are tangible. Residents enjoy art classes in the atrium studio, hear guest speakers in the event space, and listen to local musicians at the firepit alongside members of the greater Pinehills community. “More than just a senior living facility,” said Coughlin, “Laurelwood is living, period.”