AIA honors five projects in 2023 Design for Aging Review Award

The American Institute of Architects has unveiled the winners of its Design for Aging Review Award 2023. The award, overseen by the AIA’s Design for Aging Knowledge Community, seeks to recognize “architects who demonstrate innovative design solutions to improve the quality of life for older adults within specific project constraints.”

Five projects have been honored for the 2023 edition, chosen by a five-person jury. Projects were chosen based on their ability to “demonstrate innovative solutions that improve the quality of life for older adults within specific project constraints.”

Below, we have listed the five winning projects. More information on the awards can be found on the AIA website here. You can also review the top prize-winning architects and designers of 2023 by reviewing our end-of-year coverage here.

Aegis Living Lake Union, Seattle, WA by Ankrom Moisan Architects

Project excerpt: “Drawing on the natural beauty of Lake Union and the region’s history as the training site for the 1936 U.S. gold-medal-winning rowing team, the project references the craftsmanship of wood rowing shells and their motion across the water. Expressed by simple, high-quality materials, they evoke patterns in water and the movement of oars. This motif continues throughout the building’s design with subtle nods to rhythms of rowing seen in the brick herringbone detailing around windows, the entry canopy, and custom-designed steel balcony railings.”

Cooperwood Senior Living, Flowood, Mississippi by Duvall Decker

Project excerpt: “Cooperwood Senior Living was conceived as a full living environment that includes private units and numerous delightful public spaces—outdoor patio space, a cafe, a theater, and a salon —that overlooks the water. All of the project’s residential units face east or west, and each includes multiple large windows that offer views of the sunrise or sunset. They’re protected from the South’s hot sun by shades that shelter the interior from heat and glare and simultaneously reflect light back onto the project’s faceted facade. By opening the interior to views of the water, ducks, songbirds, and other seasonal fauna, Cooperwood’s residents are presented with a sense of discovery.”

Gramercy Senior Living, Los Angeles, CA by Kevin Daly Architects

Project excerpt: “Across 70,000 square feet, Gramercy Senior Housing accommodates residents who make less than 50% of the area’s median income and includes a commercial cafe, ample community spaces, and a public plaza on the entry-level. The team’s design emerged as six discrete buildings that reflect the scale of the single-family homes that surround it. With bustling Washington Boulevard to the south and a swath of Craftsman homes to the north, the complex appears as an array of structures connected by an exterior walkway system finished with an organic trellis that contrasts with mirror steel hoods that protect windows from southern exposure.”

Rose Villa Senior Living Phase 3, Portland, OR by Scott Edwards Architecture and Gawron Turgeon Architects

Project excerpt: “Schroeder Lofts is a five-story, wood-framed multi-use building with below-grade parking, amenities, a child care facility, and 35 independent living lofts. A palpable sense of outdoor living is prompted by oversized windows, garden terraces, and balconies that further activate the neighborhood. On its first floor, community spaces are connected by a covered arcade that draws the sidewalk into the building. The central hub for those spaces is a recreation room that doubles as a lounge, game room, and teaching kitchen. Also along the arcade is a medical clinic, quilting club room, and a resident-operated second-hand shop called Treasure House.”

Stonewall House, Brooklyn, NY by Marvel Architects, Landscape Architects, Urban Designers, PLLC

Project excerpt: “The building’s massing, which relies on brick as a design feature, abuts the adjacent rectory to the north and steps down from the corner through three setbacks that offer common outdoor roof terraces. Entry into the building’s 6,800-square-foot community space is marked by a cantilevered canopy. Together, these features allow Stonewall House to hold the corner and connect it to the campus while also providing a safer and friendlier experience along the sidewalk.”