Download printable project sheet, 293KB, 3 pages.From its beginning as an eighty-bed facility (one of the region's first assisted living facilities), St. Martin’s-in-the-Pines has grown into a comprehensive Continuing Care Retirement Community offering a 138-bed Nursing Home, a 106-room Assisted Living facility and a 100-unit, four story Independent Living Retirement Apartment building.
In 1995, Sherlock, Smith & Adams provided St. Martin’s-in-the-Pines a Master Plan to guide future development of the complex.
Since that time, SS&A has provided St. Martin’s with architecture and engineering services for numerous improvements in and around the facility. These projects include renovations for a Specialty Care Unit, renovations for a chapel in the independent living facility, studies for an Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, master plan for an Alzheimer's Unit and lighting upgrades.
The Independent Living Chapel project presented SS&A designers with the challenge of finding space within the 1980s-era multistory structure which could be used by residents for religious functions. The need for such a modification became apparent particularly when inclement weather made the stroll to the main building chapel a greater challenge than normal. Our architects identified a rarely-used screened-porch on the first floor as a prime location for the new chapel. Enclosing the space and installing necessary systems for chapel use was quite challenging, given the low ceiling height of the space. Creation of a barrel vault proved to be just the right solution, providing space for above-ceiling systems and creating an especially intimate space. An accordion partition between the new chapel and the adjacent dining space allows overflow area when the 35-seat capacity of the chapel is exceeded.
In addition to the interior renovations mentioned above, SS&A has developed many exterior projects for St. Martin’s. These include an exterior enclosed courtyard renovation, parking/driveway improvements and an exterior dementia courtyard.
The exterior enclosed courtyard renovation provided some challenges but resulted in a unique native wildflower garden. The existing site had created landscape maintenance problems and was plagued by inadequate storm drainage problems. Working closely with a local native plant specialist, SS&A designed a courtyard which was pleasing to the eye, low-maintenance and self-sustaining. The design consisted of a meandering concrete walk that linked all exterior doors and created an edge for the planted areas. Plant material was limited to native species to regulate the need for irrigation, attract wildlife and introduce splashes of color throughout the growing season. Storm water runoff was managed through a series of shallow ponds and rock spillways.