La Plata County Senior Master Plan

  • Research and Master Planning for the County's Future Needs for Seniors
  • Durango, Colorado

Project

La Plata County, Colorado's aging population is growing rapidly and evolving greatly. With Durango as the county's hub, their existing Senior Center, and the senior services county-wide, needed to adapt and respond to meet the needs and wants of the future population, and integrate the senior culture with the community and beautiful landscape at large.

Research Phase

Demographic data, literary analysis, national expert interviews, community member interviews, group workshops, and a County-wide survey instrument were all utilized to hear from all constituents what helps keep elders well and engaged, and what the community and place wants and possibilities were.

Program Phase

The work resulted in a program document with research results, planning criteria and building diagrams which could be used as a basis for 20 years of future more detailed development and growth for senior-serving settings. The diagrams to the left, with their descriptions, show our working in-progress on different building types. The focus of this project was on a new version of the Senior Center, not a singular building but a collection of offerings for seniors wrapped around an engaging outdoor space facing the Animas River.

Featured Vignettes

DESIGN VIGNETTE 1: WELLNESS AND CULTURAL LIVING CENTER

Connected to and sharing athletic facilities with the Recreation Center, this concept builds upon all aspects of wellness and gathers the whole community, and creates a multifunctional outdoor courtyard on the river.

  1. EVENT HUB, featuring cappuccino and juice bar, catering kitchen, event space, demonstration kitchen
  2. OFFICE AND MEETING space, admin, classrooms, clinic
  3. LARGER WELLNESS SPACE, yoga, tai chi, meditation, larger meetings/classes and small events
  4. MULTIFUNCTIONAL COURTS, outdoor courtyard pickleball courts with stands, convertible to performance space
  5. RIVER VIEW pergola and convertible stage

DESIGN VIGNETTE 2: CENTER FOR BALANCED LIVING

A "green field" concept, imagined along the Animas, this concept gathers all the arts, visual, written, movement performance, athletic and creates a space for short-term resident artist, scholar, athlete to share and teach

  1. EVENT HUB, featuring cappuccino and juice bar, catering kitchen, event space, demonstration kitchen
  2. ADMIN AND CLINIC
  3. MOVEMENT ARTS WING, yoga, dance, tai chi, athletic instruction, meditation, classroom
  4. VISUAL AND WRITTEN ARTS WING, art studios, classroom, meeting
  5. VISITING ARTIST/SCHOLAR/ATHLETE CABIN, for rotating short term teaching/lecture residence
  6. MULTI-PURPOSE COURTYARD, events, gardening arts, outdoor classes and lectures
a Medulla Creation