A Tri-level progressive livng and care facility for seniors chooses construction materials that can help indoor air quality.
Situation
As the baby boom generation ages and people are living longer, there is a growing need to provide living facilities to retirement-age seniors and those requiring additional care. California is home to the largest number of persons aged 65
or older, with the greatest number of
seniors residing in temperate climates
such as Los Angeles, San Diego and
Orange Counties. Based on the expectation
of the elder population nearly
doubling between 2000 and 2020, there
has been a growing need for building
additional retirement communities.
The Covington, a nonprofit progressive
retirement community, was planned for
development in Aliso Viejo, Orange
County, Calif. The facility is a continuing
care retirement community, one of
about 75 in the state that offer three levels
of care: independent living, assisted
living and skilled nursing care. The tiered
system allows residents the ability to
advance to higher levels of care if their
needs change without completely changing
their environment.
Construction on the Covington began
on Feb. 4, 2002. This $81.9 million
project consists of a Continuing Care
Retirement Community with 24 Independent
Living Cottages (units from
1,350 to 1,945 square feet), Independent
Living Facility with 150 units (each
unit is 827 to 1,615 square feet in size),
a 30 unit Assisted Living Facility and a
24 unit Skilled Nursing Facility. There
is also a two-story subterranean garage
below the Independent Living Facility.
The Los Angeles office of The Steinberg
Group, an architecture firm affiliated
with the California Association of
Homes and Services for the Aging with
a focus on sustainability and social consciousness,
was hired to design the facility
and specify materials. “A lot of what
we do is about sustainability and indoor
air quality,” said David Mitani, AIA,
partner and principal architect for The
Steinberg Group. “We have considerable
experience working with the elder
community and are familiar with their
potential sensitivities and weaknesses.”
According to the American Lung Association,
most Americans spend an average
of 90 percent of their time indoors.
Seniors, especially those with limited
mobility, spend even more time indoors,
often in environments more polluted
than outdoor air. Seniors may also have
compromised immune systems and
greater sensitivity to pollutants and toxins.
Solution
Plans for The Covington called for using
sustainable building products containing
few or no volatile organic compounds. “We used low-VOC paint and
carpets—anything that would contribute
to overall indoor air quality,”
Mitani said.
Johns Manville Formaldehyde-free fiber
glass insulation was specified for the residences
as well. Instead of using form-aldehyde
as a binder for the fiber glass,
the manufacturer uses a nontoxic acrylic
binder. The result is an insulation prod-uct
that reduces concerns about indoor
air quality, while also offering acoustical
and thermal benefits. Additionally,
because the insulation does not contain
formaldehyde-based binders, hazardous
formaldehyde emissions are reduced
during manufacturing and after installation
by more than 100 tons each year.
The Covington is currently under construction
and will be open to residents
this spring.
About the Author
This case study was provided by the
Johns Manville Building Insulation
Division.
