Bay Village Commons

Bay Village engaged in a collaborative effort with SFCS to modernize its campus starting in 2018. The campus consisted of 250+ Independent Living Apartments, 22 Assisted Living Apartments, and 80+ Skilled Nursing Facility beds and rehab beds in a mix of two-story to 13-story buildings that needed to be updated to align with the evolving needs of today's seniors.  

In mid-2018, a dedicated team from SFCS, comprised of architects, engineers, and interior designers, conducted a comprehensive facility assessment for the entire Bay Village campus. This thorough study, mainly focusing on the main Independent Living tower building constructed in 1975, provided valuable insights to the Owner and team, instilling confidence in the project's planning and execution. The data gathered from this assessment was pivotal in determining the right timing for incorporating high-priority issues as SFCS embarked on the master plan. The master planning design effort began in late 2018 and concluded in early 2019.

In conjunction with the master planning phase, SFCS started the Independent Living Corridor Interior Renovations to spark interest and encourage buy-in from the residents in the upcoming renovations. These changes included modern finishes, brighter LED lighting, and complete updating of each Independent Living resident common areas. The residents had early ownership of this design, as each floor of residents could choose from one of the SFCS-designed color/finish schemes for their floor. Three to four floors were renovated at one time, starting in mid-2019 and continuing until mid-2022. The work was temporarily halted during the early/mid-2020 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bay Village team decision to complete this work first was a major win as the residents were excited by the opportunity to help choose the new décor style, delighted by the result, and therefore more patient during the construction of the rest of the project.  

The existing Assisted Living common areas were re-envisioned to create dedicated spaces for a dining room, living room/parlor, and activities room for Assisted Living residents. In addition, critical programmatic elements, such as conference rooms, offices, and libraries, were relocated and renovated for greater efficiency and use of space. Health Care services were repositioned to create a household model of care. Garage-level service spaces were renovated to allow for enhanced usage and to make two zones separating public and service/staff areas. Additionally, a new dedicated 14-bed Memory Care Assisted Living unit (The Tides) was erected on a parcel of land adjacent to the main campus.

Schematic design for the Independent Living Commons renovation, located on the bottom floor,  started in the first half of 2019. Since dining was a significant component of the renovation project, a dining consultant was engaged during the initial stages of the design. She studied the existing menus and dining times and held focus groups with staff and current and prospective residents to inform the design choices of future dining venues. As a result, a new dining experience was created for Independent Living residents by implementing four venues. These venues leverage Sarasota's subtropical climate to provide residents with exceptional dining experiences.

Design Development and Construction Documents for the project spanned from mid-2019 through mid-2020. The work at the Independent Living Commons had to be performed in multiple phases as the building was fully occupied during construction and was completed in mid-2023.

The Tides

The Tides at Bay Village was a needed addition to the services provided on the Bay Village Campus, which include Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Skilled Nursing. The Tides is made up of two dedicated Memory Care Households, with 14 beds each. In addition to the resident rooms, the building incorporates a salon, general store, parlor, kitchen, dining area, living areas, activity areas, lifestyle vignettes or activity stations, and an outdoor memory garden. This  variety  of spaces is meant to provide residents with diversity in their daily living activities. There are also supportive spaces for staff to work, while observing residents without being overly intrusive.    

At the early planning stages of the work, it was determined that the best location for the Tides would be on a separate parcel of land conveniently located to the main campus (just a one-minute drive). The client wanted to provide memory care with an easily accessible memory garden, a state-of-the-art environment that could stand alone from the older main campus, and to create a design that would speak to a home-like environment in which the residents could thrive. The result is a stunning interior, with access to engaging outdoor areas, in a functionally supportive and encouraging environment bolstered by innovation. There is a dedication on the wall as you enter the household that states, ‘Memories are like the tide…sometimes they’re near and full of life. Other times, they’re distant and quiet’. The hope is that this environment will allow for residents, their families and the caregivers to honor the memory journeys of all that come.