CONTRIBUTED

The new 10-bedroom Garden Cottage at Penick Village in Southern Pines was recently awarded LEED silver certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Homes program.

Designed by CJMW Architecture, the Blanche Robertson Garden Cottage is a small, free-standing, household model assisted living home and one of the first such projects in the country to be LEED for Homes certified, a news release said.

The certification reflects Penick Village's commitment to creating a healthier living and working environment by building to LEED certification requirements, the release said. Additional new projects on the Penick Village campus also designed by CJMW Architecture are targeted for LEED certification, including the recently completed Village House life enrichment and dining center and the Woodlands Apartments independent-living building.

"This work brings together our expertise in both design for senior environments and sustainable design," said Peter Epermanis, CJMW Architecture principal and a practice leader in the firm's senior living market. "We are thrilled to be working with Penick Village on such groundbreaking projects."

The philosophy behind the Garden Cottage is to be a home for 10 assisted living residents in a single-family setting, attended by the same caregivers each day.

Meal preparation, cleaning and routine chores are performed by the caregivers, with as much involvement of the residents as they choose, the release said. Studies are indicating that residents and staff living together in a home environment like the garden cottage begin to relate to each other as family.

"The residents and staff of the garden cottage have become a tight-knit family, and it is a family that makes a house a true home," said Jeff Hutchins, CEO of Penick Village.

Sustainable strategies include drought tolerant landscaping, careful stormwater management, Energy Star-rated appliances and equipment, construction waste control and recycling, and low/no-VOC paints and interior materials. Excellent indoor air quality, extensive daylight and views to the outside also contribute to the Cottage's healthy environment.

CJMW Architecture and Penick Village said in the release that they committed early to work closely with the N.C. Division of Health Services Regulation on this project to explore design solutions that provided a high level of safety all parties required but without the institutional features of a typical nursing home. This commitment ensured that all regulatory requirements were met, while creating this deinstitutionalized environment and program, the release said.

The Cottage was also recently awarded a citation of merit by the Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments (SAGE) and is featured in the annual DESIGN/Environments for Aging issue of Long-Term Living magazine.

This award is the latest addition to the national recognition for this project by prominent organizations that focus on excellence in design for senior living, such as LeadingAge (formerly the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging), the Center for Health Design, the American Institute of Architects and the American Society of Interior Designers.

CJMW Architecture is a 105-year-old full-service architectural, engineering and interior design firm, with offices in Winston-Salem and Asheville, N.C., Lexington, S.C., and Lynchburg, Va. A nationally recognized expert in design for senior environments, CJMW Architecture also designs buildings for corporate, educational and healthcare and cultural buildings throughout the Southeast.

With more than 30 LEED-accredited professionals, CJMW Architecture is a regional leader in sustainable design, the news release said.

Penick Village, a continuing care retirement community, provides independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing for retirees. It is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina.