Project Description
The Solana at Germantown, located in Germantown, Tennessee, is a 210,000-square-foot ground-up development that features independent living, assisted living and memory care units. The independent living units opened in February 2013, and the assisted living and memory care units will open in June 2013. It is also owned by Formation Development Group and affiliates. Its day-to-day operations are managed by Brookdale Senior Living.
The Solana at Germantown had full design services from three, including construction documents and construction administration. Dan Hammons, registered architect and senior associate with three, said that the architecture featured in the project was typical of the Germantown area. three took contextual clues from a lot of homes in the area, lending The Solana a home-like feel, rather than standing out as a senior living community.
three faced constraints and zoning issues in building The Solana at Germantown, which also played into the design, highlighting three’s creative use of space. Along the road, there was a height restriction, limiting the building to a height of 35 feet at the mid-point of the roof. However, the owner needed a certain number of apartments to make the project financially feasible. In response, three designed the building to appear as two-story houses from the front, while it was built into the ground on the back, allowing for two extra stories and more room for occupancy. The public can’t see that it’s a four-story building until they get to the courtyard. The courtyard not only allowed for the extra apartments, it has become a key amenity space for the residents.