Future of Assisted Living Comes Alive in San Jose through BCA's Design Plans

New Plans will improve lifestyle and convenience for seniors and their families

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — BCA Architects obtained unanimous approval from the City Council and Planning Commission of the City of San Jose to create a dynamic and relevant assisted living facility. The facility will be located directly across from Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, providing its residents easy access to appointments and emergency medical staff when necessary.  The City of San Jose approved the $25 million project, scheduled for construction this fall with completion fall 2015.

"BCA is a leading contributor to the intellectual property in the Silicon Valley," said Emily Lipoma, Project Manager of the Planning Division for the City of San Jose. "They are in tune with the latest technology and know how to design innovative spaces for our families. With many of our residents beginning to plan for retirement, this was the perfect time for Paul Bunton and the team at BCA Architects to create an innovative plan for an assisted living project here in San Jose."

Chuck McGlade, MD, Owner of Ridgeline Management Company, based in Eugene, Oregon, is at the forefront of senior housing management companies on the west coast. They currently operate seventeen communities in ten states and specialize in retirement, assisted living, and memory care. Chuck's goal is to create environments that nurture individual expression and growth. He is a passionate advocate of innovative programming and has helped redesign the architectural elements necessary to complement this paradigm shift.

"I have made it my mission to be very well-versed in the cultural and social changes that are happening in assisted living right now," reflects Dr. McGlade. "With baby boomers entering the assisted living market, we need to create spaces that can allow both boomers and their families to continue the active lifestyles they are accustomed to. Current assisted living designs will not be the typical assisted living home with a bingo room and a library Our goal is to build our residents a retirement culture they can thrive in and to create a space that we could see our own families in.  I see this same philosophy in BCA Architects design for their San Jose facility".

"We have timed this project around the entrance of the Baby Boomers coming into retirement," commented Paul Bunton, AIA, President of BCA Architects. "Baby Boomers are, by nature, continual learners, and studies have shown that if seniors can continue to learn, they will live longer. We picked a location that is close to a community college for adults to continue education. We are also building a distance learning 21^st century classroom in the assisted living space. All of this will help seniors enjoy their golden years to the fullest while keeping their minds active and extending their quality of life."

In addition to the 21^st century learning facility, Paul Bunton and his team are looking at other communal activities for the residents and their families. A significant amount of Californians have incorporated outdoor activities into their everyday routine, which is why the new facility will offer a resident-run garden. A shuttle service will also offer residents the opportunity to travel to a nearby Santana Row shopping center.  The idea here is to encourage and provide the means for individuals to continue living their lives as they normally would without compromising their subjective interests and hobbies.

2014 marks BCA's 25^th year in business and they could not be more excited to start off the year with such a wonderful project. For more information, please contact Kate Connors at 202-449-9804.

BCA Architects partners with clients in a mission to achieve excellence in design. Since 1989, BCA strives to strengthen communities through projects built whether it's to design, to help define partnerships, to locate financing, to save energy or to present alternate delivery methods. BCA goes above and beyond the task at hand to ensure their clients succeed. For more information, visit: www.bcaarchitects.com.