Lisa Israel, CEO and President of La Posada, and Joni Condi, COO and Senior VP of La Posada, are working to build a community that promotes healthy aging, gives residents ample freedom of choice, and creates a sense of belonging in which they may thrive. To bring this vision to life, Israel and Condi have partnered with Diversified Design and Construction, landscaping firm Talley Associates, interior design firm THW Design, and three: living architecture to create Nakoma Sky.
Nakoma Sky is a 70-acre, desert-resort senior living community designed for an active lifestyle. La Posada, a nonprofit senior living organization that owns and manages properties, has engaged three: living architecture to design a living environment that connects its residents to the outdoors, not only visually but also socially. With more than 30 years of experience designing luxury hospitality and senior living, three, in conjunction with La Posada has created a vision that will welcome current and future generations to a leisure resort-lifestyle that encourages growth and wellness.
“Oro Valley is just north of Tucson, a resort destination that is perfect for the vision we are going to bring to reality,” Gary Koerner, AIA, NCARB, President of three: living architecture, said in a press release. “The property is nestled in the valley foothills between Catalina and Saguaro Mountain Ranges, with a picturesque backdrop of vivid mountains that are illuminated in warm, brilliant colors twice a day at sunrise and sunset. With the natural surroundings being breathtaking on their own, we aimed to put together a layout with buildings that would maximize views from any point on the property, while also being mindful of the community’s impact on the environment. The result of our creative endeavors is a ‘Neo-Wrightian’ desert-architectural-style community nested into the desert landscape with unobstructed views of the nearby mountain ranges, offering indoor and outdoor living experiences.”
Rendering courtesy of three: living architecture
Nakoma Sky is a 500,000-sf community that is estimated to cost between $90 and $100 million. It’s a sizable project featuring 220 spacious independent living apartments available in one, two and three bedroom floorplans, as well as 24 assisted living apartments and 24 memory care apartments. The five-story community will sit above an underground parking garage located beneath the independent living entry court. In addition, residents will be able to enjoy amenities in common areas scattered throughout the campus, including: resident lounges, a library, a fitness center overlooking the mountains, areas for multi-purpose use, art studios/crafting rooms, meeting spaces, a salon, varying dining venues, and outdoor recreational areas.
One of the most notable outdoor amenities is a 3,400-sf infinity pool located near the heart of the community. The pool, which features customized acoustics and lighting, has a mist curtain that acts as a screen for movies to be projected on. Other artistic outdoor amenities include a sculpture garden, a stargazing platform, a yoga lawn, courtyards with splash pools for children, dog parks, hiking trails, a playground, fireplaces, BBQ grills, outdoor dining venues, an aerobics pool, and desert gardens. The architectural team wanted to create outdoor spaces where residents could host parties or meet for gatherings.
For indoor amenities, three incorporated expansive windows allowing sunshine to spill into the community. The roof forms compliment the mountains’ angles and allow for tiered viewpoints. The entire design is geared toward a well-traveled active resident who wants to live life to the fullest.
Rendering courtesy of three: living architecture
Related Stories
Affordable Housing | Oct 20, 2023
Cracking the code of affordable housing
Perkins Eastman's affordable housing projects show how designers can help to advance the conversation of affordable housing.
Senior Living Design | Oct 19, 2023
Senior living construction poised for steady recovery
Senior housing demand, as measured by the change in occupied units, continued to outpace new supply in the third quarter, according to NIC MAP Vision. It was the ninth consecutive quarter of growth with a net absorption gain. On the supply side, construction starts continued to be limited compared with pre-pandemic levels.
MFPRO+ News | Oct 6, 2023
Announcing MultifamilyPro+
BD+C has served the multifamily design and construction sector for more than 60 years, and now we're introducing a central hub within BDCnetwork.com for all things multifamily.
Biophilic Design | Oct 4, 2023
Transforming the entry experience with biophilic design
Vessel Architecture & Design's Cassandra Wallace, AIA, NCARB, explores how incorporating biophilic design elements and dynamic lighting can transform a seemingly cavernous entry space into a warm and inviting focal point.
Affordable Housing | Oct 3, 2023
Standard Communities acquires six 100% affordable housing communities
These affordable housing communities total 407 units, and five of the communities are dedicated to senior living.
Affordable Housing | Sep 25, 2023
3 affordable housing projects that serve as social catalysts
Trish Donnally, Associate Principal, Perkins Eastman, shares insights from three transformative affordable housing projects.
MFPRO+ Blog | Sep 21, 2023
The benefits of strategic multifamily housing repositioning
With the rapid increase in new multifamily housing developments, owners of existing assets face increasing competition. As their assets age and the number of new developments increases seemingly day-by-day, developers will inevitably have to find a way to stay relevant.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 31, 2023
New York City creates team to accelerate office-to-residential conversions
New York City has a new Office Conversion Accelerator Team that provides a single point of contact within city government to help speed adaptive reuse projects. Projects that create 50 or more housing units from office buildings are eligible for this new program.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 24, 2023
A multifamily design for multigenerational living
KTGY’s Family Flat concept showcases the benefits of multigenerational living through a multifamily design lens.
Senior Living Design | Aug 7, 2023
Putting 9 senior living market trends into perspective
Brad Perkins, FAIA, a veteran of more than four decades in the planning and design of senior living communities, looks at where the market is heading in the immediate future.