PROJECT OF THE YEAR: SENIOR
Maravilla
Maravilla certainly lives up to its name. Spanish for “wondrous marvel,” Maravilla combines the best of both worlds: the amenities of a five-star resort blended with the small details and comforts of a home.
“I don’t think people want the grandiosity of living in a hotel for the rest of their life,” says Michael Gurst, president of Senior Resource Group, a San Diego-based housing developer. “We work really hard to create a sense of intimacy in our communities.”
The hard work paid off. Maravilla, a 363-unit independent/assisted living campus in Santa Barbara, Calif., was carefully designed to assist with the often difficult transition to senior housing. Small gathering spots, instead of vast, intimidating areas, encourage resident interaction. Icons of home, like fireplaces, incandescent low-level lighting, and residential-scale furniture, create a warm, inviting environment. A winding staircase in the assisted living section provides another touch of home (though most people take the elevator, Gurst says).
The developer put just as much thought into the amenity offerings. “It took a lot of energy and time listening to the market and letting them drive exactly what this community would have,” says Gurst.
Residents can pop in for an afternoon matinee at the stadium-seating movie theater, e-mail their grandchildren at the Internet lounge complete with Times Square-style sports and financial news headline tickers, and enjoy a glass of wine and some cheese before dinner.
But Maravilla isn’t just a marvelous building, it’s a marvelous feat. The development team faced strong opposition from Santa Barbara’s anti-growth city officials who wanted to preserve the site–formerly an organic lettuce farm. It took six-and-a-half years to get through the entitlement process. The opposition’s arguments included the fact that the property “backed up to a creek that was at one time deemed a roosting area for monarch butterflies,” says Gurst.
The developer won over the city through community outreach: Senior Resource Group held countless meetings to get neighbors’ feedback and suggestions. “If you involve the neighborhood as best you can, they become co-authors of your community,” says Gurst. “Your chances of success are much greater.”
–R. Azoff
Maravilla
Location: Santa Barbara, Calif.; Developer: Senior Resource Group LLC; Architect: Mithun and Cearnal Architects Inc.; Opened: March 2004; Units: 363; Unit Mix: Studios, one- and two-bedrooms; Rent: $3,600 to $5,200 plus service fee of $20,000 to $35,000; Cool Stuff: Movie theater, Internet lounge, outdoor fireplace, pool and spa, wellness center, game room