The Leonard Florence Center is a 6-story skilled nursing facility based on the Green House model that features 10 “houses” or living pods, each with 10 bedrooms clustered around an open kitchen and living area. This new facility was built in an urban environment where 100 units had to fit onto a small site surrounded by wetlands; an occupied senior living community; a public roadway; and an occupied warehouse – all within six to twenty feet of the new building. Creative solutions were required to marry the code requirements mandated by the Department of Public Health (DPH) with the vision of the Green House model’s open spaces. Erland’s team worked with the architect (DiMella Shaffer), owner (Chelsea Jewish Foundation), and DPH to ensure all code requirements were met while maintaining the aesthetic demanded by the design and homelike proportions. Despite a difficult winter and challenging conditions, the project team finished the new Leonard Florence Center for Living two weeks early.
