ABSTRACT
This retrospective study looks at the evolution of the Woodside Place model as it was applied to three later facilities, Copper Ridge and the memory-support units at the Gardens at William Hill Manor and NewBridge on the Charles. All four facilities were designed by Perkins Eastman. Woodside Place and Copper Ridge are both early projects, opening within 3 years of each other. The Gardens at William Hill Manor and NewBridge on the Charles both opened approximately 20 years later and embody lessons learned from the Woodside Place model over the intervening years. The investigation for this study was done through a series of post-occupancy evaluations by the Research Collaborative at Perkins Eastman. Each of the facilities was visited. Interviews with the administration, care and facilities staff, and families were conducted. Facility tours were taken with administrators and care and facilities staff, with follow-up questionnaires. In addition, archived information from earlier post-occupancy evaluations at Woodside Place and Copper Ridge were used. The study found that the Woodside Place model had been successfully adapted to a variety of contexts, populations, and programs. Several improvements have been made since the original building was opened. Based on these findings, the article provides design recommendations for current residential dementia facilities.
