HarborChase of Shorewood HRA

CASE STUDY

HARBORCHASE OF SHOREWOOD

SHOREWOOD, WI PROVIDING HOSPITALITY: Person-centered care driving service and design

“EUA’S ABILITY TO BALANCE THE UNIQUE
ARCHITECTURAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE

VILLAGE WHILE MEETING OUR
PROGRAMMING AND DESIGN INTENT

WAS A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT.”

- Charlie Jennings, VP and Chief Development Officer

Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA) provided local representation and full architectural Shorewood, Wisconsin
services for the national assisted living provider, Harbor Retirement Associates
(HRA), in its first Midwestern project. Throughout the process, EUA played a key Top Project of 2016, The Daily Reporter
role in the facilitation between municipalities, sub-committees, and the client to
develop and propose solutions that worked for all parties involved. Project Partners
• Altius Building Company
HarborChase of Shorewood provides residents with a variety of living options, • JSD Professional Services
including apartment-style assisted living and a memory support component. With • Pierce Engineers
HRA’s core mission of lifestyle enrichment, EUA designed the community around • The Matrix Group
a hospitality based service model with person-centered care that integrated • Aptura
wellness, choice and technology throughout the space.
Numbers of Value
Project Challenges:
»» Site Limitations Construction Cost: $15.2M (ex land)
»» Village of Shorewood Development Process Total Building Area: 113,540 sq ft
»» Non-Traditional Appearance Stories: 4
Project Completed: October 2015
Completion Time: 14 months
Components:

• 41 Memory Care Assisted Living
• 29 private rooms
• 6 (smart) companion rooms

• 67 Assisted Living Residents
• 59 one-bedroom units
• 8 two-bedroom units

• 2 outdoor courtyards
• 70 parking stalls

BUILDING ON LIMITED SPACE
The Village of Shorewood was looking for a new west
entry “gateway” building that could compliment their
recently completed pedestrian / bicycle bridge gracefully
arching over one of their two main thoroughfares
through the Village. In addition, the Village Master
Plan indicated that a senior care setting would be an
advantageous addition to the community where there
currently were no options. HarborChase of Shorewood
embraced the gateway challenge working on a site that
was extremely limited to less than three acres of buildable
area with the added requirement to provide access to
the property to the south (a future site of a 100-resident
independent living building - different operator), loading
dock area and parking.

EUA’s solution was to provide under the building parking
to allow as much greenspace as possible on the site. Positioning the building close to the street provided the Village with their
“gateway” aspect and allowed for a strip of greenspace to surround the building. With the limited buildable space, it was an
important design consideration to maximize greenspace on the site both adjacent to the building and within for the courtyards.

Onsite storm water treatment was also a challenge due to limited space. With the site’s poor soils it was decided to implement
an underground system that would allow an unhindered view of the preserved greenspace for not only the front of the building
but behind it as well.

MEETING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS REQUIREMENTS
The Village of Shorewood updated their development process
to one that goes beyond aesthetics and building codes. The
process brings focus and dives into the culture of the Village
and what its citizens find important. This process meant that
EUA and HarborChase of Shorewood worked with the Village
Board, Planning and Zoning, Community Development, and
the Design Review Board to gain approvals. In addition to these
committees, input and discussion were solicited from several
other quality of life committees.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee placed emphasis on
having a location for a bike rack, integration with the current
and future walking / bicycle trails as well as access to public
transportation. The Parks and Recreation Department was
interested in the development of a pocket park and creating
access to the bluff as a recreational area. HRA donated the
bluff to the Village for creation of a river edge recreation
area. The River Keepers required that the building orientation
and exterior lighting selection was done with care in order to
preserve the migratory routes of the Milwaukee Greenway for
the local wildlife.

HarborChase of Shorewood as the Village’s only senior care
setting, the Elder Service Advisory Board was interested in the
development of spaces for joint programming opportunities
between HarborChase and the Shorewood Senior
Resource Center.

AN URBAN LODGE IN A BEIGE WORLD
Acknowledging the unique location adjacent to the
Milwaukee River and at the edge of Shorewood,
HarborChase continued to embrace the Village’s
gateway challenge with a contemporary exterior
design that engages the street edge, compliments
the pedestrian bridge, and picks up on materials
used around the Village’s west entry. The results
were an “Urban Lodge” ready to reinvigorate senior
living design providing a familiar and comfortable
yet elegant atmosphere for all who enter.

Using traditional building elements such as a stone
chimney and heavy timbers in conjunction with
modern materials such as composite wood panels
and metal siding begins this design change. The
large windows were utilized in both the common
and private spaces to allow ample natural light
throughout the space as well as the views that
connect residents back to the village life. From the
outside alone, this building has been mistaken for
a high-end multi-family apartment building.

333 E Chicago Street | Milwaukee, WI 53202 | 414.271.5350

For additional information contact Andrew Alden, 414.291.8166, [email protected] www.eua.com

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