Tanglewood Senior Living is a unique and multi-faceted endeavor that combines a renovation with a new development. The 7-story renovation transformed an underutilized apartment building into a vibrant independent living community. A new 4-story memory care and assisted living building rounds out this older adult campus. This historic Houston, Texas neighborhood brought with it a complicated site. Due to its narrow footprint, the lot was deemed to be undevelopable. Site access and connection to shared amenities and support spaces presented multiple design challenges.
A solution was the creation of a glass skybridge from the existing building to the new addition. This provides a connection to shared common areas between buildings and reduces the need for additional support spaces. Amenities that encourage social gatherings include a poolside bar & bistro, spacious dining venues with expansive terraces, fire-side lounges adjacent to a bustling café, and a multi-purpose room utilized for creative pursuits. Spaces that promote wellness include a therapy and exam suite for visiting home health providers, salon and barbershop, and fitness rooms.
Tanglewood is rich with sprawling live oak and magnolia trees that line the perimeter of the site. The interior concept and design are driven not only by the physical characteristics of these trees, but also what they symbolize. With strong roots, intertwining branches, and vibrant green leaves, these trees represent the interconnectivity of each building, active lifestyle offerings, and longevity of all who live there. A vivid color palette and textures coupled with rich, natural materials flow throughout the interior. Carpet patterns and upholstery fabrics were inspired by textural bark and branch-like forms, weaving their way through each level. As you step off of the elevator at upper level lounges, a perfectly framed view pays homage to one of these trees. The transformation of the existing and the new has set the stage for a thriving older adult community.
Houston, Texas
55,275 sf new
9,000 sf renovation
Older Adult