BAR Architects Sets a New Standard for Senior Housing Design SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – March 13, 2008 – Selected from a group of international architects, San Francisco-based BAR Architects was awarded the commission to design the Sun City Palace Tachikawa –known locally as Sun City Palace Showa Kinen Koen for its adjacency to a famous regional park—for HealthCare Japan, the premier developer of Japanese luxury senior residential facilities. The BAR team, led by Principals Richard Beard, AIA and Mark Koester, AIA, in collaboration with SWA Group, landscape architects and planners, and BAMO interior designers, presented a conceptual design that blends the natural beauty of the Showa Kinen Park with the clean and elegant lines of what will be HealthCare Japan’s newest senior living facility. Sited to embrace the park and the southern light, the team fused the 500-unit complex with a heightened awareness of nature. From the entry approach down a wooded estate drive along the park’s edge to the incorporation of expansive dining and library gardens, BAR’s design unites the park’s edge to the project boundaries. The client was drawn to BAR’s creation of a unique community in which architecture is integrated with the natural beauty of the landscape and nature is given a primary place in the daily lives of residents. "The design approach we use is highly collaborative and influenced by our firm’s residential practice,” notes Principal Mark Koester. “Through the seamless integration of landscape, interior design and architecture the project design demonstrate that large-scale communities can be both functional and livable." The Tachikawa represents BAR Architects’ 10th senior housing project in Japan over the past 15 years. BAR’s approach to senior housing has established a new direction in design for aging that recognizes vitality and social activity as critical to the wellness and health of seniors. Their most recently constructed senior housing project, Takarazuka, noted for its timeless, yet innovative integration of indoor/outdoor and Eastern/Western design elements, was the recipient of eight design awards in 2007 including special recognition by the Design for Aging Awards sponsored by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA). With roots in San Francisco since 1966, BAR continues to build a distinguished portfolio at home and abroad. In addition to Japan, the firm’s international work includes projects in the United Arab Emirates, Costa Rica, Bahrain, Syria, and Italy.
