Project Brief

Origami Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center, situated on a beautiful 35 acre wooded site in Mason, Michigan, was looking to extend their residential program by designing and building a six-bed residence featuring 6,000 square feet of private, homelike space offering an assisted living option to their overall campus of care. The new residence complements existing neuro-rehab and semi-independent living programs.

The new Assisted Living Home offers six bedroom spaces which include a bedroom, toilet room with shower, small dining/table area, and small kitchenette. The common space is the center of the residence with the apartments on the perimeter. This common space has a large comfortable living room complete with fireplace, computer station, large TV, floor lamp, and comfortable lounge furniture for hanging out. As part of the common space, there is an open dining space, as part of the living area, and open kitchen. The dining space has a large farmhouse style dining table to accommodate communal meals and game nights. The open kitchen allows for resident interaction in creating and producing meals and generally evoking, along with the open plan living and dining room, a sense of home and hearth.

The residence has a welcoming front entry area where coats and boots can be stored, a sitting room, laundry room, and large pantry. The entry points into the bedrooms are hidden from the common area, affording privacy and independence, enhancing the overall dignity of the residents. The assisted living home color scheme is comfortable and fresh, incorporating the color of the woodlands and the expanse between the woods and building. The interior spaces are accessorized with artwork, baskets, pottery, and reeds and grasses further emphasizing the homelike elements, essential for the environment of care and healing.