The pendulum for senior living is swinging toward resort living, and St. George with its red desert landscapes and temperate winters is certainly a wonderful place for a resort lifestyle. The doors recently opened for Legacy Village, a senior living complex for independent living, assisted living, and memory care. Utah-based Beecher Walker Architects and Rimrock Construction designed and built it, and Metropolitan Studio (Connie Wittich), based in Salt Lake City and Baltimore, completed the colorful interiors.
Photos by Scot Zimmerman
Consistent with the Southwest tradition, the complex is built around courtyards. In the largest courtyard is a pool and hot tub, loungers and tables for relaxing, and also a play yard with equipment for visiting families with children. Others are off the dining room for dining al fresco with places for recreating, and the memory care unit has its own private and secure outdoor area. The courtyard design allows for safe outdoor environments partially shaded and shielded from wind with staff nearby should any needs arise.
Each of the living areas (independent, assisted, and memory care) has its own entrance and lobby. Above is the lobby for independent living with a staffed reception desk and conversation areas to the sides.
There are additional conversation areas along the hallway leading from the reception lobby to the dining room. This area is convenient for greeting guests and having some extra time to converse and catch up before going out for dinner together or sharing a meal in the dining area.
The assisted living side is similarly configured and has a space for conversation groupings surrounding a piano.
The high-ceilinged dining room has a lodge feel to it that is enhanced by fireplaces. While independent and assisted living each have a dining room, the dining rooms connect, and residents can opt where to sit.
The dining area offers a number of different seating, including options for breaking away for more private meals with visitors or for special events. Above is a sports bar set up with a big television for watching the game with other sports enthusiasts.
The design encourages sitting and socializing with others, like these chairs on the mezzanine looking over the dining room.
I photographed the popular game room early in the day, which ended up being very fortunate as it was continuously occupied afterwards.
Seating for the bistro is off the pool courtyard one direction and the movie theater another. Behind the colorful wall mural is a large activity room with views to the pool that is used for a number of purposes, including morning exercise classes.
Two well-equipped fitness centers are found upstairs.
On the top level are two large sitting rooms with perimeter decks. The floor-to-ceiling windows take in the landscape’s drama, which is especially stunning at sunset.
Of course, there is more to see; I made a hundred shots to document the space. The desert was beautiful and enhanced the shots. While not planned, I benefitted from some incredible skies. Surprising with the dry weather we have been experiencing with the drought, but severe storms hit two of the evenings that I was shooting. The first evening, the deluge with lightening prevented me from going out with my equipment, but on the second night, I was able to get some dramatic exterior photos. It reminded me how much I like to get down to the Southern Utah desert and to camp.
You can find more stunning St. George structures here!