The Chesapeake
Virginia Baptist Homes, Inc.
Newport News, VA

The Chesapeake Exterior The Chesapeake Bistro The Chesapeake Exercise Room The Chesapeake Pool The Chesapeake Dining Room

Project Specs
Construction Cost: $58M
Completion Date: 2004
Independent Living Apartments: 216
Cottages: 40
Assisted Living Units: 60
Memory Support Units: 15
Skilled Nursing Beds: 52
Community Center: 46,000 Square Feet

Narrative
The Chesapeake has always had a lot going for it, including a location in a desirable neighborhood close to shopping, golf, cultural sites, and the beautiful Chesapeake Bay. In the late 1990s, the life care community’s master plan included adding spacious, modern apartments to its existing mix of housing options.

The challenge was that even with all the amenities, the apartments weren’t selling. Prospective residents were turned off by the existing facilities, especially the 1960s-vintage nursing building with its cramped, semi-private rooms.  The solution was to demolish the community – until all that remained was the shell of the original independent living building – and build anew. Result:  Those new apartments, which were projected to be occupied in 14 months, were nearly full in only three.

How does a community undergo such drastic change and maintain operations?  SFCS architects and planners worked with The Chesapeake to develop a carefully-staged plan to reposition the campus, with the goal of moving each resident only once.

The first step was to build a new healthcare facility – with all private rooms – and a new assisted living building. As these (initially free-standing) buildings were completed, residents were moved in from other parts of the community. At the same time, the new kitchen and mechanical rooms were being constructed, with the old ones still in operation.

Prospective residents liked these new buildings, and their options in independent living: SFCS had designed 18 different one- and two-bedroom apartment floor plans, many with patios or balconies, ranging in size up to 1,750 square feet. Consequently, the new independent living apartments began selling fast and construction was soon underway.

A temporary dining room was constructed in the original independent living building. The new kitchen was switched on overnight, so residents wouldn’t miss a single meal. Then, the campus’s community center and old nursing building were demolished.

SFCS designed a new central community center which connects the buildings and serves as the heart of the campus. The center’s floor plan includes dining and activities space, and a second floor service corridor so carts for food and linens no longer roll through public hallways and lobbies.

As the final step, the original independent living building was gutted until only a shell of brick remained. Its long, central corridor was relocated to the back exterior wall, opening the space for huge new apartments.

Additional housing options were added at The Chesapeake: memory support assisted living and new single family cottages.

Today, residents can enjoy expanded amenities in attractive spaces, including dining with a café option, an indoor pool and wellness center, a clinic, multi-purpose room, and a host of activities spaces.

The new healthcare building features a multi-pod design which decentralizes services and moves staff closer to the residents they serve. Residential finishes enhance the home-like atmosphere, and sunlight streams into common spaces through large windows.

The assisted living building features dining and activity rooms on every floor, plus large porches with ceiling fans so residents can enjoy outdoor air and views of landscaped courtyards.

The upgraded mechanical systems are much more energy efficient, are computer controlled, and offer enhanced fire safety measures. A new loop road provides residents with a secondary, easier access through a residential neighborhood.

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