Inspir Carnegie Hill
Inspir's concept is based on the importance of connecting people with the outdoors.
Inspir Carnegie Hill is a 23-story, 215-unit assisted living building sited on the Upper East Side’s 2nd Avenue with views of the East River. Working with Maplewood Senior Living and Omega Healthcare, Handel Architects created a new concept in urban senior living based on the importance of connecting residents with the outdoors and natural light; an essential value, especially for those living in the city.
The concrete exterior was hand-crafted with a board forming technique, providing texture to the surfaces and connecting it with its Upper East Side masonry neighbors. Complementing the concrete structure is warm wood and bronze, as well as large glass window walls.
The program was organized to take advantage of the building setbacks to maximize access to the outdoors, while also thoughtfully considering the varying levels of care provided throughout the building.
Residents that require more care and who have difficulty moving without supervision are located on the lower levels, proximate to the common spaces of the restaurant, library, wellness, and skypark, while the more independent residents are located on the upper levels. The skypark separates the different levels of care and creates connections between the wintergarden and outdoor terrace.
Inspir was designed with a simple elegance and order that acts as a framework for allowing the outdoors inside.
Special attention was given to the care floors where glass walls can slide out of the way and residents can enjoy the feeling of sitting in front of a planted balcony with climbing vines. Similar spaces that bridge between indoors and out are featured throughout the building, including in the lobby, the ground floor dining area, the second floor education and amenity area and the sixteenth floor Sky Park.
The interiors at Inspīr Carnegie Hill provide a balanced backdrop to nature that is simple and modern in form, yet luxuriant with hand-crafted details and natural materials.
Building on the connections between inside and out, each space was layered with a material expression that would provide a warm compliment to the building exterior’s concrete frame. Accent walls were added using natural colored stones and metals, acting as landmarks and wayfinding for residents. More intimate spaces for dining, leisure, and physical activity are further defined by texture and detail using custom-made bronze and brass light fixtures and hardware, timeless hand-crafted furniture profiles in richly textured and colored fabrics, and curated artwork.
The building’s interior is designed as a backdrop to nature using materials and custom detailing that are calming and bring focus to the landscape and light.
Accent finishes in earthy tones such as wood and naturally colored stone enliven the residents’ experience.
Inspīr Carnegie Hill: A Case Study on Urban Senior Living
Take a detailed look at Inspir Carnegie Hill.
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