Survey Says ...Senior Facilities Will Grow

Despite some market saturation—particularly in the Sun Belt—development of health-care, residential and commercial facilities designed for seniors is still projected to increase. In fact, 71.7 percent of the design and construction firms recently surveyed by Consulting-Specifying Engineer anticipate that the senior housing market will grow next year. Even more respondents—80.7 percent—predict a strong growth mode five years down the road.

The C-SE-conducted survey of firms active in the senior market also found that this year, firms expect to work on senior facility projects worth an average value of $4.9 million, and nearly a fifth of the survey's respondents plan to work on projects valued at more than $10 million.

Breaking it down, the surveyed firms prioritized the biggest issues to contend with when executing senior housing projects. Cost concerns topped the list, followed by design challenges, project schedule and then energy efficiency.

While designers are involved in projects all over the United States, 31.7 percent of firms have been active in the Midwest this year, 22 percent are doing work in the Mid-Atlantic region, 15.1 percent are busy in the South, another 15.1 percent are doing senior housing projects in the Southwest and 13.8 percent of firms have work in the South-Atlantic region.

In addition, respondents listed the top trends in senior facility design as being facilities better able to serve the needs of seniors, more specialized facilities, more open space within facilities, more integration with the outdoors, greater satisfaction among residents, and facilities that are more family-oriented