DCI Engineers won 1st place recognition for an assisted living project entered in the 2017 Senior Housing News Awards. Aegis Gardens of Newcastle, a distinctive Chinese-American assisted living community in western Washington, was purposefully designed to appeal to the Chinese community. Architectural design incorporates feng shui elements to the interior and exterior spaces. Aegis Living employs staff fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English to accommodate multilingual residents. The community also features a separate cultural activity center open to the public during special events.
DCI was the structural engineer of record for Aegis Gardens of Newcastle. Principal Shirley Chalupa and Project Manager Justin Fenton designed the primary lateral and gravity systems for both buildings to achieve the architect’s design criteria of a double height window system in the main lobby and entrance of the community activity center, bringing abundant natural light into the interior gathering spaces. The project team designed a two-level post tensioned concrete podium for the main building, accommodating the base for three levels of above-grade wood-framed residential floors.
Members of the multidiscipline project team include Ankrom Moisan (architect of record) and Compass Construction (general contractor). ASC Newcastle LLC is the owner of the Aegis Gardens.
The SHN awards is an annual national competition sponsored by the magazine.
Rose Bechtold, Communications Specialist | Rose comes from a journalism and technical writing background. She is in her element while in research mode and naturally immerses herself in expert knowledge by interviewing staff members about new subjects. In her spare time, Rose practices plein-air sketching of buildings and random scenes around town.
