Waverly Heights Carlton Commons & Turnberry Apartments

To maintain its strong market position and respond to resident expecations, this project introduced new hybrid apartment homes and updated community center amenities.

Commons updates focused on dining venues and wellness spaces, and also provided a more open and welcoming entry experience. The former reception area was replaced with a concierge desk and the corridor was widened to provide a contemporary seating area that reflects the vernacular of Philadelphia’s Main Line.

The 10 new hybrid apartments addressed demand among wait list members for larger residences. They range from 1,795 to 2,050 square feet. Situated on a hillside, the two lower levels of the building provide covered parking for residents and needed additional staff parking. All apartments are two bedroom with two and a half baths and are positioned to provide abundant natural daylight and multi-directional views.

Photo Credit: Nathan Cox Photography

Project Highlights

Client:
Waverly Heights

Location:
Gladwyne, PA

Services:
Master Planning

Architecture

Interior Design

Type:
Community Center

Wellness

Dining

Hybrid Homes

Apartments

Waverly Heights Carlton Commons & Turnberry Apartments

The ‘front and center’ display of food preparation, including the popular hearth oven, allows chefs to fully engage with community residents.

Elevating

Culinery Experiences

Updates reflect a fresh approach to food preparation and a new attitude towards dining.

The casual dining experience transitioned from a cafeteria style service with behind the scenes food cooking to a front and center display of food preparation.

The transformation emphasizes farm-to-table ingredients and made-to-order selections, as well as increased chef engagement with residents. The new scatter-style food stations alleviate circulation issues and wait times.

The art feature in the new Carlton formal dining is a stylized map of the Philadelphia Main Line.

The new scatter-style food stations utilize up-to-date technology innovations to keep foods precisely hot or cold for longer times.

Removing walls that separted dining areas from the former serving lines creates an open and appealing setting that elevates the food preparation process.

The updated dining area takes full advantage of natural light while highlighting and supplementing the existing architectural detailing.

Corridor prior to renovations.

Updated corridor highlights the new climate-controlled walk-in wine room.

Because space limitations prevented an exterior expansion, the pool was expanded ‘into’ the existing building.

Updating the

Wellness Center

The pool was enlarged to accommodate lap swimming and aquatic classes. Additions included a new aerobics and dance studio, as well as massage and manicure / pedicure rooms as part of a relocated and expanded salon.

A key aspect of expanding the wellness center was working with residents and staff to find suitable alternate locations for an existing art studio and clubroom. These activity spaces needed to be relocated to allow for the new and expanded wellness amenities.

Turnberry hybrid apartments continue the campus Main Line architectural style.

The new hybrid apartment building was carefully positioned to maintain the lawn.

Not only were the aesthetics greatly enhanced, this team fundamentally improved the important functions of these wonderful spaces. This remodel added interactive and highly mobile spaces versus just remodeling more “sitting areas” which is too common in our profession. This very attractive remodel draws people into the spaces and celebrates added choice and enhanced lifestyle!

Juror Comments

EFA Remodel-Renovation Competition

Waverly Heights Community Center Updates & Apartments

Project Highlights

Culinery Experiences

Wellness Center

Related Projects

Acts – Fairhaven Clubhouse

Phoebe Berks Community Center

Givens Estates Oxford Commons