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Altro Wood, Altro Aquarius, Altro Operetta, Altro Stronghold 30
Langley City, BC, Canada
The Village Langley consists of a large community center and six corresponding cottages spanning its five-acre campus. Dedicated to ensuring that residents coping with the degenerative effects of Dementia are able to direct their own day-to-day living in a safe, natural environment, The Village provides holistic care centered on forming relationships and finding a sense of place in one’s surroundings.
Each cottage features the comforts of a typical home environment, including a living room with fireplace, dining area, an open kitchen and private rooms with adjoining bathrooms. Small groups of residents live together in these spaces, allowing trained household teams to focus on their individual abilities and promote an improved
quality of life. Residents are also encouraged to navigate the campus independently, with wayfinding elements present to cue them to their surroundings and staff monitoring their location and safety.
In order to bring their design concept to life, The Village collaborated with NSDA Architects to develop the most efficient layout possible. This involved finding a flooring solution that would address their residents’ unique needs while adhering to the desired home-like aesthetic. “Altro Wood was selected for the cottages for the warmth of its woodgrain and visual familiarity for the residents,” stated Brian Dust, Architect, Principal at NSDA. “It provides excellent slip resistance to mitigate resident falls.”
Visual perception plays an important role in designing for memory care facilities. High-gloss surfaces and complex patterns can cause disorientation in residents and potentially increase the risk of injury. Non-glare finished floors such as Altro Wood avoid compromising vision in these environments. “The beautiful matte finish was essential to eliminate glare and reflections that can be detrimental to residents with Dementia,” explained Dust.
The firm specified Altro Aquarius safety flooring for use throughout the resident bathrooms and integrated showers. Developed for lasting performance in wet and dry areas, Altro Aquarius offers slip resistance for both bare feet and shoes. In the community center, salon and activity rooms, Altro Operetta was chosen for its ability to withstand high volumes of visitor traffic. Meanwhile, the facility used Altro Stronghold 30 in its commercial kitchen area to provide its staff with the highest available slip resistance.
“Altro has a well thought-out line of products with exceptional technical and design features that coordinate well together. Residents, families and healthcare professionals have been highly complimentary on the home-like cottages, and Altro products have contributed significantly to the aesthetics of the buildings,” Dust concluded.
