Madonna Towers of Rochester partnered with Wold Architects and Engineers (St. Paul, Minn.) to design Benedict House, a new memory living community in  in Rochester, Minn. The project, which opened in December 2015, features 16 private rooms, divided into two separate households of eight.

Benedict House has a residential scale and design, starting with the exterior, which has a bungalow-inspired design that fits in with the surrounding neighborhood.

Inside, the community features an  open residential-style kitchen with a counter where residents can sit down and talk with staff at any time of day.

A double-sided nurse server cabinet for medications, linens, and supplies allows staff to stock supplies from outside the residents’ rooms, minimizing disruptions, while enabling the staff to be more efficient and have more time to spend with residents, rather than tracking down supplies.

Each residence has a private bathroom and walk-in shower, while each household has a kitchen, dining room, living room, and commons area. Both households have access to a secure outdoor garden space, a fitness room, library, and computer room.

To support residents’ need to wander and move, Wold created an interior walking loop with open sightlines so caregivers can keep an eye on residents. Discreetly stored lifts and staff equipment throughout the home provide additional support to the caregivers.