Location:Milwaukee
Developer: Witz Co.
Builder: VJS Construction Services
Architect: Perkins Eastman
Number of units:90
Rents: $2,755 to $4,830
Saint John’s On The Lake is a senior community designed to serve the physical, intellectual, social, vocational, spiritual, and emotional needs of its residents. But this all-encompassing environment had failed to keep its residents from isolating themselves from the greater active downtown area outside the campus.
Constructing the South Tower was viewed as an opportunity to bridge this gap and encourage residents to get up, get out, and explore their lakeside locale.
Via large windows and a façade consisting mainly of glass, the outside is brought in to the residents, filling the lobby’s space with light and lively urban energy. Decor anchors the building’s edgy façade, while contemporary takes on traditional furniture design and a soothing color palette prevent the elevation from being too much of a departure from nearby structures.
Architect Perkins Eastman also designed a structure that would draw visitors in. A street-level café fosters socialization, as does an art gallery wrapping around the building’s entire first floor.
To integrate the new building with the existing campus, the tower was built into an internal loop connecting existing structures. New common areas were also added at points where the new building meets the old.
A rooftop garden is exclusive to the South Tower, but a library and indoor–outdoor spaces are positioned where the buildings connect, for all residents to enjoy.