Best of 2005 Awards

Kendal-on-Hudson

Award of Merit: Assisted Living Facilities

Completing the Kendal-on-Hudson continuing-care facility for senior citizens in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., involved a mix of hurdles from complicated sitework to a drawn-out approvals process.

The effort to build the 500,000-sq.-ft. assisted-living complex was also challenging because it came at the same time that the community was closely scrutinizing the major redevelopment of a former General Motors plant, the largest tract in the village.

"Sleepy Hollow - and that whole area - is particularly sensitized by plans to redevelop the GM site," one of the Best of 2005 jurors said. "It's not easy to build a project in that community."

Developed by Kendal Corp. of Kennett Square, Pa., and completed in August, the four-building facility now offers 222 independent living apartments; 24 units for residents who require assistance with daily activities; and 42 skilled nursing beds in private rooms for residents who need greater supervision and medical support. Residents started to arrive in April as the project team finished the buildings on the 24-acre site in phases.

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The municipal approvals and state environmental review required the completion of design development drawings before the start of any work. The development team worked closely with village officials and project consultants to gain zoning, special permit, and site-plan approvals over a two-year period.

Once approvals were set, the project took 26 months and $101.5 million in construction costs to complete, with about 300 workers onsite at the height of activity.

The steeply sloped site is surrounded by Metro North railroad tracks, Phelps Memorial Hospital, residential neighborhoods, and a state park. The jury recognized the difficulties of the parcel's tight layout.

"I like Kendal for the site complexities," one juror said.

The project team - led by Andron Construction, a construction manager based in Goldens Bridge, N.Y., and Perkins Eastman Architects of New York - had to remove 100,000 tons of rock while trying to minimize disruption to the surrounding area.

With the majority of the rock located at the foot of the complex's Commons Building, the work sequence required crews to install concrete foundations on one side of the structure while blasting rock on the opposite side. The team reused all of the blasted rock either as backfill or for terraces in other parts of the project.

The team completed the 150,000-sq.-ft. Commons Building first because it houses the mechanical plant, kitchen, dining room, and other common areas for the complex. Structural engineers designed the building with a 2.75-in. concrete slab, which uses a lighter steel frame, helping to save $2 per sq. ft. in construction costs.

The lighter slab and frame led to the choice of a Hambro joist floor system, which is lighter but requires coordination between the concrete, steel, and mechanical contractors. After erection of steel for two floors, the concrete contractor would install plywood between the joists, drop a wire mesh, and pour the floor onsite. The team had to add piping for HVAC and plumbing systems prior to installing the Hambro system because of the limited allowable space between joists.

The sloped site also called for complex parking structures. The team built an underground garage beneath several structures, as well as a 250-space independent parking structure that the complex shares with Phelps Memorial Hospital.

The four buildings in the facility consist of a variety of materials, including concrete, structural steel, heavy-gauge roof trusses, heavy-gauge exterior wall framing, EIFS, asphalt shingles, interior running trim, carpet, and vinyl wall coverings. The exterior design aims to complement the historic Italianate architecture prevalent in the Hudson River Valley by incorporating materials such as stone and rich stucco colors.

The interior design features a multilayered system of navigation aids for residents, which allows smoother connections between buildings in the complex. Carefully planned signage meshes with a color-coordinated scheme of burgundy carpet on most floors and green carpet on levels that connect to other buildings. <<

Key Players

Owner: Kendal Corp.

Architect: Perkins Eastman Architects

Construction Manager: Andron Construction

Structural Engineer: Weidlinger Associates

M-E-P Engineer: Atkinson Koven Feinberg Engineers

Geotechnical Engineer: Divney Tung Schwalbe

Steel Contractor: Schenectady Steel

Concrete Contractors: D&J Concrete; Villa Construction

Plumbing: C&B Plumbing

Electrical: Ampul Electric

Subcontractor: Eastern Excavations