Located in Walnut Creek, Calif., the $130-million Viamonte senior complex meets several ambitious—and sometimes conflicting—goals at once: a small community fitting seamlessly into a larger mixed-use development; condos designed for independent living that also allow for assisted care; and an enclosed courtyard built around an existing 500-year-old oak tree.

The 298,000-sq-ft, 191-unit retirement community project is targeting LEED Silver, and each unit is licensed to allow residents to receive medical care at home. This new Home-for-Life model added cost to the project but also improves life for residents who don’t want to be separated from their spouse and moved to assisted living in order to have better access to care. The team spent two years in preconstruction working out the details, and the result is a warm, contemporary residential space with outdoor amenities such as sculptures and a fire table. The concrete structure has metal stud-framed interior and exterior walls above one level of below-grade parking.

Construction requirements for licensing included the use of fire-resistant concrete and steel, and the project’s design included a cantilevered porte-cochere canopy with composite panel soffit and metal seam roof. Challenges from COVID-19 delayed the project by four months, with Viamonte losing 30% of its depositors. A full-time safety coordinator was added to the project, which was completed with no safety incidents.