Case Study – Village on the Isle
The Challenge Village on the Isle, a 35-year-old, 16-acre, 325-resident retirement community, began a complete repositioning in January 2016. The Phase 1 expansion included the construction of two new five-story residential buildings, a significant renovation of Village on the Isle’s assisted living building and an entirely new 66,000-square-foot Health Center. One of the primary goals of the expansion was to provide a much needed infusion of modern technology. But as is the case with many older buildings and campuses, at their conception, planning for technology was not considered. The technology system infrastructure shared space with other functions, while the technology... Read More
Designer Mark Ekberg Featured in LD+A Magazine
Reese Hackman Designer, Mark Ekberg, was recently featured in the Emerging Professionals column of LD+A, the magazine of the Illuminating Engineering Society. Mark’s passion for his work and and the joy he gets from helping people through design is truly inspiring. We’re proud to have him here at Reese Hackman. “We must not forget that we are designing for people.” We couldn’t agree more, Mark. https://www.ies.org/lda-magazine/lda-emerging-professional/ask-an-ep-mark-ekberg/ Mark Ekberg works on electrical systems and lighting for a variety of projects, including senior living facilities. He joined Reese Hackman in 2021. In 2023, Mark became a Lighting Certified designer through the NCQLP... Read More
Wi-Fi It? Upgrading Your Wireless Network
For many of our clients, the demand for a fast and reliable Wi-Fi network is imperative. The move to high-speed, high-capacity Wi-Fi networking equipment has allowed wireless networks to transition from being a supplemental network to becoming the primary means by which we connect to any network, whether at home, work, or in public spaces. In addition, the move to the Cloud, the IoT (Internet of Things) and BYOD (bring Your Own Device) is driving greater and greater wireless capacity. We are seeing staff, visitors, and other network users bringing multiple mobile devices that rely solely on Wi-Fi for connectivity... Read More
Technology Design Innovations
[The following is republished with permission from ADVANCE for Long-Term Care Management Magazine. This article was originally published in the September/October 2011 issue of ADVANCE.] Person-centered care has become a design principle for architects and engineers in the senior care market. PCC strives to provide a home-like environment where residents care for each other and receive dignified professional attention, while contributing to the greater community. What many people don’t realize is that wireless technology can greatly enhance the ability to seamlessly implement PCC. It influences the way people can live in retirement communities and the way those respective communities provide... Read More
The Wireless the Better
In the seniors and long-term care (LTC) housing markets, emergency call systems (sometimes referred to as call bell systems) have become increasingly complex. More specifically, wireless emergency call systems have changed the notion of what a call bell system can do and have quickly developed into “community management” tools. This article outlines the top four reasons to utilize one of these wireless systems at your community. Note that many states accept wireless emergency call systems but may have specific regulations regarding their use. Please check your local and state regulations before making any decisions. “In the LTC housing market, we... Read More
The Net Worth of Your Network
With 73% of all Americans and 71% of 50-64 year olds using the World Wide Web, there is no doubt that how your community provides Internet access to your residents is very important. There are different ways for a community to provide high-speed, broadband Internet access to residents. One way is to have each resident work directly with the telephone or cable television carrier that services the area. Another is for your community to supply Internet access to each individual resident. Both of these options have their pros and cons, and selecting the right option greatly depends on your community’s... Read More
A Round on Energy Recovery Wheels
As energy costs continue their upward spiral, Owners and Engineers are renewing their efforts to find ways to reduce building energy consumption. Consequently, the Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) is increasingly becoming a standard feature in heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) design. Energy recovery ventilators are used to precondition outside air, using recovered building energy to do so. While useful on any building type, an ERV is most effective on those buildings with very high outside air requirements, such as schools, nursing facilities, hospitals, and laboratories. “Energy recovery ventilators are used to precondition outside air, using recovered building energy to... Read More
The Better to See You With My Dear
“The first step in quality lighting design for seniors is to understand the effects of aging on the human eye.” The importance of effective lighting becomes even more critical as our population ages. As we age, physiological changes in the eye result in a reduction in the quality of life and a decrease in safety due to falls. The first step in quality lighting design for seniors is to understand the effects of aging on the human eye. As the eye ages, the following changes result: Less light is transmitted to the retina. Studies published by the Illuminating Engineering Society... Read More
Down to the Wire
Are you looking to cut the wires out of your nurse call replacement? Wireless nurse call is spreading into the skilled nursing arena because it allows for simple and rapid installation into any building, regardless of age. This is especially important for existing facilities where installing new equipment is invasive and time consuming. Wireless also allows residents the flexibility to be anywhere in their room or the nursing facility and have their call button along. Despite the flexibility of its installation, there are concerns with using wireless nurse call in skilled nursing facilities. These concerns include adequate facility coverage, battery... Read More
Lighting the Way to Energy Savings
Last year Pennsylvania adopted a comprehensive statewide Building Code. Like many states, Pennsylvania opted to adopt the family of ‘International Codes’ written by the International Code Council. As part of this family of codes, which includes the International Building Code, International Mechanical Code, and International Plumbing Code, Pennsylvania also adopted the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Energy Conservation Codes are relatively new codes, when compared to traditional building codes, and design professionals are still adapting to their requirements. The goal of this article is to review some of the requirements of the electrical portions of the 2003 IECC. While the... Read More