Floor Plans: Crismon Peaks — A Luxury Home Repurposed

Project:
   Crismon Peaks — The Bridge Home

Builder:
   Structural Technology Custom Homes

What do you do when you’ve already built the first three of seven planned four-bedroom, 6,100 square-foot luxury homes on 7.5 acres in a gated community — and your potential buyers cannot find mortgage money or are cautiously waiting for the market to hit bottom?

Joe Rubanow, CEO and president of Structural Technology Custom Homes, an eco-friendly custom home builder based in Mesa, Ariz., decided to think outside the floor plan.

Rubanow discussed options with several people, including his sister, Meryl Schmitz, who has 25 years of corporate marketing experience, and her husband, Matthew, a physical therapist who has specialized in geriatrics care for 33 years.

The solution they decided upon was to transform the luxury homes into the Crismon Peaks, a high-end assisted and independent living community that includes a facility for people with Alzheimer’s.

	The footbridge in the front yard was the inspiration for the assisted living  home's name.

After getting approval from the community and county, Rubanow worked with the Arizona Department of Health Services to license the three homes.

The Bridge Home assisted-living facility is the first to be licensed and can accommodate up to 10 residents — with eight single-occupancy and one double-occupancy suite. It was repurposed as a secure facility and is licensed to take Alzheimer’s and dementia residents.

“We began by retrofitting for safety beyond the required guidelines of the department of health,” said Rubanow.

Safety and Accessibility First

All doorways were widened to 36 inches. Floors were leveled and step-downs were raised to create a one-level floor surface throughout the home for handicap access. Safety bars were added to all bathroom walls, showers, tubs and shower stalls. Every exit was ramped and padding was removed from any carpeted areas.

	A single-occupancy residential suite.

In addition to safety, and given Rubanow’s commitment to building environmentally-friendly homes, he also made extensive improvements in order to create healthy environments inside each of the repurposed facilities.

“We wanted to remove any environmental stresses from the residents’ already stressed immune systems,” he said.

To this end, Rubanow used no-VOC or low-VOC paint, an organic pre-treatment for termites, low-VOC floor coating, eco-friendly carpeting and hypo-allergenic insulation. He also avoided brand-new furnishings in favor of antiques and gently-used pieces to eliminate VOC and formaldehyde off-gassing.

The Bridge Home also is equipped with air, water and laundry purification technology so that chlorine and other chemicals never enter the residents’ air, water, clothing or bedding.

The bedroom suites in The Bridge Home range from 140 to 300 square feet and each one has a flat-screen TV, personal mini-refrigerator, large walk-in closet and a patio option. Some rooms are available furnished, but residents can add personal items.

The Bridge Home also features a home theater room, a private party room with surround sound, misted patios and gazebo and natural landscaping.

To provide the proper care for the residents, the home is staffed by a cook, a registered nurse, two licensed practical nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants. Doctors and other geriatric professionals also provide comprehensive in-home medical care.

All three of the homes at Crismon Peaks are monitored and equipped with security exterior doors and 6-foot gates to ensure a secure environment for the residents.

The monthly room rate is $4,000 per person, plus the cost of care. Three levels of care are offered — supervisory care for $800 a month; personal care for $1,300; and directive care, the most comprehensive care, for $1,800 a month.

	The at-grade front walk.

	A chef is on staff at The Bridge Home to provide meals for residents.

	The backyard.

	The custom-built gazebo features automatic misting to make the residents more comfortable in the Arizona heat.

The Bridge Home before. Click for larger image.

The Bridge Home after. Click for larger image.

Features and Specifications

6,094 square feet of living area Nine private residential suites — eight single-occupancy and one double-occupancy — with flat-screen TVs and mini-refrigerators Wall-to-wall carpeting in all bedroom suites 36-inch doorways One-level floor throughout the home Accessible bathroom with grab bars on bathroom, shower and tub walls Ramps at all exterior doors Living room Dining room Breakfast area Large kitchen with full-time chef Rec room Game room Movie theater room Hair salon Multi-purpose room Rec room High-speed Internet Four covered patios with a commercial misting system Custom-built gazebo Surround sound and intercom system throughout house, patios, view deck and gazebo Central computer with Skype software for making face-to-face Internet-based family phone call contact No-VOC or Low-VOC paint Organic (non-poisonous) termite pre-treatment Hypo-allergenic insulation No off-gassing from furnishings Air, water and laundry purification technology (NASA-developed, certified for Space) Eco-bedding (hypo-allergenic) Built by Structural Technology Custom Homes, Mesa, Ariz.

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