Designing for the Next Level of Care: Adding Memory Care at Discovery Senior Living Castle Hills
Project Challenges
The addition of memory care at Discovery Senior Living Castle Hills brought a unique set of challenges that required both thoughtful planning and long-term, durable solutions.
- To create a seamless transition between an existing facility to a new memory care unit, maintaining continuity in design, tone, and resident experience.
- To design a residential, home-like environment that supports varying levels of care while preserving comfort, familiarity, and dignity.
- To accommodate mobility challenges and assistive devices within high-traffic spaces without compromising usability or aesthetics.
- To furnish a multi-level community with diverse space types, including dining, corridors, activity areas, and quiet rooms, while maintaining consistency throughout.
- To meet budget and timeline constraints without sacrificing long-term performance or overall design intent.
Kwalu Solutions
To support a seamless transition across levels of care, Kwalu provided furniture solutions that:
- Create a unified aesthetic throughout the existing facility and memory care unit.
- Withstand continuous daily use, including impact from wheelchairs, walkers, and frequent movement.
- Maintain a residential look and feel while meeting the durability and cleanability requirements of a senior living environment.
- Align with project budget and timeline goals through close collaboration with the design team, ensuring quality was maintained without compromise.
“This is their home, we want them to feel comfortable and supported, while also recognizing that their care needs may be changing.”
– Enith Lascarro, Senior Interior Designer
Expanding Care with Intention
At Discovery Senior Living Castle Hills, the opportunity to expand into assisted living and memory care represented more than new construction. It was a chance to create continuity across levels of care.
Built as a new addition on an existing campus, the expansion includes 18 memory care units. While the building introduces new spaces and services, the design team focused on maintaining a connection to the original building.
“We wanted the transition to feel natural,” said Enith Lascarro, senior interior designer at Discovery Senior Living. “Even though the buildings are different, there needed to be a relationship in tone, finishes, and overall feel.”
That continuity helps residents move through levels of care without feeling like they are entering an entirely new or unfamiliar environment.
Designing for Comfort and Familiarity
From the outset, the design vision centered on creating a space that felt welcoming and residential.
“This is their home,” Lascarro said. “We want them to feel comfortable and supported, while also recognizing that their care needs may be changing.”
Residents at Castle Hills have access to a main dining room, private dining areas, wellness and therapy spaces, a salon, multipurpose rooms, and a chapel. Additional spaces such as game rooms, card rooms, and puzzle areas provide opportunities for social connection, while quieter areas offer places for relaxation.
“Dining chairs and tables take the most impact, residents use them multiple times a day.”
– Enith Lascarro, Senior Interior Designer
In the memory care neighborhood, specialized spaces support a range of needs. Activity rooms encourage engagement, while dedicated quiet rooms provide a more private setting for residents who need time to rest or decompress. These spaces include comfortable recliners, allowing residents to relax in a supportive environment.
Furniture Designed for High-Use Environments
In high-use senior living environments, furniture plays a critical role in both daily function and long-term performance.
“Dining chairs and tables take the most impact,” Lascarro noted. “Residents use them multiple times a day, and with walkers, wheelchairs, and scooters, there’s constant movement and contact.”
Durability was a key factor in the decision to specify Kwalu throughout the entire building.
From dining areas and corridors to common spaces and resident rooms, Kwalu furniture was used across all space types, creating consistency while addressing the demands of daily use.
“We always say Kwalu dining chairs last 20 years,” Lascarro said.
Kwalu’s high-performance materials are designed to resist scratches, dents, and wear caused by continuous use, reducing the need for repairs or replacements over time. For operators, this translates to fewer disruptions and lower long-term maintenance costs.
Equally important was accessibility. Furniture selections were made with senior mobility in mind, ensuring appropriate seat heights, supportive arms, and ease of movement for residents using assistive devices.
“We wanted to use Kwalu throughout the building, it was important to maintain that level of quality across all spaces.”
– Enith Lascarro, Senior Interior Designer
A Collaborative Partnership with Kwalu
Delivering a fully furnished project on a tight timeline and within budget required close collaboration between the design team and manufacturers.
With a clear preference for a single, high-quality furniture manufacturer, the team worked closely with Kwalu to meet both performance and cost requirements.
“We wanted to use Kwalu throughout the building,” Lascarro explained. “It was important to maintain that level of quality across all spaces.”
Through collaboration on fabric selections and value engineering, the team was able to align with budget constraints while maintaining the integrity of the design. “The team was on top of everything,” Lascarro said. “It was a smooth process, even with a short lead time.”
From Opening to Everyday Living
As the project moved from construction into operation, the impact of the design decisions became clear. The building quickly reached high occupancy, reflecting both the demand for these services and the success of the environment created.
Feedback from residents and staff has been overwhelmingly positive, with particular appreciation for the comfort and durability of the furnishings.
“There have been no issues with the furniture,” Lascarro said. “And when there were a few minor concerns, Kwalu made it right.”
For the design team, the project represents a successful balance of performance, budget, and resident experience.
“I’m proud that we were able to meet our cost goals while still delivering such high-quality furniture,” she said.
A Place That Feels Like Home
At its core, the success of Discovery Senior Living Castle Hills lies in its ability to create a space that feels both supportive and familiar.
Residents transitioning from independent living to assisted living or memory care are met with an environment that reflects continuity rather than disruption. The building’s layout, material palette, and furnishings work together to create a setting that is welcoming, functional, and respectful of the individuals it serves.
Through thoughtful design, durable materials, and strong collaboration, Discovery Senior Living Castle Hills provides a place where residents can feel comfortable, cared for, and at home.
It is not just an expansion. It is a continuation of community.
All photos © Discovery Senior Living