An award-winning vision has now become an award-winning reality. At an awards gala held in Boston, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) recognized The Baldwin with the coveted 2025 Design for Aging Review Award in the “built projects” category. The Baldwin previously received a prestigious AIA 2019 Design for Aging Review Special Recognition Award in the “unbuilt projects” category before opening in October 2023.
According to the Institute, “An AIA award is the ultimate acknowledgement of impactful, exemplary work that sets new standards and inspires others. The AIA Design for Aging Review recognizes architects and their teams who demonstrate innovative solutions to improve the quality of life for older adults.” Lead architect, Philippe Saad, and his team at DiMella Shaffer in Boston worked with North Andover Massachusetts’ Edgewood Senior Solutions Group CEO Marlene Rotering to develop and realize their shared vision for a new kind of community that would change the perceptions and the practice of senior living.
The Baldwin vision
According to Rotering, “The vision for The Baldwin has always been about empowering residents to fully enjoy the best years of their lives. We wanted to create an environment where people naturally connect and engage in the life of the community and have the freedom and flexibility to live as they choose.”
With 190 independent-living apartments for adults aged 62 and up, two restaurants, and a full complement of amenities, The Baldwin is designed for freedom, choice, connection, walkability, and intergenerational interaction. Saad says getting plans on paper started with a shared vision between Rotering and his team.
“The [mixed-use development] location of The Baldwin resonated with our team,” Saad said. “We had been thinking about designing for senior living in a way that people are engaged and connected. So, Marlene’s vision had been brewing within our team, almost symbiotically, waiting for the operator who would understand that kind of design.”
The design is a contemporary take on traditional New England architecture and creates the feeling of a small town that’s walkable, welcoming and open to all. Along the tree-lined street are ground-level retail spaces, entrances to each building, and even some ground-level apartment homes that have doors facing the street. In the middle of the community is a large water feature that acts as a town center. With benches, tables for outdoor dining, and paved walking paths, one commonly sees people coming and going, chatting with neighbors, enjoying lunch or a cup of coffee — all before even setting foot inside.
“[DiMella Shaffer] truly captured the essence of what I was after,” said Rotering. “I was trying to figure out a way to create a community where people can have some privacy and areas where they can be alone if they choose, as well as other areas where they can naturally meet and connect. Creating both was the challenge, and I think DiMella Shaffer hit the nail on the head.”
“The things that are typically buried inside a traditional senior living community — the restaurant, the café, the hair salon, the store, the art studio, the fitness center — are front and center at The Baldwin,” said Saad. “They are located in ‘storefronts’ along the main street. That makes this community very unique.
“What’s most surprising for us,” he continued, “has been how, as residents have moved in, the main street concept is developing beyond our imagination. We imagined that Woodmont Avenue would be a busy thoroughfare with people coming and going, walking from their apartments to the fitness center, the café, and other amenities. But the way residents are really using it as the heart of the community has been gratifying. It’s flipping the coin; the buildings are no longer the heart. Now, it’s the outdoor space that’s the heart of the community as people move from one area to another.”
Incorporating principles of biophilic design — an approach in which buildings are designed to emphasize connecting people with nature — The Baldwin features a two-story living wall at its main entrance, large windows throughout, and finishes that incorporate natural elements and textures.
Another intentional part of the design included distributing amenity and community spaces throughout the buildings to encourage interaction and engagement. With individual but connected buildings, there are no long corridors to navigate and — thanks to a glass-enclosed pedestrian bridge, an internal promenade, and underground parking — residents can access everything in the community and come and go without having to go outside in inclement weather. Within each residential building, there are additional gathering spaces with comfortable seating and a variety of ways for residents and their guests to have fun together. For example, you’ll find a billiards table in one and a ping pong table in another.
“I love that The Baldwin was the first anchor of the larger Woodmont Commons development.” Saad continued. “Usually senior living is an afterthought, but here, senior living is leading the way and setting the stage for everything that will come after. It’s transformative.”
Orchard Inn at The Baldwin
Integrated into the center of the community’s campus, Orchard Inn at The Baldwin offers an equally innovative, empowering, small-home model of assisted living and memory support that is unique in the area.
“Typically, assisted living is put in a place that is the back side of the building — out of sight, out of mind,” said Rotering. “But our philosophy has always been about creating an environment in which residents feel independent and feel good about who they are, with a sense of purpose and connection no matter where they are in the aging process.
“I love that DiMella Shaffer put Orchard Inn, our assisted living and memory support household, in the main building,” she adds. “Residents say they love watching the hustle and bustle from large windows on the Woodmont Avenue side and being able to go out on the large balcony on the other side and feel like they’re in the country. It also makes it easy for them to participate in community programs.”
“This is part of The Baldwin’s overall plan for interaction and inclusivity,” adds Saad. “In traditional senior living communities, older adults receiving some level of health care tend to be isolated and put to the side. But this population actually benefits from more integration. In designing The Baldwin, we set the stage for natural connections and a community feeling that brings people together.”
Living at The Baldwin
Now fully open, The Baldwin offers a wide array of services and amenities including two restaurants, an auditorium, classrooms, an art studio and gallery, woodshop, pool and fitness center, salon and spa, general store, medical clinic, and more.
To schedule a personal tour, use our contact form or call 603.699.0100.