Read the story at the link: Q&A with Glen Lewis, CEO of RoseVilla: Rethinking Senior Living Through Sustainability and Resilience
Glen Lewis, CEO of RoseVilla, is leading a new chapter for the Portland-based nonprofit Life Plan Community as it plans a 97-home expansion and a new resilience hub.
The expansion includes Mahonia EcoHomes, 12 independent living homes designed by Green Hammer Design Build that will pursue full Living Building Challenge certification. RainWood Lofts, designed with Hacker Architects, will add 54 independent living loft homes and 31 assisted living apartments. It will be RoseVilla’s first mass timber residential building, its first licensed assisted living, and, once certified, its largest zero-energy neighborhood. A new Resilient Operations and Sustainable Energy (ROSE) Hub, also designed by Green Hammer, will help keep the campus operating during emergencies. Mahonia and RainWood Lofts are expected to be complete in early 2029.
Lewis has spent his career advancing a new vision for senior living through sustainability, climate resilience, intergenerational programming, and Resident-driven innovation.
Here, Lewis shares his perspective on the business case for sustainable development and what senior living leaders should plan for next.
RoseVilla is adding 97 homes and a new resilience hub. How is the expansion shaping the future of senior living at RoseVilla?
This expansion will broaden RoseVilla’s housing and care options with 66 independent living homes and 31 assisted living homes, all designed to meet zero-energy standards or better. A new solar-powered resilience hub will provide emergency power, water, and operational support during a natural disaster or prolonged outage. Together, these projects are creating a more sustainable, resilient community that can adapt as the environment and Residents’ needs change.
Why should sustainability and resilience be core to senior living development?
It’s much easier to build them in from the start than to add them later. People who already live these values often can’t retrofit a house they’ve lived in for most of their lives, but we can build it into every new home. We also need to keep caring for Residents when the power goes out or a major earthquake hits. That’s what our 25-year Resiliency and Sustainability Action Plan is for, and the new ROSE Hub puts it into practice with seismic resilience, solar power, and emergency water.
RoseVilla isn’t new to sustainable development. What has the community already built?
With our partner, Green Hammer Design Build, we built two zero-energy neighborhoods, The Oaks and Trillium Townhomes, using Passive House design and rooftop solar to meet their annual energy needs. Our ROSE Port, a solar-powered EV carport, stores backup power for phones and small devices and holds 3,100 gallons of rainwater that can be purified in an emergency. ROSIE (Recycled Organic Stuff is Everywhere) is an underground greywater reclamation system that saves over 300,000 gallons of freshwater annually.
When we tell lenders and future Residents we can deliver Living Building Challenge homes, we’re pointing to buildings that already perform.
RoseVilla is pursuing full Living Building Challenge certification at Mahonia. What is the goal of that project?
We’re pursuing full Living Building Challenge certification, one of the most demanding green building standards, to demonstrate what’s possible when sustainability is built into every aspect of senior living. Mahonia must meet 20 requirements across seven performance areas — energy, beauty, place, water, materials, health + happiness, and equity — then demonstrate its performance for 12 consecutive months after Residents move in. Mahonia’s rooftop solar is designed to produce 105% of the neighborhood’s energy needs.
If we succeed, it would be the 37th fully certified Living Building Challenge project in the world and the first senior living community to earn full certification. We’ll apply what we learn across the campus.
Building to these standards costs more up front. How does it make financial sense for a nonprofit?
Building to zero energy costs more up front, but it lowers operating costs for as long as the buildings stand, which helps keep fees stable for Residents. The demand is there, too. Both of our zero-energy neighborhoods sold out before construction was complete. That’s why nothing we build from here on will fall below zero-energy standards.
RoseVilla’s development is shaped by Residents. What does that look like in practice?
We believe the people who live here should help shape what comes next. Nine Resident work groups involving 57 current and future Residents helped guide everything from amenities and wellness spaces to the new community garden. Their ideas make the community stronger and create a greater sense of connection to its future.
RoseVilla’s new one-acre Community Garden will replace the longtime garden at the future site of Mahonia EcoHomes. How did Resident input shape the new garden?
The new garden is designed as more than a place to grow food. Residents helped shape a space that brings together gardening, wellness, nature, and community, with 154 raised beds, accessible paths, native habitat, fruit trees, and gathering areas. It will also include dedicated programming near RainWood Lofts, creating more ways for Residents to connect, stay active, and share knowledge across generations.
RainWood Lofts is RoseVilla’s first licensed assisted living offering. How does it expand the way Residents can experience senior living?
People want to remain connected to their community as their needs change. Residents told us they wanted more care options without leaving the relationships and environment they value. Adding assisted living allows us to support that continuity while creating a more connected experience across the full spectrum of senior living.
RainWood Lofts will use mass timber and, once certified, become RoseVilla’s largest zero-energy neighborhood. How does the design shape the Resident experience?
We wanted a building that’s beautiful and interesting, and doesn’t look like traditional senior living. We chose mass timber for sustainability and natural beauty, and the exposed wood gives the building a warmth you don’t get from concrete and drywall. Rain Wood wraps around a landscaped courtyard, and every home has its own entrance facing it, so people are connected to nature right outside their door. The first floor will have art studios, a woodshop, a performance space, and a gallery.
What should senior living leaders be thinking about as they plan for the next decade?
Design for the future, not just today. That means understanding what Residents will value five, 10, and 20 years from now and prioritizing sustainability, resilience, wellness, technology, autonomy, and purpose.
You don’t have to start with a big plan. Our ROSE Port came out of a parking garage fire. We had to rebuild anyway, so with input from Residents, we decided to make it our first solar-powered resilience hub. Look for those moments in projects you’re already planning. And bring your Residents in early. Our Green Team has been leading on this for years.
What do you hope RoseVilla’s expansion contributes to the broader senior living industry?
I hope it shows that growth, sustainability, and resilience can move forward together. Our industry has to build faster than ever to meet demand, and the buildings we put up now will serve Residents for decades. Imagine the impact if we did that with sustainability and responsible building in mind.
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