How Landscape Design–and Science–Augment Senior Housing Demand
Studies show the outdoors makes residents feel good inside.
Driven by the aging baby-boomer population, senior housing is in great demand. As MHN reported just last month, experts see senior housing fundamentals staying strong in 2026 with rental rate growth trending between 3 and 6 percent and that “Baby Boomers’ expectations are reshaping what ‘acceptable’ senior housing looks like.”
Key characteristics of properties in highest demand aren’t just wide corridors and active-adult amenities but also greenspace and the outdoors, as supported by evidence-based research. Developers, designers and builders of senior care facilities incorporate those research concepts into their projects. But what are some of the impactful studies and examples of senior housing design that reflect these issues?
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1. Green views and outdoor access improve health
Science magazine reported on an influential 1984 study by Roger Ullrich comparing hospital surgery patients who had a blank-wall view outside their window to patients with a view of trees and nature. Those with greenscape views had shorter postoperative hospital stays, took fewer analgesic doses of medication, and had slightly lower scores for postsurgical complications.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh found in a 2020 study that exposure to ultra-violet sunlight improved conditions for people with high blood pressure. It was the first large research study to show a lowering of systolic blood pressure from UV exposure, regardless of outdoor temperature.
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What facilities are incorporating landscape design that reflects the approach?
Viamonte in Walnut Creek, Calif., features expansive windows throughout residences and common areas, and the building design is organized around two interior courtyards that allow for natural light to reach the one- and two-bedroom units. Its copious outdoor amenities draw residents to enjoy the outdoors—inside and out.
Another example from Gates’ playbook is our work for the John Muir Regional Medical Center, also in Walnut Creek. We designed a rooftop healing garden and extensive outdoor greenspace for enhanced views of nature and spaces for patients, staff and visitors to relax and recharge.
2. Sunlight, outdoor connections for health and cognition
Appropriate exposure to daylight and the outdoors benefits human health, cognition and productivity as shown in research showing benefit on cognition, student test scores and more.
A University of Michigan study from 2009 found that people who walked for 50 minutes in nature performed significantly better on memory-related tasks than did subjects who walked in a more sterile, urban environment. A key study in 1999 for the California Board for Energy Efficiency and PG&E found a statistically compelling connection between daylighting and student performance, and between skylights and retail sales. In updated findings, the report showed students in classrooms with more natural light scored as much as 25 percent higher on standardized tests than other students in the same school district.
Where are those design concepts being applied?
Enso Village offering assisted living, memory care and in-home services in Healdsburg, CA, takes a wellness-centered approach rooted in Zen practices, Quaker values, and ecological design. Spanning 16 acres in the heart of Sonoma County wine country, the project integrates architecture and landscape in service of whole-person wellness. The landscape design focused on cultivating indoor-outdoor experiences that support accessible, contemplative aging. A series of intention-specific courtyards, tea gardens, walking trails and native plantings encourage both quiet reflection and vibrant community life.
Sequoia Living, a leading senior housing developer/operator, unveiled a new concept for Continuing Care Retirement Communities that’s embodied in the new Viamonte Senior Living in Walnut Creek, Calif. Its design enhances exposure to daylight by enticing residents to outdoor spaces that are inviting, comfortable and flexible for multiple uses including generous “outdoor living” courtyards with outdoor dining, a fire pit, outdoor kitchen, lap pool, bocce ball area and a 10-foot wide multi-purpose activity trail connecting to a robust local trail system.
3. Surrounding neighborhoods offer local parks, green streetscapes
A Canadian study quantified several benefits of tree line streetscapes and well-connected park system. The Ontario Health Study, researching general health and tree density in Toronto while also controlling for demographic factors, found that having 10 more trees on a city block improved perceived health on par with being seven years younger or $10,000 a year richer.
One example of the concept is at Belmont Village, a 177-unit property offering senior living, assisted living and memory care options in San Ramon, Calif. It has copious daylighting within the facility and adjacent “outdoor rooms” for enjoying fresh air and sun among native plantings of trees and vegetation. Residents are also just two blocks from thriving dining, entertainment and retail opportunities of City Center-Bishop Ranch, and a popular tree-lined walking path, the Ironhorse Trail, runs adjacent to one side of Belmont Village.
As owners and operators evaluate future-proofing of long-term care and senior housing, the importance of design for outdoor access and exposure to light and green views is a proven tool to enhance wellness for residents and long-term performance of the property.
In short, we need more space, and more effectively designed green and accessible spaces, so we can bring more of the outside in and to get outside, for better health.
Casey Case is CEO of Gates Studio.
