LA SECOYA DE EL CASTILLO RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
Santa Fe, New Mexico

La Secoya De El Castillo Retirement Community (The Community) is a Luxury Senior Community on the El Castillo campus that offers everything one may want in a home. From one to two-bedroom units, with 9–11-foot ceilings and open floor plans, the entirety of the Community allows for brilliant natural light and a striking view. Located at the doorstep of Santa Fe, the Community is in the heart of culture, entertainment, and activities that makes it an exciting place to be.

AE Design provided lighting design for the exterior and interior public amenities and apartment-style units. For seniors transitioning from large luxury homes to a smaller community-centered lifestyle, the lighting aligns with the high-end lifestyle they came from to ensure they feel right at home. Lighting was designed to create a warm, elegant atmosphere with strong residential feel. Artwork, materials, and landscape features are dramatically accented throughout, and dimming was a must. 

At the exterior, AE Design took a Dark Sky approach to elegantly light pathways and building facades with modern architectural sconces and path lights that complement the Santa Fe style architecture. Discrete uplighting was implemented at the giant Sequoya tree, of which the facility is named after, to anchor the property. Overall light levels at the exterior are kept high enough for safety and security, but dimmed using preset scenes on a timeclock to maintain lower light levels and light trespass into rooms during nighttime hours.

Interior lighting was developed with a layered approach to energize the amenity spaces with higher ambient light levels for an aging population. Care in fixture selection for recessed lighting provides high levels of visual comfort and glare reduction while adding a layer of concentrated lighting on tables and artwork. Cove lighting emphasizes key walls as focal points in the bistro, salon, and massage areas, and subtly increases light levels with soft indirect lighting on walls in the multi-purpose rooms. Picture lights illuminate artwork pieces in the lobby, decorative bronze metal pendants, and sconces with cutouts inspired by nature, creating an inviting atmosphere. Lighting dims automatically during the evening to create a moody feeling for users as nighttime approaches. Additionally, LED lighting throughout the interior and exterior reinforces the residential feel, while also benefiting the bottom line with increased energy reduction

Client: El Castillo - Multiple Clients
Photography Credit: Matt Photo
Senior Living Lighting Design, Specialty Lighting Controls