JKV Wins Platinum Award for Innovative Dining Design

 

Environments For Aging, October 17, 2025

by Robert McCune | Editor 

 

Trends:  What’s Driving Dining in Senior Living?

Dining spaces in senior living communities are evolving to provide not just a meal, but an experience that’s designed to fuel connection and belonging.  “Dining is such an important part of everyone’s lives…and it’s a large piece of the social life of residents on a senior living campus,” says Brandon Dilla, a senior associate at Perkins Eastman.

At John Knox Village in Pompano Beach, Florida, a campus redevelopment started with adding two new luxury residential towers and event space before an opportunity arose to also improve and expand the community’s dining offering as part of an “experience district.”  At the time, the luxury independent and assisted living community had a small cafe and one main cafeteria-style dining building, which “wasn’t really giving residents the choice they are looking for in their community,” says Dilla, who was the architectural designer and project manager.

During the phased project, the design team replaced the main cafeteria with five distinct restaurant-style venues that support residents’ desire to choose what and where they eat.  The project took home the top Platinum Award in Environments in Aging’s 2025 Dining Competition.

The refreshed dining offerings also connect to the experience district’s social, cultural, fitness and residential components via pedestrian pathways along the lake, creating a heart of activity on campus, Dilla says.  “The evolution of dining into a more experiential environment isn’t something that’s going to go away, he says.  “Communities are working to step up their game as they reposition their offerings for future residents.”

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