Masonry Magazine July 1973 Page. 15
Window bays for the Life Manor project have a 45-degree angle chamfered brick design that permits tenants to view the surrounding mountains and the Puget Sound area more readily. Special shapes were manufactured by the brick supplier to accommodate the angles. Soldier courses serve as closures at the top of each prefabricated brick panel as well as adding visual interest to the building.
Life Manor Elderly Housing Apartment
Tacoma, Washington
Architect: Daniel, Mann, Johnson & Mendenhall
General Contractor: N.E. Sommers Co.
Mason Contractor: Robert Barkshire (MCAA)
The parishioners and minister of the First Assembly of God Church in Tacoma recently asked themselves: "What can be done with a piece of property at the end of a park, at the bottom of a hill, at the edge of a church parking lot, near modest residences, but not unsuited for a single-family development?"
When the federal housing HUD 236 program was brought to their attention, they immediately knew what they wanted to do with their property. On March 18, 1973, they dedicated a 158-unit elderly housing facility that was 80 per cent committed on the day of dedication. Planning and construction took three years, with a capital outlay of $2,400,000.
The building as developed is of reinforced concrete with exterior and interior walls of brick. The building cost broke down to $19.67 per square foot or $11,600 per living unit. The total cost including land came to $25.80 per square foot.
The architects designed the structure to house 106 efficiency units, 52 one-bedroom units, a dining facility accommodating 124, a hobby and recreation room, commissary, lobby, and exterior amenities such as a fountain.
Panels here indicate the special shapes that were manufactured to satisfy the angles of the Life Manor design. At the left are additional building materials utilizing the increasingly popular concept of "shrink-film" packaging.