The Stone Institute & Newton Home for Aged People was chartered in 1884 as a home for elderly Newton Residents in modest circumstances. Today after 100 years, it is still serving the elderly as a non-profit Level IV retirement home.

Program

The Stone Institute proposed the construction of an eighty two-bed Level II skilled nursing addition to the rear of the existing building. These new facilities would provide a higher level of care for the institution’s residents and Newton's elderly. The project also included a balcony addition to the existing building, the renovation of the existing twenty-three bed Level IV retirement home and of the porte-cochere bridging the old and new buildings. The project included full architectural, engineering, landscape and interior design services.

Non-Profit Development

Income from an endowment and moderate charges for room, board and care for the residents had been the Home's only financial sources. Supplemental income was needed in order to meet the Home's current and future expenses. The architect was the not-for-profit developer/agent for the Stone Institute and was responsible for MIFA financing.

Integration of Old and New

Forms and details from the 1914 building were used in the design of the new skilled nursing addition. The precast concrete jack lintels, water table and banding matched the same brick details on the Stone Institute. The double-hung windows, the brick gable ends, balcony rail and sloped roof materials matched in color and detail to integrate the new and old buildings.

The addition was designed as a T shaped building and was attached to the back of the existing Stone Institute with the porte-cochere bridge. The two acres of woods and the large front yard are now protected by a Preservation Easement.

Historic Preservation

The Stone Institute is located within the Upper Falls Historic District and design approvals from the Newton Historical Commission were required for the project. The Special Permit from the City of Newton and DoN limitations on the allowable size of a skilled nursing addition were combined on a 5.2 acre site on the top of a hill to minimize the visual impact on the neighborhood.

The new 82-bed Skilled Nursing Addition was located behind the original 24-bed Level IV Stone Institute in order to minimize the visual impact of the new addition. Two acres of existing woods on the rear of the site were preserved. A registered arborist was hired to develop a master plan to preserve and improve the health of the existing woodlands. New evergreen landscaping was installed to screen the new parking areas and skilled nursing addition from the abutters.

A 100-year underground storm water detention system was located under the new parking lot to control the water run-off from the existing site. The storm detention system was designed to collect the storm water and release the water slowly over time. We also designed the new Skilled Nursing Addition to avoid blasting which was a big issue for the abutters. At the completion of the project, a preservation easement was placed on the entire site.