Infusing Culture and Care into PACE Center Interior Design 

When Vista Community Clinic decided to open its first Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE, it turned to FS Design Group to ensure an interior design that promotes wellness, supports the participants’ needs and fits into the community’s culture. 

Located in Glendale, Calif., VCC’s PACE will serve an increasingly aging population that is largely of Armenian ancestry. To ensure the center is truly a home-away-from-home for the participants, the FS Design Group team incorporated the warm colors and tapestry-like patterns that are common in the Armenian culture. 

To inspire the interior design, VCC provided the FS Design Group team with reference photos showing the Armenian culture’s rich visual expressions. Utilizing warm woods and colorful patterns was the easy part — the design challenge came with interpreting those concepts into materials that are hygienic and appropriate for a healthcare setting.  

An especially difficult and unique design task was incorporating VCC’s wish for carpeting in the PACE’s day center area. VCC understood that even the most modern and durable carpet tile will require extra upkeep, compared to laminate or wood flooring. But the softer floor materials will make the space feel quieter, calmer and more like home, so VCC decided it was worth the extra effort to provide a better experience for their participants. 

In addition, specialty acoustic light fixtures that are more “residential” than “institutional” and smaller windows that still allow in plenty of natural light will help keep the acoustic levels down. Allowing the senior participants to interact with each other and the staff easily is a strategic decision that requires a careful balance between aesthetics and well-being. 

FS Design Group is ready to rise to the challenge, as the team has earned a reputation for adeptly and creatively addressing PACE design challenges. A leading PACE interior design firm, FS Design Group’s team works with a variety of providers across California. Each one has its own look and feel but must also meet strict mobility, durability and health requirements. 

VCC’s 40,000 square foot facility, expected to open later in 2025, will include all the usual PACE amenities: a community room, a health clinic, an exercise space, administrative offices and a kitchen large enough to serve nutritious meals for its seniors everyday. But it will be its own unique experience that the senior participants will surely enjoy.