Nocatee

Overview

Nocatee, located in Ponte Verde, Florida, is a senior living community designed to adapt to residents’ evolving needs with its age-in-place approach and versatile à la carte services. Catering to residents aged 55 and over, Nocatee provides a luxurious, resort-style environment that promotes comfort, leisure, and an active lifestyle. Ironwood Design Group was commissioned to develop the amenities and landscape architecture for the independent living section, bringing their meticulous and deliberate design to life.

Approach

Ironwood Design Group approached the Nocatee project intending to create an exterior space that complements the community’s interior, allowing residents to enjoy Florida’s year-round mild weather. The design mirrors the Spanish influences of traditional Floridian architecture while incorporating clean, contemporary details to showcase the building’s modern elegance. Using forced perspective and lush, colorful foliage, Ironwood enhanced the natural beauty of the landscape, creating views that extend past the property to a retention pond and a pine tree forest.

The common area is thoughtfully divided into welcoming “rooms” that offer privacy and purposeful use. A resort-style pool, complete with lap lanes and a wide sunbathing shelf, provides ample space for residents and their families to enjoy invigorating swims. Nearby, a secluded spa and private cabanas, café tables, and chaise lounges offer plenty of seating and shade for relaxation. Walking paths connect a small putting green, pickleball courts, vegetable gardens, and a dog park, ensuring diverse recreational options that will keep residents energized and excited. An outdoor café patio connects to the interior dining room, with a convenient window for ordering food, making every meal a delightful experience.

The hardscape features rectilinear limestone pavers for a clean, contemporary feel, while a fountain with a hand-crafted aqua tile backsplash graces a low wall. To create a warm, welcoming environment, Ironwood planted abundantly along walkways and in planters, using blooming Cassia trees, spider lilies, towering date palms, and agapanthus to create a shady canopy and fill the space with natural colors. Pink muhly grass and variegated ginger serve as ground cover, enhancing the tasteful natural aesthetic.

At the building’s entryway, the circular driveway surrounds a pedestrian pathway connecting Nocatee’s many bike and walking paths. Regal sabal palms and fragrant citrus trees in custom stone planters evoke the classic elegance of Floridian Spanish design, creating a dramatic and inviting approach to the building.

“We’re always trying to speak the same language between inside and outside. We want to showcase the architecture while softening the visual effect to create a warm, welcoming environment.” – Sam Sampson, Partner