Grand Living at Lake Lorraine: Engineering Exceptional Senior Communities in SD

Project Overview

BKBM provided structural engineering services for Grand Living at Lake Lorraine, a 200,000-square-foot senior living community in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The facility offers 156 units across three to four stories, supporting independent living, assisted living, and memory care in a welcoming, amenity-rich environment.

Project Highlights

  • Complex Multi-Level Design:
    • The first level is slab on grade, supporting both amenity and parking spaces.
    • Half of the building features precast plank at Level 2 above parking, dining rooms, and amenities, with two to three stories of wood framing above.
    • The other half is three to four stories of wood framing directly on the slab on grade.
    • An enclosed one-story pool building enhances resident lifestyle.
    • The north half of the parking area provides a walk-out condition, while the south parking walls retain up to a full story of soil due to site grades.
  • Amenity and Design Features:
    • The building includes spacious dining rooms, large kitchens, wide corridors, a two-story open main lobby, and a slender porte cochere.
    • Flat roofing with mansards and pitched design elements deliver heightened curb appeal and architectural character.
  • Structural Design Challenges & Solutions:
    • Created structural solutions for many areas with non-stacked bearing and shear walls, as many amenity spaces and corridors did not allow vertical alignment.
    • Coordinated closely with the architect and mechanical designers to accommodate substantial ductwork for tall ceiling heights in dining and amenity spaces.
    • Employed virtual 3D clash detection and advanced Revit modeling for seamless collaboration and system coordination.

Engineering Solutions

BKBM’s proactive and collaborative approach addressed grade changes, unaligned bearing walls, and unique architectural visions. The team delivered creative framing systems and efficient use of materials to maximize open spaces, daylight, and resident amenities.

Results & Impact

Grand Living at Lake Lorraine delivers high-quality senior living with independent, assisted, and memory care options, along with a suite of engaging amenities. BKBM’s structural engineering ensured the owner’s vision was achieved—balancing design, cost, and constructability—while supporting the community’s growing housing needs.