Renovating an architecturally-significant skilled nursing and rehab facility requires careful planning and creativity.

Advocate Healthcare of East Boston (AHEB), formerly the Don Orione Home, is a unique property. Perched on a hilltop, overlooking a religious shrine and with dramatic views of Boston and Boston Harbor, AHEB is the area’s only skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility and an important community asset. An extraordinary example of mid-20th century modernism, complete with a Corbusier-inspired chapel, it is eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2015, Advocate Healthcare Management (AHM) partnered with the Sons of Divine Providence, owners of Don Orione, to manage and improve the facility’s resident-centered care. After purchasing the property in 2017, AHM’s challenges were to:

• Reconfigure its array of healthcare services to ensure long-term financial sustainability.
• Bring the site up to 21st-century health and environmental standards.
• Create a resident-centered, modified “small-house” design concept within the current building footprint.
• Preserve the building’s mid-century modern design.
• Accomplish all of the above without major disruptions to residents.