Set against the foothills of the Rockies, Wind Crest Erickson Community unfolds as a series of intimate neighborhoods woven into the Colorado landscape. Lodge-inspired buildings rest lightly on the land, each with its own character and rhythm of life. The historic Highline Canal becomes the heart of the campus–preserved, celebrated, and crossed by a glass bridge that links neighbors and views alike. Trails trace water and meadow toward Denver and the mountains beyond, turning everyday walks into moments of quiet wonder and connection.
Wind Crest Community
Project Details:
Client:
Erickson Living
Location:
Highlands Ranch, CO
Project Data:
- 1,587 units
- 89.0 acres
- 18.03 units per acre
Type:
Challenge
Wind Crest required a long-term master plan for an 80-acre Life Plan Community (CCRC) capable of supporting more than 1,500 independent living residences alongside a full continuum of care. Beyond scale and the phasing of nearly two million square feet, the challenge was cultural: to reimagine senior living as an active, engaging environment rooted in the spirit of a Colorado mountain resort–one that could evolve over decades while maintaining continuity of daily life.
Solution
JHP organized the campus into three walkable neighborhoods, each anchored by a Community Building designed as a lively social and service hub. Dining, wellness, medical care, arts, and recreational spaces are interwoven into warm, light-filled environments that encourage movement, interaction, and play. Lodge-inspired architecture, intuitive circulation, and strong indoor–outdoor connections reinforce walkability, views, and a natural sense of arrival, allowing hospitality-focused services to unfold seamlessly as part of everyday life.
Impact
Completed in Summer 2025, Wind Crest delivers a hospitality-driven model for Life Plan living, where play, wellness, and connection define daily life. The resort-inspired campus supports aging in place while celebrating choice, vitality, and the joy of staying active at every stage–an enduring, neighborhood-centered environment shaped by comfort, energy, and long-term livability.
