Deep in the heart of Texas, The Langford at College Station is a true reflection of the state where it resides. Set amid the ranches and pasture land of the Lone Star State, the senior living community is built on the aesthetics and history of its location — Texas A&M University.
Opened in April, The Langford at College Station is a tribute to Ernest Langford, known as “the father of College Station,” who served as the city’s mayor for 23 years and as the head of Texas A&M’s architecture department.
With interior design by Spellman Brady & Co. of St. Louis, the 215,000-square-foot community’s light-filled spaces feature a combination of rustic flavor and timeless elegance for residents that live in the 72 independent living, 24 assisted living and 18 memory support units. Native Texan Matthew Currie, who serves as regional vice president and executive director of The Langford, is amazed at how well the property captures the spirit and beauty of his home state and honors its namesake’s legacy.
“Ernest Langford is the longest-running mayor of College Station and has buildings on campus named for him,” Currie says. “We have met with the Langford family and they said our organization shares their values. The Langfords are stewards of the land, and we are stewards of our residents. We do our best to be cognizant of that.”
Among the tributes are seven wall-mounted plaques that tell the Langford story, while flourishes of Texas A&M’s school colors provide an element of school spirit within the community. Photographs of local scenery by David Langford, Ernest’s grandson, as well as custom glass creations are showcased.
Operated by Methodist Retirement Communities, the genesis of the $40.3 million new construction project started in 2014-15, when the organization conducted focus groups among church members and residents at other Methodist communities to get ideas about what they thought the new community should have. That feedback helped shape the features of The Langford, Currie says.
“They didn’t want long hallways. They wanted a smaller building but larger apartments with connectivity to all the amenities, and we were able to provide that,” he says. Based on RLPS Architects’ design concepts, The Langford has six apartments per floor, whereas other facilities could have 30 within the same space, Currie says.
Focus group input also is responsible for the installation of individual balconies that can seat up to 10 people and an outdoor courtyard for football watching in Aggie-crazy College Station.
