Rising in the desert surrounding Palm Springs in California, BOOM is the brainchild of ten international architects, and was conceived for the gay community but extends its embrace to all.
Pedestrian oriented and culture-driven, BOOM is designed to inspire its residents to better themselves and others. Totally rethinking the idea of how to create homes for the elderly, BOOM will be built in eight unique neighborhoods, each designed by a different architect.
Pathways and plazas set in a landscaped desert environment connect to the social and geographic heart of BOOM, which features an entertainment complex, boutique hotel, gym, spa, and wellness center. The health and wellness services cater to the health needs not just of retirees, but of all generations.
BOOM is supplemented by the boomforlife website and a social media movement designed to move participants from a virtual community to one constructed out of bricks and mortar. This groundbreaking meld of online media and practical architectural work exemplifies the changing nature of what we define as a smart home.
The website allows BOOM’s design team to collaborate with prospective residents, incorporating their ideas into the design of the boom community. These crowd-sourcing efforts also encourage boom members to shape the social programs and lifestyle for boom.
The demands of the gay community are often seen as being more ambitious than traditional retirees. Gay Americans have a history of pioneering new ways of living; with BOOM there is a community that is multi-generational, smart and socially diverse. BOOM is a community open to everyone, young and old, gay and straight, exemplified by their philosophy that BOOM be about “inclusion, not seclusion; about living, not retiring”