Woodcrest Villa is one of the premier retirement communities in the region. The popularity of the facility continues to spur growth and this project adds an 84,000 SF five-story addition with 68 independent living apartments to the existing campus.

One of the defining visual features of Woodcrest Villa is the circular balcony tower, which abuts apartment suites on all five levels. Construction of the tower required skill and ingenuity, to insure that the structure would rise concurrently with the rest of the apartment complex.

The first floor was no problem – it was simply poured in place with the rest of the ground level. But subsequent balcony levels proved to be a little trickier. Since Woodcrest´s floor system was pre-cast plank on masonry-bearing walls, it was determined that the same technique would be used with the balconies.

Each of the four upper-balcony levels is a combination of beam and slab, using two pieces of circular pre-cast concrete. In forming the balcony floor halves, holes had to be provided and aligned for the rebar so that once the piece was set, grout could be poured inside. And the radius had to hold tolerances to within an eighth of an inch. Rebar was then run vertically in the columns, which were filled with masonry as each balcony level was extended. The result is a continuous column structurally securing each balcony of the tower.

The tower´s finishing touch was the roof, which required hand-framing of the trusses to complete the cone. Metal fascia and gutter installation also required skilled metal-work. The balconies and columns were then faced with dryvit to link the tower aesthetically with the rest of the structure.

The balcony tower is the predominant exterior feature of Woodcrest Villa, and a tribute to the ingenuity and skills of Benchmark craftsmen.

Location: Lancaster, PA

Design Professionals: Reese, Lower, Patrick & Scott, Ltd. Architects

Total SF: 84,000

Value: $ 5.8 million

Awards:  1999 Mid Atlantic Builders Exchange CRAFTSMANSHIP AWARD

1999 ABC - Keystone Chapter AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Services Provided: General Construction Services

"I am happy to congratulate and recognize Benchmark Construction Company for a job well done in a timely manner and with integrity on our Woodcrest Villa project. The firm´s management is superb, congenial, and specific about detail, which is very important in the construction business. I recommend Benchmark very highly." Paul G. Leaman, NHA Chief Executive Officer Mennonite Home/Woodcrest Villa