We built this apartment in early 2020 for my Mom and Dad who were moving to be next to use from North Carolina. Working closely with local Rogers Architect Jessica Hester, Principal of Verdant Studio (they’re just up the street off of Third at the historic Milk Plant), we told her to make the out building modern and fun, but also it had to feel at home next to our historic home built in 1910. The brief for the main house additions was to make the laundry room and garage look like it had been here since the house was built. But we let her have fun with a modern aesthetic and it had to be fully ADA compliant — plus it an elevator! We told her we don’t want a 25-year old to feel like they walked into a Retirement home. We think she did an amazing job and now we want to share with everyone.
Anyway, when Mom and Dad came the first day to move in, they were blown away. I asked my dad, then 87 years old, what he thought of it. He had been watching the Nest camera feed we set up to film the build, spent hours with us discussing floorpans, layout, amenities, and more remotely. He looked at me with wide eyes and burst out excitedly, “I feel like I’m in a penthouse!” So, the name has stuck.
Mom and dad eventually moved to an assisted living as their health declined, and Dad passed away in May of 2023. So, the moniker is for us a sweet reminder of that day and the blessing it has been for us to be able to serve them these past few years.