Redefining premium senior living
Interview with Jan Garde, The Embassies
Premium senior living is at a turning point. Demographic shifts and longer life expectancy are creating new expectations for how we age. Today’s seniors are healthier, more active and often financially independent at the end of their professional careers. They view this stage of life not as a retreat, but as an opportunity for autonomy, community and meaningful experiences. At the same time, the sector must address highly diverse needs, from those who seek vibrant, lifestyle-oriented environments to those requiring support and care. Added complexity is caused by rising costs and a shortage of skilled staff. The opportunity lies in reimagining living environments, not just as functional spaces, but as places that foster dignity, well-being and social connection. This evolution calls for collaboration between residential living, healthcare and design to create lifestyles that resonate with a generation that values quality and purpose.
To explore these dynamics, we spoke with Jan Garde, co-founder of The Embassies, a forward-thinking concept that redefines how we experience later life. The Embassies challenges traditional models and opens new perspectives on what premium senior living can and should be.
Can you tell us more about The Embassies, what inspired the concept and who is it designed for?
It all started when my grandparents moved into retirement homes. After a career of more than 20 years in advertising, marketing and customer experience, I felt it was time to make a change. By that point, I had visited over 100 retirement concepts internationally – trying to understand what is the right question to ask and what needs a “redesign”. We quickly came to realise that a lot of our hypotheses were actually wrong and we decided to fundamentally re-think and first understand the true underlying problem. Our task is to create places that are multi-generational in experience. Places that are inviting and allow people to look forward to tomorrow. Inspiring and engaging. A place to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and demographics.
The Embassies in Hamburg emphasises a strong connection to the city. How is this relationship reflected in the guest and resident experience?
We quickly understood that an emotional connection to a place can only emerge if there is something that gives it meaning. A well-functioning city or neighbourhood naturally brings different people together. We wanted to translate that energy into our own ecosystem, essentially establishing a “living room” in the city.
THE EMBASSIES is built on three pillars:
It all started when my grandparents moved into retirement homes. After a career of more than 20 years in advertising, marketing and customer experience, I felt it was time to make a change. By that point, I had visited over 100 retirement concepts internationally – trying to understand what is the right question to ask and what needs a “redesign”. We quickly came to realise that a lot of our hypotheses were actually wrong and we decided to fundamentally re-think and first understand the true underlying problem. Our task is to create places that are multi-generational in experience. Places that are inviting and allow people to look forward to tomorrow. Inspiring and engaging. A place to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and demographics.
The Embassies in Hamburg emphasises a strong connection to the city. How is this relationship reflected in the guest and resident experience?
We quickly understood that an emotional connection to a place can only emerge if there is something that gives it meaning. A well-functioning city or neighbourhood naturally brings different people together. We wanted to translate that energy into our own ecosystem, essentially establishing a “living room” in the city.
THE EMBASSIES is built on three pillars:
- The ground floor – public: A welcoming space where neighbours can become friends and which is also open to the local community.
- The club space – members only:A mix of social spaces, lounges, co-working areas, meeting and conference rooms, as well as a well-being facility that includes longevity concepts and activity zones.
- The apartments: Beautifully designed and furnished homes, complemented by a service package that supports residents in their everyday needs, allowing them to live comfortably through different stages of their lives.
That is indeed a very wide spectrum. But focusing on the concept of “premium senior living” – how do you view the current market in this segment, and what major shifts do you expect in the coming years?
The sector is becoming increasingly diversified. We no longer live in a black and white world, and the different shades of grey are where the opportunities lie. I believe we’re seeing a significant diversification in terms of locations, lifestyles and use cases. People want different things at different times: perhaps a larger home in the countryside, a compact apartment in the heart of the city and a completely different comfort level again for a cabin in the woods. Preferences are fluid, not fixed.
This is precisely the trend we are building into our model. The Embassies is intended to exist in many different locations, and our residents should have the opportunity to move freely within the network. A model that says: “I’ve always wanted to live in Paris” – and then actually making that possible, whether for a temporary stay or something more permanent.
In the long term, the nomadic trend is something we strongly believe in and I personally can imagine moving around quite a bit myself with my wife someday...
In your view, what role do interiors play in shaping quality of life and identity in senior living environments?
I don’t really believe in strict segmentation anymore, so I tend to think in broader terms of living environments rather than age-specific categories.
Interior design – and design as a whole – plays a fundamental role in our positioning. I believe that design can never be only about how things look; it’s about what they do. Good design has a profound influence on our quality of life.
For our Design Manifesto, we worked with Ilse Crawford, who introduced the concept of the “Frame of Life”. It’s the idea that design should create the framework within which people can truly feel at home. In our case, that means giving our resident ambassadors the freedom to express their personality – even in a pre-furnished environment. It’s about enabling identity, comfort and belonging, not dictating a style.
For The Embassies in Hamburg, what was the guiding approach behind the interior design concept?
The execution of the design was led by my co-founder, Henning Weiß, who worked closely with our partners Monoplan in Zurich, as well as Holmris B8, who supported us on procurement and as a sparring partner.
Working with a building from 1909 comes with its own unique set of challenges, but I believe the team has done an outstanding job in bringing the concept to life. The result is a thoughtful balance between heritage and contemporary functionality – something that reflects our broader philosophy as well.
We’re proud of how the project has evolved, and we plan to expand within the building by taking on additional space at a later stage.
The sector is becoming increasingly diversified. We no longer live in a black and white world, and the different shades of grey are where the opportunities lie. I believe we’re seeing a significant diversification in terms of locations, lifestyles and use cases. People want different things at different times: perhaps a larger home in the countryside, a compact apartment in the heart of the city and a completely different comfort level again for a cabin in the woods. Preferences are fluid, not fixed.
This is precisely the trend we are building into our model. The Embassies is intended to exist in many different locations, and our residents should have the opportunity to move freely within the network. A model that says: “I’ve always wanted to live in Paris” – and then actually making that possible, whether for a temporary stay or something more permanent.
In the long term, the nomadic trend is something we strongly believe in and I personally can imagine moving around quite a bit myself with my wife someday...
In your view, what role do interiors play in shaping quality of life and identity in senior living environments?
I don’t really believe in strict segmentation anymore, so I tend to think in broader terms of living environments rather than age-specific categories.
Interior design – and design as a whole – plays a fundamental role in our positioning. I believe that design can never be only about how things look; it’s about what they do. Good design has a profound influence on our quality of life.
For our Design Manifesto, we worked with Ilse Crawford, who introduced the concept of the “Frame of Life”. It’s the idea that design should create the framework within which people can truly feel at home. In our case, that means giving our resident ambassadors the freedom to express their personality – even in a pre-furnished environment. It’s about enabling identity, comfort and belonging, not dictating a style.
For The Embassies in Hamburg, what was the guiding approach behind the interior design concept?
The execution of the design was led by my co-founder, Henning Weiß, who worked closely with our partners Monoplan in Zurich, as well as Holmris B8, who supported us on procurement and as a sparring partner.
Working with a building from 1909 comes with its own unique set of challenges, but I believe the team has done an outstanding job in bringing the concept to life. The result is a thoughtful balance between heritage and contemporary functionality – something that reflects our broader philosophy as well.
We’re proud of how the project has evolved, and we plan to expand within the building by taking on additional space at a later stage.
Today’s seniors are healthier and more active than ever. How does this influence the way you design experiences and services for them?
We’ve seen people in their 40s apply for an ambassadorship or an apartment who seemed “older” in their mindset than others in their 60s or 70s. That’s the key insight: in our segment, age is not the defining factor.
We focus on people who are curious, interested and engaged, rather than on age. That’s why you might find, within a small group of three ambassadors at THE EMBASSIES, someone in their 30s trying to launch a business, someone in their 70s who has stepped away from the corporate world but remains full of curiosity, and someone in their mid-50s who is still working but at a different pace.
Now imagine designing a lounge where those three can come together, exchange ideas and plan new initiatives. And of course, design it in a way that accommodates everyone – including the one using a wheelchair. (And just to challenge assumptions: the person in the wheelchair happens to be the 30-year-old entrepreneur.)
Looking ahead, how can premium senior living evolve into flexible, future-ready models that meet both lifestyle aspirations and growing care needs – and how does this vision shape The Embassies’ long-term strategy?
Our role as operator is to orchestrate these services seamlessly – from weekend dog care when residents spontaneously visit friends in another city to the growing need for support and even care as we get older.
At the core of our model is what we call a “best-aggregator” approach. We work with specialists across a wide range of use cases to offer residents maximum flexibility in their everyday lives.
THE EMBASSIES fully integrates the idea of “ageing at home”. The difference is: we are there. We can organise support or care within the privacy of your apartment, help carry your shopping bags or even make sure your groceries end up in the fridge. And over time, technology will play an increasingly important role in enhancing this model.
But above all, it comes down to people. We are very much in the people business. It’s about our staff, about the right mix of neighbours and about creating a community that feels inspiring and alive. Taking the elevator down to the club and meeting a curated mix of interesting residents – our ambassadors – is a central part of the experience.
In the end, we believe that quality of life is ageless.
In the end, we believe that quality of life is ageless.
We’ve seen people in their 40s apply for an ambassadorship or an apartment who seemed “older” in their mindset than others in their 60s or 70s. That’s the key insight: in our segment, age is not the defining factor.
We focus on people who are curious, interested and engaged, rather than on age. That’s why you might find, within a small group of three ambassadors at THE EMBASSIES, someone in their 30s trying to launch a business, someone in their 70s who has stepped away from the corporate world but remains full of curiosity, and someone in their mid-50s who is still working but at a different pace.
Now imagine designing a lounge where those three can come together, exchange ideas and plan new initiatives. And of course, design it in a way that accommodates everyone – including the one using a wheelchair. (And just to challenge assumptions: the person in the wheelchair happens to be the 30-year-old entrepreneur.)
Looking ahead, how can premium senior living evolve into flexible, future-ready models that meet both lifestyle aspirations and growing care needs – and how does this vision shape The Embassies’ long-term strategy?
Our role as operator is to orchestrate these services seamlessly – from weekend dog care when residents spontaneously visit friends in another city to the growing need for support and even care as we get older.
At the core of our model is what we call a “best-aggregator” approach. We work with specialists across a wide range of use cases to offer residents maximum flexibility in their everyday lives.
THE EMBASSIES fully integrates the idea of “ageing at home”. The difference is: we are there. We can organise support or care within the privacy of your apartment, help carry your shopping bags or even make sure your groceries end up in the fridge. And over time, technology will play an increasingly important role in enhancing this model.
But above all, it comes down to people. We are very much in the people business. It’s about our staff, about the right mix of neighbours and about creating a community that feels inspiring and alive. Taking the elevator down to the club and meeting a curated mix of interesting residents – our ambassadors – is a central part of the experience.
In the end, we believe that quality of life is ageless.
In the end, we believe that quality of life is ageless.
Publication date: 10.12.2025
Images: © Robert Winter
