The purpose of this study was to determine which archetypal settings independent living residents of facilities that provide assisted living need and expect in the private living spaces of assisted living residences. The researcher developed an Archetypal Place Concept for Assisted Living Private Dwellings, based on work by Spivak (1984), which included eight archetypal categories with four sub-categories each. This concept was then used as a tool to evaluate scale models of assisted living dwellings constructed by independent living residents of retirement communities that offer assisted living. Seventeen residents in four retirement communities in Southwest Virginia participated in the research. The findings revealed that sample members believed all eight archetypal categories should be included in assisted living private dwellings. However, the degree to which the archetypal categories should be developed in a dwelling varied depending on whether the sample members were familiar with large or small assisted living dwellings. The most popular combination of sub-categories for sample members familiar with large assisted living dwellings was: multiple rooms not shared by unrelated adults, with separate sleep and living areas; separate sleep areas out of the living room with a door; bathrooms with a toilet, sink, shower, vanity closet, and linen closet; food storage with cooking appliances; two built-in closets; windows facing one direction, some with an outdoor area; separate seating for living and dining out of the sleep area; and kitchenettes with a refrigerator, sink, and cooking appliances. The most popular combination of sub-categories for sample members familiar with large assisted living dwellings was: one room not shared; a sleep area not shared, with no separate living room; a bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower, tied with toile, sink, shower, vanity storage, and linen closet; food storage with no cooking appliances; two built-in closets; windows facing one direction; designated seating arrangement within sleep area; and no kitchen, possible food storage. It was concluded that assisted living facilities should include a variety of dwelling types to meet different people's needs. However, any assisted living dwelling should include all eight archetypal categories to allow residents to function more comfortably. / Master of Science