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Cluster Conceptualising the urban and architectural framework for care
2.1 Home and care. Typological starting points for care environments.
of the cluster in its heart. It is a ‘middle-ground’ between the care that is provided at the domestic level and the one in a specialised facility; traditionally called a ‘retirement or independent living’. This type of care balances between allowing the residents to lead independent lives and keep their daily routine unchanged and offering them professional assistance and support when needed. What these environments also proliferate are the opportunities for collective experiences as part of the care environment goal of combating loneliness. The interlocking type4 is suggested as one of the effective ways to organise such a combination of spaces. The corridors in such buildings are rethought and can become more than just circulation space: in combination with the ‘interlock’ itself they form another version of a collective space, one for social encounter and shared activities. This typology aims at making the floorplan as compact as possible, at the same time maximising the number of double-aspect dwellings and forming two courtyards of different qualities. Another typological starting point to consider in this case could be a rethought single core tower plan. The living units in such layout are conventionally placed along the perimeter but the corners are freed and given to other programmes: dining halls, places for workshops and artistic events or spaces associated with care delivery like therapy rooms.
Not relying on the street grid as an organising tool anymore, much more pressure is put on the cluster ground to become a mediating and linking device. The system of care in the cluster is delivered in 3 settings, offering different kinds and levels of care. The landscape role is to integrate all of them in a coherent system and to offer different qualities depending on the characteristics of the care environment. The first type of care environment is the one that is incorporated into the residential part of the block located along its eastern edge. From a typological point of view, this part of the block takes something from the linear frontages and enclosed courtyards of the estates that used to occupy the site. However, the floorplate layout is altered to optimise the interior organisation and plan a large percentage of dual-aspect units. It also provides an opportunity to work with a wider range of apartment layouts. The work on ‘Care hub’ developed by my colleague3 explores in detail the potential of a linear block to accommodate different typological applications of household sharing: from multi-generational dwelling and communal living to schemes of sharing between young people and elderly. Such a scheme provides younger generations with lower rent rates, in ‘exchange’ for what they take care of their elderly neighbours. These options demonstrate how systems of care can be incorporated directly into the domestic households and be supported by the residents themselves. This allows those who need support and rare assistance to exchange their homes for specialised institutions much later compared to when they live alone deprived of personal connections. Another level of care is housed in the high-rise part
This research was conducted during Term 2 Design Workshop sessions by Jieyi Lu. The interlocking type and its implications were explored in detail in the ‘Revaulting Pentonville’ M.Arch thesis by Yasmina Aslakhanova.
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