[NEW LIFE FOR THE 'ELDERLY']

Converted residential summer 2021

Context: Academic

Individual project

Site: Ningbo, China

Lifts and stairs are the main modes of transportation for existing residentials in China. As times change, the demand for lifts from occupants is gradually increasing. The retrofitting of lifts in old neighbourhoods is a livelihood project of great concern to Chinese society, and is of great significance to improving residential use, promoting accessibility, adapting to the needs of an aging society and improving the quality of urban life.

This project will explore options and their implications for the retrofitting of lifts in old neighbourhoods. To minimize the impact of retrofitting by different residential stakeholders, a residential building with communal properties was chosen as the sample building for this project. In addition to the addition of a lift, the original staircase is diffused into a semi-public block. It will complement the problems of the public activity areas of the old block.

Site Background

The site is located within a residential complex supporting the surrounding hospital and its communal properties facilitate a unified renovation. The original dwelling consists of three identical units, one of which will be used as a template for conversion.

Step 1: Oraginal Unit plan& circulation

Step 2: Transport mode replacement

Step 3: Staircase setback and block evolution

Step 4: New Unit plan& circulation

Design Strategy

As the building faces directly into the urban interface, the original traffic pattern requires access to the stairwell from the street. To reduce the impact on the urban interface, the installation of the lift will occupy the original stair space. The staircase has been moved to the south, evolving from a pure traffic space to a semipublic activity space with traffic attributes. Changes in traffic mode have also affected the design of indoor circulation. The north and south sides have been opened up and the living room has been moved to the south side to connect with the new building, while the north side has become a more private area.

The new building is a derivative of the former staircase space. It serves as a semi-public community space with a traffic function. The new part is also equipped with ramps and a lift platform to facilitate walking for the elderly. Influenced by the abundance of activity spaces, the circulation inside is intertwined and there is more interaction between residents than in the original ground floor activity space.

The circulation is simplified and the living room is connected to the new part. The original organization forced residents to leave their homes to the city street and then re-enter the community to reach their ground activity space. While the new circulation separates community life from the urban interface. Residents could access the activity space directly from their homes on the south side.