PRECEDENT 3: KENYUEN HOME FOR THE ELDERLY

FIGURE 6.17: (Nacasa & Partners, n.d.).

PRECEDENT 3:

KENYUEN HOME FOR THE ELDERLY

Location: Wakayama, Japan Architect: Motoyasu Muramatsu Year Completed: 2001

The Kenyuen Home for the elderly was designed on rugged rocky landscapes dominated by the presence of the ocean nearby. The building’s elegant and streamlined design language directly contrasts the wild coastal landscape. The home is designed for people who have an affinity for connection to the ocean and nature. The programme is designed to accommodate the elderly who want to retain autonomy and independence due to the hierarchical nature of a village. The spaces within the building range in sizes and gradients of privacy to adhere to the resident’s needs for either intimacy or openness. The home is designed with gymnastic rooms, bathing rooms, and a swimming pool to allow social interaction and physical activities in the

FIGURE 6.18: (Nacasa & Partners, n.d.). FIGURE 6.19: (Nacasa & Partners, n.d.).

FIGURE 6.20: (Nacasa & Partners, n.d.).

central wing. The bedrooms are designed to be personalised by the residents and are located in such a way as to allow the elderly their privacy and dignity and to be awoken by the rising sun. In A Design Manual: Living for the elderly (2009, p. 154), Eckhard Feddersen and Insa Ludtke say “the architect has managed to turn an almost poetic idea into an architectural and care concept which can be understood as a eulogy to the power and beauty of nature” (2009, p. 154).

FIGURE 6.21 (Nacasa & Partners, n.d.).

06: CONCEPT AND DESIGN DEVELOPMENT06: CONCEPT AND DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

• The full-height glazing around the building allows the sweeping vistas of the surrounding landscape and ocean to bleed into the living spaces creating a feeling of being outside while being protected from the elements. This adheres to the ‘indoor sunglight’ (Pattern 128) (Alexander, et al., 1977). • The alcoves in the main hallway allow the residents to lay claim on the public space by creating a semi-public communal living area and ablutions that are shared between six rooms. This principle adheres to the concept of ‘alcoves’ (Pattern 179) (Alexander, et al., 1977) that states that a communal room should be intimate enough to give people the chance to be together as a group, even if they are doing different things. These spaces should connect to the main space but remain secluded without being closed off from the rest of the space. • The rooms are designed to be personalised by the residents. • Accommodating hydrotherapy in the retirement home.

FIGURE 6.22: Plans, scanned in from A Design Manual: Living for the elderly (Feddersen & Lüdtke, 2009, p.155).

GROUND FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR