HOME: Housing Our Mature Elders by Monica Leung

H O M E

H. ALLEN BROOKS TRAVELLING FELLOWSHIP 2018 MONICA LEUNG

Image credit: Barbara Nettleton.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

H. ALLEN BROOKS TRAVELLING FELLOWSHIP The H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship was established in 2011 by Professor H. Allen Brooks, a distinguished architectural historian who was an authority on Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier. In his legacy, Professor Brooks established three H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowships â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to Dartmouth College, the Society of Architectural Historians, and to Dalhousie University. The fellowship is not for the purpose of doing research for an advanced academic degree or publication. Instead, the H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship supports study by travel and contemplation while observing, sketching, reading, or writing, and having free time to think and mature while acquiring knowledge useful for the award holderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future work, and contribution to the profession and society.

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Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all images and drawings are by the author. 2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

CONTENTS 7

Aging: A View Across Countries

Themes Uncovered

Reflections

Selected Projects

References

114

More Resources

114

Acknowledgements

115

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Introduction

Image courtesy of Robert Martin.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

The resulting geography of aging can reinforce the social isolation of seniors and begin to place them out of our collective imagination.

LEFT: In his thesis project at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Robert Martin maps the geographic segregation of aging evident in Sydney, Australia, illustrating how elders in society are pushed to the peripheries.

INTRODUCTION

From the lens of an architect, the design of the built environment poses many opportunities to better support the aging process. In particular, finding ways to successfully interface between housing, care, and community can form a significant component in mediating this demographic shift. With the value of a training and practice which encompasses a multidisciplinary approach to environmental design, the architectural profession is well-equipped to contribute its voice in shaping this ongoing discussion. Through the opportunity offered by the H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship, I was able to investigate approaches to elder housing from a cross-cultural perspective made through a year-long study in travel, represented by reading, writing, photography, and drawing. Until recently, typologies of institutional, long-term care models have dominated much of the architectural discussion in Canada. These are often characterized as large-scale complexes, typically requiring greater parcels of land for implementation, and are often

developed at the peripheries of rural and urban landscapes. Seen altogether, the resulting geography of aging can reinforce the social isolation of seniors and begin to place them out of our collective imagination. As many institutional models find their basis from a medical perspective, these often emphasize the failings of old age, instead of placing the abilities of older individuals at the forefront. This Fellowship focuses instead on searching for alternatives to the norm - in both urban and architectural form, as well as the process and implementation of housing for elders. The desire to complement the existing discussion with a wider framework seeks better methods to support the majority of elders who do not require high levels of care. Alternative housing arrangements which integrate elders into the community strategically address the steep financial costs of institutional care while unlocking a greater imagination of older age than is currently held. Another endeavour of this Fellowship is to identify key architectural features which contribute to the design excellence of housing for the elderly. Ultimately, when speaking of elder housing, we must not forget that we are dealing with the most private spaces of individuals. The shaping of personal agency and dignity in space becomes a key challenge in face of the often overlapping needs of care and community. Lastly, it is important to understand that guiding the realization of any successful project is a well-functioning process and implementation. Just as important as studying a projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architecture is speaking to its people. Without this balanced view, the risk is a onedimensional understanding.

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The well-documented reality of a swift and global shift in social demographics underlines a timely need to address the impact of an increasingly aging population. The results of the 2016 Canadian census confirm that indeed, the number of seniors in our population have now outpaced children. By 2026, it is projected that there will be 12 million seniors in Canada, in comparison to 8 million children.1 All these facts have led many to question how we will respond to such significant changes in our societal makeup which strongly underpin our social infrastructure. The wide-ranging effects on care demands, taxation base, and housing easily come to mind. But by considering that â&#x20AC;&#x153;old ageâ&#x20AC;? may now span a period of almost 30 years, this brings into question the prevailing concepts of retirement and the role of elders in our community.

Canada

japan

26 denmark

netherlands

33 Haarlemmer Housing 09 Union Street ECOHeritage

34 L.A. Rieshuis

30 Fredensborg Houses

15 Moriyama House 26 Chobham Manor

40 Diagoon Housing

INDIVIDUAL

HOUSING

COLLECTIVE

Images credits -1: Boyne Valley Hostel Corporation; 2: Niverville Heritage Centre; 4: Housebrand; 5: University of Calgary Faculty of Environmental Design; 7. Eitaro Hirota; 9: Shape Architecture;

20 Kitagata Housing

10 House on Ancaster Creek

37 Borneo Sporenburg

11 Nagakin Capsule Tower 36 IJ Burg Housing

04 FAB House

INDIVIDUAL

AGE-FRIENDLY HOUSING

23 Tondaya Machiya 05 Laneway House Prototypes

17 Yoshibumi Machiya 13 Hillside Terrace 12 Shinonome Canal Housing 06 Vancouver Cohousing

COLLECTIVE

HOUSING +

MAINSTREAM HOUSING

27 HÃ¸jen

08 Windsong Cohousing

29 Egebakken

38 Het Schip SMALL

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

32 Farum Midtpunkt

LARGE

SMALL

LARGE

AGING: A VIEW ACROSS COUNTRIES The increase in aging population is an issue facing many countries in the world today. To critically address the impact of this major demographic shift, we can stand to learn from both the successes and failures of differing responses sought by other countries. As a country marked by its diversity, the opportunity to identify overlapping and shared experiences between Canada and other cultures no doubt exists. Therefore, as a structure to the Fellowship, it was important to identify countries worth investigating, to understand the various factors which inform its cultural approach to aging, and to evaluate the resulting built environment which supports this process. The summary which follows elaborates on why particular countries were chosen for study and the salient features of each which influence their approaches to aging.

LEFT + BELOW: An overview of all the projects studied during the travel fellowship. Maintaining diversity in approaches to elder housing is critical, but this mapping exercise also illustrates a greater need for projects which address the â&#x20AC;&#x153;missing middle,â&#x20AC;? where housing and care overlap.

MAIN STREAM HOUSING

Independent living

AGE-FRIENDLY HOUSING

Independent living which addresses specific needs of ability across ages

AGE-FRIENDLY HOUSING (WITH ASSISTANCE)

Independent / semi-independent living with optional support for daily activities

ELDER-SPECIFIC HOUSING (WITH CARE)

Dependent living with care staff and support for daily activities

42 Residence Roosenburch 21 IDU Terrace 24 Kenyuen Home for the Elderly

41 De Plussenburgh

39 De Drie Hoven AGE-FRIENDLY HOUSING WITH ASSISTANCE

ELDER-SPECIFIC HOUSING WITH CARE

14 Nezu Withus 07 Nikkei Place

19 Gojikara Mura

43 Humanitas Bergweg 16 Mutsukawa Day Care 22 Kamigyo Day Care SMALL

18 Share Kanazawa

02 Niverville Heritage Center

01 Boyne Lodge Personal Care 35 De Hogeweyk

31 Generations House 28 Diakonissestiftelsen LARGE

SMALL

LARGE

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03 Southeast Personal Care Home 25 Windmill Court

ABOVE + RIGHT: Southeast Personal Care Home is the first of its kind in Winnipeg to serve the long term needs of First Nations, MĂŠtis and Inuit elderly. Located adjacent to an existing school and residence for First Nations youth, intergenerational interaction is fostered to support the culture and heritage of students and residents. The single floor structure speaks to the importance placed on the relationship with the ground, in First Nations culture. FAR RIGHT: View of the multipurpose hall at Nikkei Place in Burnaby, an intergenerational complex for the Japanese community. The museum and community centre serve as a place for gathering across the larger Japanese community, and forms an anchor point in the project.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

Southeast Personal Care Home

Southeast collegiate

[winnipeg, canada]

Canada It was imperative to form a base understanding of the current conditions, issues, and challenges encountered in Canada in order for meaningful comparison to be made during travel. • With a national identity often linked to multiculturalism, it was not surprising to find that the major backbone of elder housing found in Canada is through a large variety of cultural groups, linked sometimes to religious groups. These seek to address specificity in needs within innate, existing community groups. • Increases in housing prices in certain urban centres are influencing a trend towards densification and a return to a multigenerational approach which mixes mainstream and elder housing. These are seen in both individual buildings as well as laneway additions. • Availability of universal health care and home care services incentivize elders to “age-in-place”, often resulting in the formation of naturally occurring retirement communities. • A medicalized approach still pervades the current landscape of elder housing in Canada, which prioritizes care over built environment, without an appreciation that a balance of both can enrich the lived experience of aging. This is reflected in institutions which resemble traditional hospital architecture. Generic spaces and double-loaded “horridors” are commonplace features.

Image courtesy of Eitaro Hirota.

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ABOVE: Historic roji lanes form the framework underlying the fine grain of mixed use neighbourhoods found in many major Japanese cities. Their scale and density engender the tight-knit communities and districts which formed around them. This urban form underscores an emphasis on the development of senior day / service centre centres in Japan, which capitalize on the inherent qualities of these existing neighbourhoods. RIGHT: Layered threshold sequences are typical of Japanese design. In a lane in Karaguzawa, Tokyo, the layers of an entrance are shown here to exist even within extremely tight property lines.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

roji lane in kagurazaka district [tokyo, japan]

Japan Japan currently stands as the largest aging population in the world with more than 30% of its population over 60 years old.2 Due to its strict immigration policies, this demographic change is progressing more rapidly. The Japanese cultural landscape provides several unique conditions which have impacted their theories on housing. • Layered spaces in built form are culturally important for demarcating transitions between private and public realms. This sensitivity towards threshold sequences inspires architectural designs which preserve dignity, negotiating between spaces of individual agency and spaces of support or connection. • Despite the grand scale of major Japanese cities, their urban fabric shows a fine grain of mixed use neighbourhoods formed around historic roji lanes. Valued for the community-building which this type of urban form enables, care policy and planning in Japan have prioritized the development of senior day / service centres within these neighbourhood districts. •The spatial constraints of Japanese cities have fostered a history of flexible housing typologies which places more importance to land than building. The post-war building boom also valued short-term solutions which resulted in a culture of adaptation and renewal of small scale elements. Both factors have laid fertile ground for experimental approaches to housing which shifts with changing conditions, capturing the spirit of designing for aging. • The connection between built environment and nature is highly valued in Japanese culture. The sensitivity in incorporating these links in elder housing are exemplary.

ABOVE + LEFT: Moriyama House experiments with how the spatial experience of roji lanes can be incorporated into the idea of a house. The conventional, singular volume of a house is broken into several units, opening up the possibility for multiple and layered occupancies. moriyama house- ryue nishizawa [tokyo, japan]

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2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

Denmark & the Netherlands With histories as welfare states, Denmark and the Netherlands have developed cultural attitudes which have impacted its approach to architecture, exemplifying a focus on social inclusion and social welfare. Not surprisingly, both countries are recognized leaders in the field of architecture for aging. • Building quality, affordable housing represents a major portion of the housing sector in Denmark and the Netherlands, offering an important counterpoint in approach to elder housing which can often skew toward luxury. • Social equality and the sharing of household responsibilities led to the emergence of cohousing as an alternate housing typology, originating in the 1960’s and more currently, new models for intergenerational housing3. This form of collective living derives from strongly embedded cultural processes of selforganization, collaboration, and joint decision-making which enable these types of development. • Heavy state-funding for elder care has had both obvious benefits and unforeseen drawbacks. A major emphasis on home care services for elders with low care demands has encouraged continued residence in their own communities which has shown to have known social benefits. • The resulting elder care landscape is one where “care homes” (as we may know them in Canada) are mainly reserved for individuals with severe health issues, typically with dementia.

farum midtpunkt - ramboll architects [farum, denmark]

LEFT + ABOVE: Farum Midtpunkt was developed in the 1970s as a social housing complex with a strong community focus. It is anchored at its west side by a service spine and a public floating walkway. The unique character of the interstitial spaces are defined by the irregularity in positioning of the housing blocks. As part of the shifting demographics of its community and to address financial needs, two blocks have been converted to senior dwellings with the lower floors rented out to physiotherapy and elder care. This has allowed seniors to continue to age in place through an informal network of support.

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• However, because the Netherlands has historically strongly subsidized the development of institutional care homes for the elderly, this sudden shift in policy has left cities struggling to manage this transition. It has also left a generation unaccustomed to multigenerational living.

haarlemmer houttuinen housing - herman hertzberger [amsterdam, netherlands]

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

het schip - michel de klerk [amsterdam, netherlands]

MIDDLE: The iconic Het Schip social housing complex was built in response to the Dutch National Housing Act passed in 1901. The design focuses on improving living conditions of the working class, while cross-programming was introduced by mixing a post-office and school with housing.

de drie hoven - herman hertzberger [amsterdam, netherlands]

RIGHT: The structuralist method employed at De Drie Hoven nursing home represents an ideal order of the past. At a literal level, the spacing of structural columns which define entry thresholds to individual units are outdated and fail to meet current code requirements.

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LEFT: The articulated streetscape developed for the Haarlemmer Houttuinen Housing demonstrates the type of design quality seen in affordable housing in the Netherlands.

CANADA

I N S T I T U T I O N

C O M M U N I T Y

DEPENDENT

SEMI-INDEPENDENT

INDEPENDENT

INDIVIDUAL

COLLECTIVE

Hospice

Palliative Care

Personal / Long-Term Care Home

Supportive Living

Assisted Living

Senior Specific Residences

Co-housing

Multi-generational Housing

Condominiums / Apartmemts

Adaptable House

HOUSING TYPOLOGY

Single Family House

35 CARE MODELS

Campus of Care NORCS

Laneway House

URBAN STRATEGIES

AGE

Village Model

Home Care

Green House Small Group Chez Nous

05 4

7.8 11.8

[2016] [2036]

0 2 PERCENTAGE

PERCENTAGE OF SENIORS

Eden Alternative

93%

9.1 12.7

16.9% of population are seniors 24.5% of population will be seniors

PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION 65+

DENMARK

I N S T I T U T I O N

C O M M U N I T Y

DEPENDENT

SEMI-INDEPENDENT

INDEPENDENT

INDIVIDUAL

COLLECTIVE

URBAN STRATEGIES

AGE

55 45 35

Campus of Care

05 4

[2016] [2036]

8.8 11.5

0 2 PERCENTAGE

PERCENTAGE OF SENIORS

CARE MODELS

10.3 12.8

PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION 65+

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

Home Care

96%

Institutional Care

4% 19.1% of population are seniors 24.3% of population will be seniors

Hospice

Palliative Care

Extra Care Housing

Senior Specific Residences

Senior Co-housing

Multigenerational Housing

Co-housing Activity Centers

Apartments / Condominiums

Local Service Area

Adaptable House

HOUSING TYPOLOGY

Single Family House

JAPAN

I N S T I T U T I O N

C O M M U N I T Y

DEPENDENT

SEMI-INDEPENDENT

INDEPENDENT

INDIVIDUAL

COLLECTIVE

Hospice

Palliative Care

Nursing Home

Group Homes

Supportive Housing

Silver Housing

Senior Specific Residences

Two-Generation Apartments

Nisetai Jutaka

Apartments / Condominiums

Accesible House

HOUSING TYPOLOGY

Single Family House

Day Care / Service Centres

NORCS

URBAN STRATEGIES

AGE

55 Village Models

CARE MODELS

25 15

Home Care

Institutional Care

11.7 10.5

[2016] [2036]

2 0 PERCENTAGE

PERCENTAGE OF SENIORS

98%

15.3 18.1

27.0% of the population are seniors 28.6% of the population will be seniors

PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION 65+

NETHERLANDS

I N S T I T U T I O N

C O M M U N I T Y

DEPENDENT

SEMI-INDEPENDENT

INDEPENDENT

INDIVIDUAL

COLLECTIVE

Hospice

Palliative Care

Nursing Home

Supportive Living

Assisted Living

Senior Specific Residences

Apartments for Life

Multigenerational Housing

Apartments / Condominiums

Adaptable House / Lifetime Homes

HOUSING TYPOLOGY

Single Family House

CARE MODELS

25 15

WoZoCo

Village Model

Buurtzorg Home Care Insitutional Care

[2016] [2036]

12.8 11.6

0 2 PERCENTAGE

10.2 18.1

PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION 65+

PERCENTAGE OF SENIORS

97%

3% 23.0% of population are seniors 29.7% of population will be seniors ABOVE: National portraits of demographics, built environment strategies, and care models illustrate the similarities and differences in the aging situation facing each country. Twenty year projections in age pyramids undeline the urgency of the demographic shift. 4

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Neighbourhood Service Center

Integrated Service Areas

AGE

URBAN STRATEGIES

Image credits - 3. ERIK Arkitekter; 5. De Hogeweyk.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

THEMES UNCOVERED

Reflecting on early travels in Canada, it became apparent that focusing on a specific typology would not be an appropriate method for addressing the issue. Housing, whether mainstream or elder-specific, is an extremely personal choice. There cannot exist a singular response that dictates how elders (people) should live. As a culmination of the knowledge gained from a year of travel, it is important to convey how the discussion of architectural design for elder housing can be widened in its mindset and approach, beyond a focus purely on the buildings studied. As I stepped back to survey the many projects encountered through my travels, I began to uncover a set of recurrent themes, guiding much of the success of the buildings I had seen. The surprising clarity in the emergent themes of the projects, despite range of typology and specificities of history and culture, was resounding. These themes help to reposition the approaches and practices in the design of elder housing without fixating on specificities of form and type. This is to caution against a culture of blind mimicry without sensitivity towards contextual application. In doing so, the aim is

to generate a more appropriate architectural language and toolkit for addressing the topic. Working in this manner acknowledges the experience gained and the opportunity for further growth in understanding. The themes uncovered include: 1. Reduction in scale 2. Creating community 3. Diversity and resilience 4. Layered transitions 5. Sense of home 6. Amplification of daylight 7. Connection to nature 8. Collaborative partnerships The projects studied throughout the fellowship serve as exemplary references for these various themes and illuminate their differentiated explorations through architectural design. More fulsome descriptions of key, selected projects follow these thematic discussions, providing more context and insights.

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One of the major challenges underscoring the study of this topic is its utter vastness. As an issue which lies at the intersection of multiple disciplines - healthcare, policy, urban design, and architecture, to name a few finding appropriate solutions entails navigating across overlapping agendas and perspectives. While it was necessary to cast a wide net in understanding the extents of the topic, it was also important to narrow the focus with relevance to architecture. Namely, the hope was to search for projects which demonstrate both architectural design excellence as well as innovation in process.

herfra til evigheden - vandkunsten architects [roskilde, denmark]

REDUCTION IN SCALE

idu terrace - murumatsu architects [mishima, japan]

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

generations house - erik arkitekter [aarhus, denmark]

Reducing the scale, or at least the perceived scale, of elder housing matters. In the majority of the projects visited, this formed a key component to normalizing the spatial experience, especially when the residence incorporates care services. With a smaller, domestic scale, familiarity of home can be recreated. Several projects accomplished this through their overall massing by increasing porosity and the creation of “inbetween spaces.”

Even in larger residences, efforts are made to scale down living configurations so that no more than 10 individuals live together in one area, recreating the feeling of a “house”. These are often promoted in projects for dementia-specific residents, such as De Hogeweyk or the Green House Model, but were also seen in more general application at IDU Terrace and Kenyuen Home for the Elderly. Both residents and caregivers interviewed indicated their preference for this type of arrangement which necessitates a strategic approach to ensure financial viability.

• At IDU Terrace [p.86], the use of outdoor patios create views through the building and to its surrounding One of the rules of thumb quoted by many care scenery. operators of elder housing is to keep in mind the number of people who would fit around a dining table. This • At Generations House [p.102], spaces were introduced natural method of sizing a gathering enables people between the 8 major apartment blocks through living together to actually get to know each other. Even terraces and glazed gathering spaces. in projects where people live independently, such as in the senior cohousing communities, individuals got to • At De Hogeweyk [p.110], a series of courtyards are know their immediate neighbours better on a daily basis. laid out to divide the complex into separate “houses Similarly, other projects achieve a smaller scale by employing a collection of lower rise and densely distributed housing units. • At Diakonissestiftelsen [p. 98], 6 low-rise senior apartment blocks step down from 4 to 2 stories as they transition from the existing complex to the surrounding residential neighbourhood. • Senior cohousing communities of Egebakken and Herfra til Evigheden [p.106] are another classic example of low rise, high density housing.

diakonissestiftelsen senior apartments - vandkunsten [copenhagen, denmark]

LEFT + ABOVE: The desire to reduce the scale of elder housing can be seen in many of the projects studied abroad. The various methods for achieving this reduction are exemplifed by these concept sketches.

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RIGHT + BELOW: At Diakonissestiftelsen, 6 lowrise senior apartment blocks step down from 4 to 2 stories as they transition from the existing complex to the surrounding residential neighbourhood.

diakonissestiftelsen senior apartments - vandkunsten [copenhagen, denmark]

Image courtesy of Vandkunsten.

Diakonissestiftelsen

IDU Terrace

HERFRA TIL EVIGHEDEN

Egbakken

Copenhagen, Denmark Senior Housing

Mishima, Japan Nursing Home

Roskilde, Denmark Senior Cohousing

NĂ¸debo, Denmark Senior Cohousing

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

Semi-Public / Public Space (Interior) Public Space (Exterior)

De Hogeweyk

Generations House

Weesp, Netherlands Dementia Nursing Home

Aarhus, Denmark Multigenerational Housing

0 5 10 20

50m

LEFT: At various scales, the projects of elder housing studied demonstrate how the design of spatial configurations can approach a more familiar domestic scale. These comparative diagrams illustrate how different projects have balanced the distribution of private and semi-public / public spaces in this effort.

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Private Space

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

typical floor plan Drawing courtesy of Muramatsu Architects.

TOP + LEFT: Porosity in the building mass of IDU Terrace is introduced through exterior patios, which also help to create a greater visual connection to its surroundings.

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CREATING COMMUNITY 28

site section diakonissestiftelsen senior apartments - vandkunsten architects [copenhagen, denmark]

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

Reducing the scale of elder housing also helps to foster community development. This sense of belonging, to buffer against social isolation, is an instrumental part of healthy aging and was the most resounding refrain from every senior resident with whom I had a chance to speak. Many older residents who have moved into collective-living arrangements describe their initial hesitations of moving away from their own homes. However, since living in community-oriented residences, every resident I spoke with expressed how happy they were to have made the choice for change and wished they had done so earlier.

resident lifestyles or interests. This categorization permeates throughout the design of the interiors and down to the food planning of each house. • At the Koge development, currently undergoing planning initiated by Realdania, the project’s seaside location draws on the specificity of place and history to draw on the maritime lifestyle of local residents.

From the community-oriented elder housing developments I had a chance to tour, they have typically fallen under two general approaches. Some have opted to create large complexes or campuses which Studies have also shown that elders who have integrate a wide-range of programming. The aim of developed a robust network of social capital are cross-programming is to create synergies amongst correlated, to a larger extent, with aging well.5 Even more complementary functions and to look beyond just recently, loneliness has been cited as a strong predictor the residents which these serve to integrate with their of premature death. With government research citing surrounding community. This has involved adding how approximately 200,000 elders have not conversed supportive spaces and programming such as: with a family member or friend in more than a month, UK has come so far as to create a Minister of Loneliness in • kindergarten or daycares January 2018.6 • social spaces that can be leased out or shared on a short term basis such as event spaces and • At Realdania [p.65], this desire for social connection auditoriums was also the conclusion drawn in their research • commercial spaces that are leased out on a long which now supports their “Rooms and Communities term basis such as restaurants, cafes, and stores for Seniors” initiative in the development of senior housing communities throughout Denmark. This type of approach can be seen at projects such as the Gojikara Mura village, a multigenerational complex Residences that have a strong community component near Nagoya in Japan; Niverville Heritage Centre a look for ways to enable individuals to meet formally and community hub for the rural town just south of Winnipeg; informally through various means of similar interests the Diakonissestiftelsen [p.98], a foundation which recently developed 47 senior dwelling units within their which create shared opportunities for active living. existing multidisciplinary complex which combines elder • At De Hogeweyk [p.110], the overall “dementia village” and youth housing, health care and education, as well as community commercial opportunities. is broken down into various houses according to

circulation ATRIUM diagram diakonissestiftelsen senior apartments - vandkunsten architects [copenhagen, denmark]

ABOVE + LEFT: As part of their “Development Plan 2020”, senior dwellings were developed at the Diakonissestiftelsen to transition from the larger, existing, insititutional buildings of the foundation to the surrounding neighbourhood in a manner which opens up the overall complex to the larger community. Within these housing blocks, attention was paid to the design of the central circulation atrium as the space of social encounter. Visual connection between floors and daylighting deep into the core highlight and celebrate the daily rituals of movement.

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KAMIGYO DAYCARE CENTRE

union street ecoheritage

Kyoto, Japan Senior Daycare Centre

Vancouver, Canada Multigenerational Housing

de hogeweyk

windmill court

Weesp, Netherlands Dementia Nursing Home

Chingford, United Kingdom Senior Assisted Living

30 0 10 25

50m

ABOVE: Comparative neighbourhood plans of various projects visited illustrate the varying degrees to which the individual developments respond to their surrounding context in relation to grain and scale. Projects in the upper row depict urban projects. Projects in the lower row depict suburban and rural projects. RIGHT: The one-storey bar of the Mutsukawa Day Care Centre, finds a natural fit, inserted within a natural slip space in the topographical shift of the neighbourhood.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

mutsukawa day care centre - sanaa [yokohama, japan]

For these projects, the design of the in-between spaces is just as important as the individual buildings themselves. Allowing for visual as well as physical connections helps to facilitate the possibilities for informal and formal gathering Some of the challenges which face these large campuses is the tendency for them to be land-intensive. Typically, these are made possible by large organizations or foundations which allow for more innate cohesion. It is important in these situations to encourage outreach beyond an internalized community to the larger neighbourhood beyond. Good connections to services and transportation serve to prevent physical segregation and isolation. Diakonissestiftelsen Copenhagen, Denmark Senior Housing

Another means of working from a community approach is to reconsider the existing fabric of residential neighbourhoods to increase density and foster collective living with elders in situ. • At the Union Street ECOHeritage project in the Strathcona neighbourhood of Vancouver, the owner and developers turned two existing houses into 6 units and a townhouse. • At the University of Calgary [p.74], professor John Brown explores the possibilities of creating a deployable laneway house for the elderly, so that they can remain close with their families in their own neighbourhood.

Niverville, Canada Multigenerational Community Hub

Providing appropriate housing for aging in community necessitates a concurrent push to ensure appropriate allocation of health care infrastructure, services, and facilities at a neighbourhood scale. Support across disciplines in urban planning, architecture, and health care are needed for this to be successful. • In Japan, the development of senior day care or service centres at a neighbourhood scale are instrumental to the dissemination of home-care services • In the Netherlands, the Buurtzorg model of care takes the neighbourhood as its locus of work and is represented by a team of self-organizing nurses.

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niverville heritage centre

• At the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, the thesis project of Robert Martin explores the possibilities of improving the urban planning guidelines in Sydney to allow for collective infill housing as a response to the growing aging population who want to reside in their existing communities.

Image courtesy of Shape Architecture.

ABOVE LEFT + RIGHT: Before and after images showing how the Union Street ECOHeritage project transformed two houses into a multi-generational living arrangement. In place of the two original households, 7 residential units are divided between the renovated houses and a newly inserted laneway house. RIGHT: Robert Martin’s thesis project looks at the potential inherent in the “empty bedroom” syndrome prevalent in Sydney’s suburbs. His proposed urban planning tool looks at the possibility of transforming empty bedrooms in houses of “empty nesters” to address the demographic shift. Through his analysis, he identifies a typical distribution of housing inefficiencies and provides a guide for how collective infill housing could be enacted to address a more sustainable and resilient model for aging-inneighbourhood.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

Image courtesy of Shape Architecture.

Images courtesy of Robert Martin.

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Image courtesy of ERIK Arkitekter.

DIVERSITY & RESILIENCE

Image courtesy of ERIK Arkitekter.

concept diagrams generations house - erik arkitekter [aarhus, denmark]

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

The need for developing community in new approaches to elder housing also brings into focus their make-up. Prevailing models of elder housing in Canada illustrate communities developed based on common cultural and / or religious backgrounds, but also predominantly with an age specificity. The main stipulation of many such “senior communities” is the requirement of individuals to be “55+”. It is natural for people to want to commune with others who are similar. Many of the residents whom I interviewed were perfectly happy living in seniors only communities. However, housing options which focus purely on elders and elders alone, often face issues of homogeneity, which designing in diversity and resilience may help to address.

into older age as a cohort. As the groups looks forward, they foresee that this may affect the rate of sales within their community as well as the general rise in need for support, beyond informal provisions amongst neighbours and home care service. In an effort to create interest in the “young-old” for joining a community of “older-old”, Egebakken has realized that the need for some form of diversity is necessary. In that effort, they have begun to expand the membership of the cohousing community to include non-resident seniors from the greater area who would be offered access to the use of the common house and planned activities. These non-residents would in turn be placed on a waiting list should properties be available for sale.

In Denmark, for example, professor Deane Alan Simpson from the Institute of Architecture, Urbanism and Landscape at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (KADK) has mapped the demographic distribution of aging which reveals the urban migration of young people to the major Danish urban capitals, and conversely the suburban and rural migration of older people. This is reinforced by the resulting demand on housing stock and prices which altogether generate a societal stratification into geographies of age. In this large scale view, it becomes clear how actual, physical divides in aging and housing can contribute enormously to the perception (or lack thereof) of elders at the peripheries of our cultural imagination.

Similarly, the need for resilience in the planning of elder housing can be seen in the Netherlands. The institutionalization of senior care became a major part of public policy in the Netherlands when the national pension program was initiated in the mid-twentieth century. After 1965, the large scale development of “service” homes in the Netherlands was supported by government subsidies for the homes themselves as well as the residents. In parallel with the religious compartmentalization that was occurring in the country, through its “pillarization” of Catholic, Protestant, and Socialist groups, this resulted in an abundance of privately-operated, institutional care homes for the elderly. However, beginning roughly four years ago, changes in national policies occurred with the recognition that such a heavily subsidized senior care program was unsustainable. A shift was made to transfer the responsibility of the senior care budget from a regional to a municipal policy level. What ensued was the removal of financing to previously low care needs seniors (Categories 1-4) and an increase on home care

The rise of senior cohousing communities in Denmark also faces a similar issue of segregation. At the residences of Egebakken and Herfra til Evigheden, their very development was made possible from the draw of similarly-aged couples. As a result, one of the outcomes has been that the residents are all entering

Youth Family Elder Disability programme diagram generations house - erik arkitekter [aarhus, denmark]

Care

ABOVE + LEFT: The Generations House development in Aarhus is predicated on the belief in fostering demographic diversity in housing arrangements to address needs across one’s lifespan. The ambitious programme provides housing for elders (with and without care), people with disabilities, youth, and families. Meanwhile, public and semi-public spaces distributed throughout the buildings allow for community engagement both within the building and to the neighbourhood beyond.

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Image courtesy of Williamson Williamson Inc.

ABOVE + RIGHT: The House on Ancaster Creek transforms a double-wide property into a multigenerational house, developed by the owners to support an aging parent. Two overlapping, perpendicular bars form the two residences, each with their own distinct entry sequence. The hinge point of the two bars and residential spaces is used as an opportunity for celebration, in the form of a sculptural, wooden spiral staircase. The collective spaces which bring the family together are afforded a generosity of scale and size. The connection and continuity between inside and outside adds to this spatial quality through the use of borrowed space in landscape.

Image courtesy of Williamson Williamson Inc.

concept diagrams House on ancaster creek - williamson williamson architects [ancaster, canada]

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

service reliance. This has created a crisis in Dutch senior care as social infrastructures struggle to adapt to the policy change. Many care homes have had to downsize or close down as a result. As an alternative approach to the previous examples, multigenerational planning and design of elder housing has re-emerged. The rise in this type of living arrangement, favoured for many centuries, reflects on the positive attributes of intergenerational interaction and experience which highlights opportunities such as mutual knowledge transfer, mentoring, and the development of empathy. At the larger scale of development, projects look at introducing a variety of housing types and supportive programming to encourage a multigenerational community. • At the Generations House [p.102], the housing development consists of care homes, senior apartments, youth housing, and mainstream housing in integrally mixed apartment blocks. Supportive program space for child daycare, public cafe, and auditorium are placed at the ground level. • At the Diakonissestiftelsen [p.98] and the Gojikara Mura, housing and functions across generations are placed adjacent or near each other but kept separate. • In all three examples above, opportunities for gathering of residents and user groups are sought through the creation of in-between spaces, public indoor spaces, and green spaces which can be shared.

• At the House on Ancaster Creek [p.78], a double wide lot was developed to allow for a son to care for his aging mother at home. The generosity of space afforded to the communal areas offers ease and comfort for both sides of the family occupying the house.

programme diagram House on ancaster creek - williamson williamson architects [ancaster, canada]

• At Chobham Manor, developed in the wake of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the multigenerational row houses anchor the corners of the “lifetime neighbourhood” masterplan. The separation of a main house and an accessory dwelling by a courtyard offers opportunities to provide housing to an aging parent, or create an alternative rental income stream in the competitive housing market of London.

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At a smaller scale, projects have looked at the possibility of enabling multiple generations, typically within one family and more recently between different families, to live on the same or an enlarged property development.

LAYERED TRANSITIONS 38

ABOVE + RIGHT: Layered threshold sequences at entries to individual suites at Windmill Court demonstrate affinities to the spatial transitions observed in more traditional Japanese architecture, found in roji lanes and the layouts of machiya townhouses

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

windmill court - prp architects [chingford, united kingdom]

roji lane threshold [tokyo, japan]

With the growing possibilities for collective living helping to reframe elder housing within more diverse and resilient communities, the need to strike a balance between independence and shared experience require sensitive, spatial resolutions. Even with independent living where the space of “work”, embodied by care providers, overlaps into the space of “home”, that of the elder, the mitigation between private and public realms underscores the importance of how architectural responses can help to preserve dignity.

A semi-private common area is provided for each house which is complemented by a host of semiprivate and public spaces adjacent to each house or interconnected throughout other levels. All the major public spaces are gathered at ground level. The variety of spaces are characterized by their introversion or extroversion to enable a range of desired activity to take place.

• At the Laneway House prototypes [p.74], smaller scale interventions are made looking at the bathroom layout with the use and placement of In some of the projects which I studied, layered sliding doors delineating between private space and transitions in spatial sequencing forms a strong shared, caregiving space. backbone to the underlying development of the plan and section. • At Kenyuen Home for the Elderly [p.90], the base unit for configuring the resident bedrooms centres around a semi-private living space shared typically by two individuals, which fronts onto the public corridor. The corridor itself is articulated by niches of refuge which further correlate to the individual, semiprivate living areas. • At the Kamigyo Day Care Centre [p.82], the entry sequence is carefully designed to screen views directly into the main room through the provision of a small interior court. This also serves as a place to park wheelchairs and scooters. Within, the washing area follows a series of anterooms into a waiting room, before crossing into that private realm.

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shop

garden

ancestor shrine access to residence entry courtyard

well for general use

tondaya machiya [kyoto, japan]

display

shop area not visited

garden

well for shrine use

kimono warehouse

garden area not visited

owner’s warehouse

display study

noh stage tea ceremony room

area not visited

garden

• At the Generations House [p.102], a mix of approximately 6 units, ranging from seniors, youth, families, or individuals with disabilities, are grouped into a “house” which has its own distinct front door.

typical plans kenyuen home for the elderly - murumatsu architects [esumi, japan]

ABOVE + RIGHT: At the Kenyuen Home for the Elderly, Murumatsu has sought to break down interior spaces into more human scaled “flats” which consist either of two single rooms around a shared bathroom and living space; or a double room adjacent to a public lounge area. The diversity of spatial groupings and sequences between private and semi-public spaces provide variety in the preservation of dignity as an individual moves fluidly between a place of their own and that in which they may seek support from or connection with others.

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SKETCH OF TYPICAL “FLAT” LAYOUTS kenyuen home for the elderly - murumatsu architects [esumi, japan]

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BELOW + RIGHT: With reference to the traditional language of Japanese machiya townhouses, the entry sequence at the Kamigyo Day Care Centre is distinctly experienced as a series of layered transitions between public and private space. Ramping up from the forecourt, the angled entry is enclosed by a sliding wooden screen which opens into a small internal entry courtyard. The courtyard forms the gathering space of two entry points: a ramped slope to the day careâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main floor and a staircase to the upper floor.

entry perspective kamigyo day care centre - kawai architects [kyoto, japan]

Image courtesy of Kawai Architects.

ground floor plan

entry sequence study sketches

kamigyo day care centre - kawai architects [kyoto, japan]

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

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Images courtesy of De Hogeweyk.

SENSE OF HOME

ABOVE: The individual “houses” at De Hogeweyk are centred around the varying lifestyles embodied by their residents. Workng towards this specificity relies both on sensitive design with regards to the interiors as well as the daily rituals of the care team. RIGHT: The City of Aarhus’ program “Eldercare with Heart and Soul” acknowledges that improving elder housing and care requires addressing the built, cultural, and natural environments concurrently as part of a holistic process. Their current plan shows the steps they are taking to address issues at each level through various pilot projects.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

• At the senior cohousing communities of Egebakken While reconsidering approaches to elder housing, one and Herfra til Evigheden [p.106], the base layouts must not forget that we are ultimately talking about the for each of the residences were designed by the creation of homes. With this underscoring the starting architects to fit within the design rules of their overall point of design, what makes a home? Regardless of community masterplan. However, the allowance for typology, the moment a house truly becomes a home customization was built into the base plan. Through is when residents feel comfortable enough to truly a process of consultation with each resident, personalize their own space. This process no doubt additional elements could be added or removed depends on one’s own personal history, which informs from the base plan, generating flexibility in how each preferences and interests. From an architectural point resident approached the functional layouts of their of view, the importance of interior design should not own home. be overlooked as a merely aesthetic aspect to elder housing projects. The material choices, scale, and proportion can serve to support elders in their transition • At the Kamigyo Day Care Centre [p.82], the sense of home embodied in this public space comes to new living and care environments by reducing feelings from specific references to the history and cultural of displacement through offerings of familiarity. landscape of this historic neighbourhood in Kyoto. The use of tatami and wood, alongside a base of Projects have sought to increase the feeling and concrete, speaks to a mix of traditional and modern atmosphere of home by focusing on either private or materials which would be familiar to the residents. public spaces. The generosity of space in the main living area is differentiated by skylit niches which creates comfort • At De Hogeweyk [p.110], a major part of their care approach centres on the observation that residents in daily gatherings. with dementia tend to manage better living according to a lifestyle which matches their own. • At the City of Aarhus, their current program To this end, the individual houses for residents are “Eldercare with Heart and Soul” (Besjaelling) began designed according to the eight different lifestyles with a concern regarding the quality of spaces identified in the elder population cared for by the represented by their elder care environments. Their Vivium group: Artisan, Christian, Cultural, Gooise, intention is to reduce the institutional feeling of Homey, Indonesian, and Urban. The interiors work these spaces and to promote a return to the Danish together with the lifestyles enacted in each house notion of “hygge”. This distinctly Danish term which encompasses also dining and recreational loosely translates to the creation of homeliness and activities. For example, the Artisan house is more coziness in a space. Their hope is to find a way of traditionally-oriented both in use of material and applying this to a range of environments such as layout, whereas the Gooise lifestyle is considered home care, nursing homes, community centers, more classical. health centers, and health clinics.

P R O J E C T S

P A R A L L E L P R O J E C T S

Let it Grow

Renewing the physical surroundings makes eldercare less institutional and nursing homes more homely and inviting.

My (Nursing) Home

“Home” Magazine

Improving the interiors and exteriors of nursing homes.

Providing inspiration by showcasing how we rethink nursing homes in Aarhus.

Etiquette & Conduct Adding heart and soul to our work culture allows us to treat our residents with presence and warmth.

Taste for Life Room for Dementia

Making connections with organizations such as scouts, gardeners, daycares, and schools allows for landscaping and outdoor events which brings nature closer to residents.

Introducing green, outdoor experiences increases quality of life for residents

Creating internal guidelins on how to treat residents, relatives, and visitors to the care home.

Collaborate with the Department of Technology and Environment.

Build courtyards

The Entrance Improving how guests are welcomed, starting at the front door of the nursing home.

Nursing Homes with a Soul

Designing and testing ways to add soul to the work culture. Implementing guidelines for etiquette and conduct.

Develop main principles for new construction Renew kitchens

Heart & Soul in Home Care Carrying out home care without institutionalizing private homes.

Sound Environment & Quality of Life

Create director positions for nursing homes Improve home care Involve relatives and communities Strengthen dialogue

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CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

BUILT ENVIRONMENT

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

C U R R E N T

ABOVE + RIGHT: The pilot projects of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eldercareâ&#x20AC;? programme in Aarhus which focus on design interventions for existing public spaces of care home rely on extensive consultation with staff and residents. Design choices made on individual projects demonstrate an understanding and interpretation of specificity - in place and people. For example, artwork is researched and selected in terms of relevance and connection to resident histories, which reaches beyond a mere exercise in aesthetics. Colour schemes and material palette also respond to this type of specificity while addressing objectives such as spatial clarity for wayfinding.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

All images on this and opposite page are courtesy of City of Aarhus.

To accomplish this initiative, the city of Aarhus has focused on 3 parallel tracks of programs: one focuses on the physical by renewing the built environment; another focuses on the cultural by adding heart and soul to the work culture; and the last focuses on landscape by improving quality of life through access to the outdoors. Through their pilot projects, they implement focused interventions on the existing public spaces of nursing homes through extensive consultation with the care team and residents. Their outcomes centre on specificity, legibility, and spatial clarity.

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AMPLIFICATION OF LIGHT 48

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

One of the refrains from the many residents and care workers interviewed, describing their favourite aspect of their home or workplace was the way the design maximized daylight. This should come as no surprise as access and exposure to daylight have been well-documented to be vital for good housing and work throughout the history of public health and its intersection with architecture. However, if we survey the current landscape of elderly housing in Canada, there is still much which can be done to improve the spatial quality of residences, especially in situations where housing and care overlap. Long, double-loaded halls or “horridors” which are often encountered in these types of care facilities, need to be critically rethought in the face of evidence which continues to support the impact of environmental design on health and well-being.

amplify daylight. Between the two spaces, clerestory windows provide the opportunity to draw light into the deepest portions of the rooms, as well as a method for cross-ventilation. Large, glazed units feature prominently in the public spaces of dining, physical therapy, and bathing. • At Herfra til Evigheden and Egebakken [p.106], maximizing daylight was one of the main design requests from the residents who developed the projects. In each of the homes, skylights form a key architectural feature, contributing to its distinct facade expression, as well as heightening the interior spatial qualities. Clerestory windows are also used to draw light into the house and in between rooms.

• At Diakonissestiftelsen [p.98], the diagonal layouts of At a very basic level, daylight provides cues for daily and the apartment blocks allow for daylight to penetrate deep into the main corridor plan. A large skylight seasonal rhythms. The consistency of this natural clock serves to maintain a sense of normalcy in daily activities at the central stair core accentuates the circulation and rituals, especially when an elder moves into a new space in a subtle nudge to encourage elders to take living arrangement and physical environment. The the stairs, if they are still able. appeal of well-lit spaces can be seen to have a strong effect on attracting people to gathering areas and can • At the Kamigyo Day Care Centre [p.82], location of also form part of a larger strategy for wayfinding. the building on a tight urban site was challenging to the accommodation of daylighting. This was • At IDU Terrace [p.86], all corridors are single-loaded deftly accomplished through the combined use of clerestory windows and interior glass slots from the with views to the exterior. Along the corridors, semiprivate niches are created with their own glazed upper storey. In addition, a fully glazed south facade bays, increasing visual connection throughout the borrows light from a shared courtyard space. courtyard building. Adding to this are the large amounts of glazing used in the dining spaces. • At Kenyuen Home for the Elderly [p.90], corridors are also all similarly single-loaded. At each private room, the section is enlarged at the windows to

daylighting study sketch diakonissestiftelsen senior apartments - vandkunsten [copenhagen, denmark]

LEFT: The plan layouts at Diakonissestiftelsen employ a pinwheel configuration of 3 individual units around a central circulation atrium to bring daylight deep into both the private and public spaces of the senior housing blocks. Large glazing units highlight the openings created in the atrium and increase the experiential quality of this informal gathering space.

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ABOVE + RIGHT: At IDU Terrace, all corridors are single-loaded with views to the exterior. Along the corridors, semi-private niches are created with their own glazed bays, increasing visual connection throughout the courtyard building. Adding to this are the large amounts of glazing used in the dining spaces.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

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ABOVE + RIGHT: At Kenyuen Home for the Elderly, Murumatsu employs several strategies to amplify daylight into the building. Fundamentally, the building is designed with singleloaded corridors to flood all public areas with light. At below grade instances, light wells punctuate the hallway experience. Adding to these basic moves, clerestory windows are provided between every room and hall to further enhance light penetration as well as ventilation.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

shadow study of basement light wells kenyuen home for the elderly [esumi, japan]

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ABOVE + RIGHT: Vandkunsten uses a similar language of expressive skylights, clerestory windows, and large feature glazing units to amplify the amount of daylight penetration into the individual homes at two senior cohousing projects: Herfra til Evigheden and Egebakken.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

daylighting study sketch herfra til evigheden - Vandkunsten [roskilde, denmark]

roofscape perspective herfra til evigheden - vandkunsten [roskilde, denmark]

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ABOVE + RIGHT: At the Kamigyo Day Care Centre, daylighting on the tight urban site is deftly accomplished through the combined use of clerestory windows and interior glass slots from the upper storey. In addition, a fully glazed south facade borrows light from a shared courtyard space.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

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CONNECTION TO SURROUNDINGS 58

ABOVE + RIGHT: The siting of the Z-shaped Kenyuen Home for the Elderly on its oceanfront property maximizes the views and connection to its surroundings. FAR RIGHT: The relationship to the ocean forms a significant reference point for the design of Kenyuen Home for the Elderly, making a connection with the residents of the area who are mainly fishermen. In its neighbouring town of Susami, the cultural heritage and pride in this local trade is proudly on display at the train station.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

site diagram kenyuen home for the elderly [esumi, japan]

Amplifying daylight through glazing also allows for • At Kenyuen Home for the Elderly [p.90], the designs which bring a closer connection between relationship to the ocean forms a significant a building and its surroundings, whether natural or reference point for the design of the building, making constructed. While good elder housing should no a connection with the residents of the area who are doubt support the care and residential needs of older mainly fishermen. The Z-shaped building is oriented individuals, active living can be promoted by the to maximize views to the ocean from all private creation of linkages between interior and exterior space. rooms and common areas. The exterior facade Facilitating this type of engagement offers physical, is composed mainly of dark, exposed concrete, mental, and social benefits. It can trigger alternatives resonating with the cliffs on which the building is to a sedentary lifestyle. It can provide incentives to situated. gather and socialize. It can also provide spaces of integration with the wider neighbourhood. Perhaps most • At Windmill Court [p.94], access to the individual resident dwellings is provided by a covered, exterior importantly, connection to place can illuminate specific gallery which provides views into the interior and personal meaning for residents. courtyard. Within each unit, both an open summer balcony and a glazed winter balcony encourage use Creating connections to the exterior can sometimes be of outdoor space throughout the year. seen as a difficult objective, especially when designing in a northern climate. This requires sensitivity in approach, but perhaps also a shift in mindset. Encouraging elders • At Diakonissestiftelsen [p.98], pockets of gardens and to engage with the realities of weather allows them to landscaped areas are created in between the senior face small challenges in a controlled manner, forming apartment blocks. These create public gathering an important part in the maintenance of normalcy and spaces for the residents, as well as opportunities for agency over their lives. neighbours in the adjacent residential blocks, to use and discover. • At IDU Terrace [p.86], the building is planned with a courtyard configuration, focusing its views to the • At the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (KADK), north at Mount Fuji and south to the surrounding PhD Candidate Sidse Carroll worked together with town. This is facilitated by exterior linking terraces residential groups in the Sydhaven neighbourhood to at alternating floors and glazed dining areas on develop public spaces adjacent to apartment blocks every other floor, which increase the porosity of which have concentrated groups of elders. In one of the building in these two main orientations. A third her pilot projects, she designed an outdoor covered orientation is provided as the gaze focuses inward porch, together with benches and a barbeque grill, to the landscaped interior courtyard, enabled by a to form an informal gathering space for a group of significant amount of glazing at the interior perimeter seniors. The design strategically negotiates both of the building. financial constraints as well as local dynamics between resident and neighbourhood use in a

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2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

Image courtesy of De Hogeweyk.

ABOVE: The complex of houses at De Hogeweyk are configured around 6 highly differentiated courtyards, each forming their own unique “weyk”, a Dutch term for a group of houses. LEFT: In a pilot project in Sydhaven, Sidse Carroll worked with elders in affordable housing blocks to reimagine their existing street furniture and interstitial exterior spaces to improve the quality of informal gathering spaces. A side table prototype which easily incorporates into the existing bench and planters which shelter and define seating areas were built together with the residents.

marginalized community. In another pilot project, Carroll worked collaboratively with elders in codesign and construction which upgraded existing benches in between a pair of apartment blocks. • At De Hogeweyk [p.110], the architects and landscape architects strove for an equal split between built and exterior areas. The overall layout of the complex emphasizes the articulation of individual “houses”, created around six landscaped courtyards. The specificity and unique character of each courtyard creates a diversity in experience for resident use. The use of courtyards in the design supports independence, especially for those with dementia, as it allows wandering behaviour to happen in a purposeful and safe manner. A covered atrium adjacent to the main town square offers an additional venue to gather outside of the resident houses during colder months.

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ABOVE LEFT: At Windmill Court, access to individual resident dwellings is provided by a covered, exterior gallery which offers views into the interior courtyard.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

FAR LEFT + ABOVE: At IDU Terrace, the interior perimeter of the courtyard building is largely glazed to facilitate visual connections to its surroundings, the landscaped interior court, and to other parts of the building. LEFT: At Diakonissestiftelsen, pockets of gardens and landscaped areas are created in between the senior apartment blocks. These create public gathering spaces for the residents, as well as opportunities for neighbours in the adjacent residential blocks, to use and discover.

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COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS 64

ABOVE: At the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design, Laneway Housing prototypes were developed as deployable residential units for aging-in-place. Led by John Brown in design studios with students and in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, each iteration has undergone evaluation by elders themselves. RIGHT: Realdania is a memberbased association that operates through catalytic philanthropy while serving as agents of structural change for the built environment and society. Their current initiative of “Rooms and Communities for Elders” is backed by their independent research, and relies on strategic partnerships with developers to reimagine senior co-housing communities for a larger portion of Danish elders.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

Image courtesy of Realdania.

The topic of aging and the specific issue of senior • John Brown, the dean of the Faculty of housing touches on a host of disciplines, ranging from Environmental Design at the University of Calgary, architecture, urban design / planning, health care, has been collaborating with the university’s Faculty policy, and real estate development, to name a few. of Medicine. Together with architecture students, While their interests may converge on this topic, their he has been studying the potential of portable, research and practice are often segregated. Within the deployable laneway housing units as part of lens of architecture, we can only go so far to address a strategy to enable elders to age in their own this topic with the skills and experience that we have. community, while taking advantage of advances in Many of the pertinent decisions which govern the home health care technologies. Various prototypes success of any one project or initiative precedes the have been constructed as part of design studios, work that we as architects are often engaged to do. For with each iteration being tested and evaluated by example, the location of a project in relation to the larger their collaborators in medicine, as well as elders community and the initial development of programming, themselves. all significantly impact the viability and sustainability of its outcome. • PRP Architects have been engaged in the discussion of elder housing, both in their specialist housing These types of decisions, however, could benefit from practice based out of Surrey, as well as their the value architects can bring to the discussion. Our contribution to the “Housing our Aging Population: unique and broad training provides us with the ability Panel for Innovation” (HAPPI Panel). The panel was to conceptualize both at the large and small scale of a first convened in 2009 by Lord Best to elucidate development project and throughout the length of its recommendations and design criteria for the lifespan. Perhaps most importantly, we are experienced development of new elder housing. It drew from a in shaping space and environment to serve the needs wide range of individuals: architects, seniors groups, of wide-ranging users. Taken altogether, the practice of housing associations, developers, researchers, architecture at the highest levels of design excellence, and civil servants. Since then, they have produced can help to form a framework for older living that will four reports which outline delivery methods, best have a meaningful impact on aging well. practices in management, and most recently, a specific focus on the rural condition. As we move the national conversation forward regarding elder housing, it would make sense for more • Gustav Brade and Per Schulze at Realdania in interdisciplinary, collaborative partnerships to be formed Copenhagen are stimulating the housing market for so that the knowledge and experience from each field the development of senior communities by creating can be shared and expanded upon. Various individuals partnerships with private investors and the general whom I met through my travels demonstrate how housing sector. They researched and approached reaching across disciplines strengthens the discussion the top real estate developers in the country with of elder housing. the proposal of collaborating on the creation of 65

Realdania

Rooms & Communities for Elders

Developers

4 Housing Associations 4 Pension Associations

+ Architects

Research & Consultation

Development Prototype

Senior Co-housing Communities

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Elders

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

LEFT + BELOW: The winning proposal for the “Who Cares” Competition in Almere looks at the power of linking spatial and social innovation through the creation of new housing in a contemporary courtyard configuration. The proposal works with the support of existing volunteer and professional networks in the neighbourhood.

senior community-based housing. They successfully created 8 partnerships with 4 housing associations and 4 pension associations. To help reduce risk for the developers, Realdania committed to providing the research and development for each of the 8 projects, including the development of housing prototypes.

All images on this and opposite page are courtesy of Who Cares (Team: Peter van Assche, Bart Lammers, Kirsten Hannema, Renet Korthals Altes, Ruud van der Kind).

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• Floris Alkemade, the chief government architect in the Netherlands, initiated in 2017 a national ideas competition entitled “Who Cares” in collaboration with various ministries, public councils, non-profit organizations, and five specific municipalities. The competition served as a tool to canvas new ideas in this field, with the underlying concept that an urban environment well-equipped for those requiring care and support would be a better city for all. One of the distinguishing features of this competition is the requirement that participant teams be composed of interdisciplinary collaborations between spatial designers, healthcare professionals, and innovative thinkers from other adjacent fields. It was stipulated that each team must have at least one professional designer to ensure that a spatial resolution formed part of the proposals. A matching program on the competition website also helped to facilitate this process.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

LEFT: Residents gather at the lounge area of the assisted living housing in Gojikara Village. Located adjacent to the entrance of the building, it is often used together with guests and visitors.

REFLECTIONS

The themes illuminated through my fellowship reinforce this approach. As a result, my study has not focused on approaches which solely accommodate the physical aspects of aging, although they absolutely form an integral part of the discussion. There exists already a plethora of research and literature in this area, which continues to advance under the subsets of home care technology and accessibility. My study also did not focus on the many projects which solely demonstrate exemplary programmatic concepts for elder housing. This exists beyond a discussion of the built environment and the contributions which architecture can add to this field. I did, however, learn some key lessons which can guide a more rounded approach in housing our elders.

differences in personality which sees spaces appropriate for both introverts and extroverts. These responses should also acknowledge differences in gender and how this affects their socialization tendencies. Underlying this should be an awareness that the older demographic is represented by a female majority, in lives that are largely single, either by choice or circumstance. Reconfiguring the relationship between elder housing and its community offers the foundation for reframing our portrait of elders as valuable resources. Intergenerational environments generate reciprocal benefits which expand on active living and knowledge exchange. Ultimately, this requires a shift in our concept of retirement, whose current definition may no longer suit our new reality of lengthened lifespans. Other models of retirement which have preceded, have yielded widely differing formal expressions of housing to suit. We have seen retirement modelled after leisure, emphasizing a lifestyle of travel and luxury amenities while promoting an architectural language akin to hotel accommodations. The escapist realms created by this approach undoubtedly offer favourable immediate experiences, but they are typically only available to those with financial means. The tendency to engender a â&#x20AC;&#x153;constant vacationâ&#x20AC;? also segregates individuals from a relationship with their wider community.

We have also seen retirement modelled after care, emphasizing an aging life which encounters ailing, Enabling individuals to develop their own social capital frailty, and illness promoting an architectural language is critical in countering the loneliness and isolation facing akin to hospitals. The protective realms created by this our aging population. Architectural solutions need to approach undoubtedly offer care provision in an efficient more strongly foster social interactions and community- manner but this comes at a high cost, both financially building by providing larger portions of building area and and individually. The containment and warehousing of landscape towards collective space, which should be elders again segregates them from a relationship with varied in nature. These responses should acknowledge their wider community.

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While the World Health Organization recognizes that health encompasses physical, social, and mental wellbeing, beyond the absence of disease or infirmity, these three central tenets can also frame our views on aging.7 In Canada, much of the architectural discussion regarding elder housing tends to focus on the physical aspects of aging: through applications of universal design, adaptations to allow aging-in-place, and spatial accommodations for care provision in its various forms. However, the support of social and mental health can be areas more widely addressed in the architecture of aging, in a manner which also strives for design excellence.

ABOVE: The owners and their mother are afforded generosity in the shared space of the living room, within the larger multi-generational living arrangment at the House on Ancaster Creek. Image courtesy of Williamson Williamson Inc.

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With current models of retirement modelling after normalization and acknowledgement of the individual, the architectural language will inevitably shift and recentre on the primacy of the domestic home and its integration with the wider community. This requires approaches to elder housing which overturn generically defined, singular typologies to emphasize linkages between individual histories and specificities of place. Many elders from the boomer generation have asserted control over how they plan to live and this type of agency needs to be reconsidered against the backdrop of traditional project development. The rise in ownerdriven development, collective commissioning, and overall self-organization within this cohort requires an outreach from the architectural profession to support their understanding of the built environment. While the pursuit and value of architecture on this topic needs continued education, its advocacy should reach beyond the profession. How can architects serve as more effective bridges across this divide and provide tools to support elders in their decision-making? The demographic shift has major economic implications which can be easily understood when considering, amongst other factors, the cost prohibitive nature of institutional care and housing models in Canada. In face of this, a diversity of housing types should be sought, with a view towards resilient solutions. Despite the numbers which confirm this change in demography, we must also appreciate the impermanence of the condition. Finding ways to reduce purpose-built typologies will offer flexibility in adapting to inevitable change.

Ultimately, the topic of aging and elder housing is larger than what architecture can tackle alone. It is clear that leveraging collaboration and cross-disciplinary discussion are vital processes in addressing this issue, both within and beyond the architectural profession. Despite the specificity of this topic, successful elder housing is undoubtedly a reflection of community building and should form an important contribution which architecture can make to city-building.

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One of the ways which this can be achieved is to consider how we can work with the existing fabric and infrastructure of neighbourhoods, to re-imagine the building stock we have at our disposal. Not every initiative needs or can become a new build. Working from both ends of the development spectrum is an important mindset to espouse, offering both financial and ecological sustainability.

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SELECTED PROJECTS

FUTURE ADAPTIVE BUILDING HOUSE & LANEWAY HOUSING PROTOTYPES CALGARY, CANADA

The Future Adaptive Building (FAB) House is a housing model by Housebrand, predicated on an open building system which allows for adaptation over time to reflect residents’ changing life scenarios. The demonstration house in the Elbow Park neighbourhood of Calgary showcases key design features of this methodology. • A high quality exterior envelope is created using structural insulated panels (SIP) • A fixed interior “armature” (the specified spatial configuration of core elements - bathroom, kitchen, mechanical, electrical) forms the basis of the house framework • Millwork is used to form moveable and adaptable partition walls which can be adjusted over time to suite the lifestyle scenarios of residents Parallel to the development of the FAB House, John Brown (cofounder of Housebrand) began an academic collaboration with the medical department at the University of Calgary. This brought him to consider the development of a laneway house as a testing site for an architectural studio on rethinking aging in place design features (i.e. grab bars, showers, sinks, etc.).

The success of the first design-build studio prototype has led to the development of a second prototype with the aim of creating a portable, deployable laneway house unit which could allow for supportive living close to one’s own family using home health technologies. This arrangement envisions a transferance of care provision from a long-term care facility to a temporary individual suite, close to home. Currently, the second prototype is being tested by seniors during a feedback and evaluation phase. The intention is to continue research and development for the laneway house concept.

All images on this and opposite page are courtesy of Housebrand.

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concept diagram of fab house interior.

View of fab demonstration house exterior.

various views of adaptable millwork partition walls.

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interior view of laneway house prototype.

Image courtesy of University of Canada Faculty of Environmental Design.

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exterior rendering of laneway house prototype. Image courtesy of University of Canada Faculty of Environmental Design.

laneway house prototype.

shower handrail design.

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HOUSE ON ANCASTER CREEK ANCASTER, CANADA

Located on a double-wide property, the House on Ancaster Creek was developed by the owners to support their aging parent. Two overlapping, perpendicular bars in plan form the two residences in this multi-generational house which grounds the various spaces with views to the landscape. The ground floor suite provides for the ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother to live in an accessible unit with separate bedrooms, living / dining space, and bathroom. The upper floor suite provides for the ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; private spaces with lounge area, study, bathroom, dressing, and bedroom. Several design strategies were employed to address issues of aging at home and are incorporated in a dignified manner. The importance of sound isolation between the two residences was imperative to mediate the acoustics across two private spaces. This helps, for example, to address the reality of noise from life support equipment that is used on a continuous basis by the mother. An additional bedroom and bathroom adjacent to the ground floor suite provides for the possibility of a live-in private nurse. Currently this space can host additional family members who help to support caregiving as well as day nurse services.

Within the accessible unit itself, the living space is oversized to accommodate the possibility of sleeping, dining, and living all in one room when care requirements become attenuated. Strategic placement of drains in the continuous sloped floor of the bathroom, as well as a master power switch placed in an adjacent utility room, address issues of memory loss in a discreet and integrated manner. Other important features of wayfinding night-lighting and incorporation of grab bars is also included in the unit. The importance of the shared spaces between the two residences is highlighted in the remaining areas of the ground floor. The collective spaces which bring the family together are afforded a generosity of scale and size. The connection and continuity between inside and outside add to this spatial quality through the use of borrowed space in landscape. The pinch in plan incorporates a small courtyard which further enhances this relationship with the exterior. Material choices in the project reflect a dual focus on weaving cohesion between the house and nature; as well as a desire to address sustainability. In the interior, the use of an oak panelled ceiling throughout the circulation space adjacent to the accessible suite signals a merging with the oak clad spiral staircase at the focal point of the house. The extension of the exterior milled 2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

All images on this and opposite page are courtesy of Williamson Williamson Inc.

view looking up the main spiral stair.

courtyard view between kitchen and living spaces.

view from living room back towards dining area.

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oak cladding into the living room feature wall also help to blur the lines between inside and outside. On the exterior, choice of materials focuses on local sourcing, such as the Algonquin limestone which lines the base of the house, and durability. The milled oak cladding has been treated with a three part finish system to extend its lifespan to about 7-10 years, with the top two layers serving a sacrificial purpose. Charged also by the owner requirements for a lowenergy house, the design includes several other sustainable features: â&#x20AC;˘ Site densification by accommodating two families to live on formerly a single-family lot â&#x20AC;˘ A high performance envelope with triple-glazed windows â&#x20AC;˘ The use of solar panels installed on two of the flat roofs Measuring the performance of these initiatives was an important part of the construction process and carries into post-occupancy. Thermal imaging of all windows was conducted prior to completion of the envelope, as was an air blow test after. These tests do not incur a large expense during the construction process but have a lasting impact on the sustainable investments made during the project design. The office is currently tracking the metrics of energy consumption of the house, together with the support of the owner. In order to gauge the outcomes of their sustainable design intentions, these measurements will help provide more accurate feedback across various projects and inform their future work. 80

As evident in this project, the typology of a multigenerational house requires a negotiation between the specific needs of each residence. The House on Ancaster Creek shows how these issues can be mediated architecturally with a focus on the positive contributions keen design choices in material, proportion, and spatial relationships can bring to the discussion. What results is a home which balances the fluidity of collective spaces with the preservation of individuality in private spaces across generations. The alignment of addressing both elder living arrangements and sustainability also bring to focus the parallels between the lifespan of individuals and the buildings which support them.

All images on this and opposite page are courtesy of Williamson Williamson Inc.

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a sculptural skylight forms the main feature of the kitchen.

upper floor plan

section through kitchen

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ground floor plan

view of main living space.

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KAMIGYO DAY CARE CENTER KYOTO, JAPAN The Kamigyo Day Care Center is privately run in the Kamigyo ward of Kyoto, a neighbourhood historically known for its famed textile district, the Nishijn. Owned by a care planner, Hiroki Nagahara developed the day care center on a site with strong family ties. In fact, Nagahara’s family occupies the property just directly south of the centre. Much like the machiya merchant townhouses characteristic of this traditional neighbourhood, his family house incorporates a commercial portion at street front, with residence at rear, separated by an internal courtyard. In this case, Nagahara’s mother, a doctor, runs the medical clinic at the street front while his sister, a nurse, lives in the residence behind. The day care centre is located mid-block in the residential neighbourhood and occupies a slot between two former warehouses from 1880. These timber framed warehouses are adapted and incorporated into the building’s new functions. While the users of the day care centre generally come from the surrounding neighbourhood, a free shuttle bus service is provided to assist with access. As the building is set back from the street to create an entry forecourt, drop off and pickup is easily accommodated.

The day care centre, with its staff team of 5-6 serves approximately 12-14 users a day, to a maximum of 18. The team consists of nurses, care staff, and speech therapists who provide basic services such as bathing and dining. Programs and activities are developed together with the users according to their requests. At the ground floor, the entry leads to a generous living space which allows for a variety of activities to occur. During my visit, one of the staff was playing harmonica while another made candied oranges. At the west end, a piano could be seen. The main focus of the living space is the glazed south facade, looking out to the courtyard garden shared with the Nagahara residence. Beyond the living area and into the slip space between

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With reference to the traditional language of the area’s machiya houses, the entry sequence is distinctly experienced as a series of layered transitions between public and private space. Ramping up from the forecourt, the angled entry is enclosed by a sliding wooden screen which opens into a small internal entry courtyard. The courtyard forms the gathering space of two entry points: a ramped slope to the day care’s main floor and a staircase to the upper floor.

the main stairs to the upper floor lies in the slip space between two existing warehouses.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

the existing warehouses, a minimal steel staircase is inserted to provide access to the upper floor. To the south, one of the warehouses is adapted into a bathing suite and rest area. To the north, the other warehouse is adapted into a toilet suite. Climbing the stairs to the upper floor, you find the kitchen and dining spaces. Similar to the living area, the main focus is the glazed south facade, continued at the upper level with screened views to the shared garden. To the north, hidden clerestory windows illuminate a staircase to the rooftop balcony. A slot of glass flooring at the north party wall draws the light from the clerestory deep down to the ground floor, washing the back wall of the living area. Similarly, a slot of glass flooring at the south facade, amplifies daylight into the space below.

roof plan

upper floor plan

ground floor plan

Drawings courtesy of Kawai Architects.

The rooftop balcony provides views to the east and west of the surrounding neighbourhood and is a popular location for summer barbecues. A traditional tea house was also provided at this level. However, since its occupancy, it has been turned into a storage room. The rooftop is the only level not serviced by the elevator. The attention paid to drawing daylight into the building adds to the generosity of perceived spaciousness in what is otherwise a very tight building footprint. The ingenuity of the plan also finds wash stations and toilets adeptly managed and choreographed to support the living spaces with ease. While the project exemplifies a modern insertion into the existing urban fabric, a balance is struck between the new materials of concrete, glass, and steel; and the traditional palette of wood and tatami. This duality lends warmth into the clearly articulated space, while also providing cultural continuity for the neighbourhood users. According to Nagahara, what results is a place where elders feel comfortable in spending their days.

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dining areA with view of stairs to the roof.

IDU TERRACE

MISHIMA, JAPAN IDU Terrace is a nursing home for the elderly, situated in the suburb of Matsumoto, near the city of Mishima. Located at the foothills of Mount Fuji, this major industrial centre came to prosper while serving as a convenient connection point between former Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto. The nursing home is located just off a main thoroughfare, facing a residential neighbourhood to the north. As one approaches the building, the nursing home displays a very public face. The entry glass box is tucked under the glazed dining space of the second floor, framing views into the garden beyond. As one slips beneath this exterior threshold, one can see that the building is planned with a courtyard configuration, focusing its views to the north at Mount Fuji and south to the surrounding town. This is facilitated by exterior linking terraces at alternating floors and glazed dining areas on every other floor, which increase the porosity of the building in these two main orientations. A third orientation is provided as the gaze focuses inward to the landscaped interior courtyard, enabled by a significant amount of glazing at the interior perimeter of the building.

Transparency to the inner courtyard also translates to visual connections of all public spaces from any point in the building. The main dining spaces are located in the most transparent areas of the floor plan at the north and south. On floors where these are occupied by the exterior linking terrace areas, the dining rooms are inserted as glass niches, jutting into the interior courtyard. Angled â&#x20AC;&#x153;bayâ&#x20AC;? windows also protrude into the courtyard and offer dynamic, diagonal views.

typical floor plan Drawing courtesy of Muramatsu Architects.

view of exterior linking terrace between west and east sides of the building.

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view of courtyard, facing north to Mount fuji.

view of courtyard garden.

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Each of the 4 main residential floors houses 20 individuals, divided into two wings. The wings are separated by exterior linking terraces either along the north / south axis or the east / west axis and due to the glazed interior courtyard, all corridors are single-loaded. Within the two wings, the residents are further separated by their common dining areas into groups of 6 and 4. This reduction in scale also has a parallel effect on the sizing of dining areas and nurse stations. The haptic elements with which residents and staff interact with on a daily basis (i.e. handrails, benches, nursing stations, doors, etc.) are highlighted in wood finishes, giving warmth and approachability in their varied uses. All other finishes are basic, in keeping with tight budgetary demands, utilizing linoleum flooring and drywall ceilings and walls. The project at IDU Terrace demonstrates that within a larger-scale long-term care setting, efforts to breakdown building mass, increase visual connection with oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s community and nature, and strategic attention to detail and finishes are critical in creating dignified spaces for aging.

view of glazed dining area during lunch time.

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view of entry with courtyard garden beyond.

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View of the dark, exposed concrete exterior of the Kenyuen Home for the Elderly from the main access road.

exterior view facing the ocean.

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KENYUEN HOME FOR THE ELDERLY ESUMI, JAPAN

Kenyuen Home for the Elderly was originally intended as a rehabilitation center for seniors, providing supportive care, but since its occupancy, it has served more as a nursing home. It is situated in the coastal town of Esumi along the southern tip of the Wakayama prefecture, in a natural park overlooking the Pacific Ocean. In close proximity to the site are an elementary school and a junior high school, but it is the Ocean at its south and east which commands attention. The relationship to the ocean forms a significant reference point for the design of the building, making a connection with the residents of the area who are mainly fishermen. In its neighbouring town of Susami, the cultural heritage and pride in this local trade is proudly on display at the train station. Seeking to draw from the residents’ connection with the ocean and to each other, the main design concepts of the building seek to: enhance the relationship between interior and exterior space through adept siting and use of transparency; deepen the penetration of natural light into the floor plan to heighten awareness of time and season; preserve dignity in the layered transitional spaces between private rooms and common areas celebrate shared space to create an inviting venue for visiting friends and family

Drawings courtesy of Muramatsu Architects.

The residence serves 75 care places (62 single rooms and 13 double rooms) which are distributed in a configuration of 20 “flats” over three floors of the west and east wings. With the large numbers of residents required by the institution, Muramatsu has sought to break down the interior spaces into more human scaled “flats” which consist either of two single flats around a shared bathroom and living space; or a double room adjacent to a public lounge area. While the double rooms and shared bathrooms in this project may reflect

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The Z-shaped building is oriented along the north-south axis to maximize views to the ocean from all private rooms and common areas. The exterior facade is composed mainly of dark, exposed concrete, resonating with the cliffs on which the building is situated. As one approaches the building, the main entry is formed by a glazed bar which links the two residential wings (one facing west, the other to the east). Entering into the building at its most transparent and narrow point, the view of the ocean beyond pulls one’s gaze through the building and intensifies the relationship of the residence with its natural surroundings. Due to the topographical change of the site, the entrance is situated in the middle of the building, both in plan and section. With its specific views to the exterior, it serves as a natural orientation device between the two wings.

single-loaded corridors are typical throughout kenyuen.

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outdated health regulations of its time, the diversity of spatial groupings and sequences between private and semi-public spaces inspire varied considerations on how to preserve dignity as an individual moves fluidly between a place of their own and that in which they may seek support from or connection with others. Within the rooms themselves, the main focus is the glazed window and view to the ocean which is reinforced by the placement of the washbasin and bed. With this exterior outlook, rhythms of daylight and seasonality can be appreciated and cued in with the rituals of daily life.

operable clerestory windows above doors of private rooms.

Muramatsu also employs various other strategies to amplify daylight into the building. All rooms in each of the wings are located along a single-loaded corridor with glazing. Within each private room, the ceiling raises towards the window to increase the surface area of the glazing. Operable clerestory windows are provided above the door threshold to provide more light and natural ventilation into the private rooms as well. Even at the ground floor of the west wing where views to the exterior would have faced the parking lot, skylights are provided above the lounge areas to bring light deep into this space. In addition to the private rooms, the east wing includes a variety of therapy areas and a medical clinic. The dining areas are located either in the glazed central bar or at the hinge point between the central bar and the east wing in a dramatic two storey space. All therapy and dining areas are visually striking due to their extensive glazing and views to its surroundings and exterior terraces. Similar to IDU Terrace, the haptic elements with which residents and staff interact on a daily basis (i.e. handrails, benches, nursing stations, doors, etc.) are highlighted in wood finishes, giving warmth and approachability in their varied uses. All other finishes are basic, in keeping with budgetary demands, utilizing linoleum flooring and drywall ceilings and walls. With a focus on entwining the building with nature, amplifying natural daylight, and breaking down interior spaces with thoughtful transitions between public and private, Kenyuen seeks to humanize and dignify the experience of aging within a larger institutional setting.

typical semi-public gathering space.

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view from a typical private room.

WINDMILL COURT

CHINGFORD, UNITED KINGDOM Windmill Court was planned as a 100% affordable assisted living housing in the suburb of Chingford, approximately 30 kilometers northeast of London. It is located in a mainly residential district, mid-way down a typical neighbourhood block. The main design features of the project emphasize the independence of each unit, while facilitating visual and physical connections to the exterior. The amplification of natural light in each apartment, as well as in the communal spaces, is also a key driving factor in the design of the residence. The building is composed of a long, linear bar at street front, joined through the “heart” of the building’s communal spaces to a smaller L-shaped building housing more apartments. As one approaches the main entry of the building, one is struck by the textured buff brick facade, articulated by the balconies and window frames which help to break down the length of the elevation. One enters the building mid-block at the transparent opening of the building, which contains many of the communal spaces. The residence provides for 44 assisted living units which are dispersed over three floors. One of the distinctive features of this project is the exterior gallery access to each residential unit which emphasizes the independence of each dwelling within the larger scheme. The thresholds into each unit are intentionally stepped back to create a layered entry sequence which accommodates for practical items such as scooter parking, a bench, and a dedicated electrical meter.

Each individual apartment, as a result of the gallery access, is afforded dual aspects from within, with visual and physical connections to the exterior. At the opposing end of each entry is a pair of balconies: an open balcony for summer and a glazed balcony for winter. The glazed balcony includes both operable windows and a ventilation panel while both balconies provide room for extra storage. All interiors for the units comply with accessibility standards. Certain appliances such as the stove are provided, while others are provided only with hook-ups, to allow residents the option of using shared amenities, such as laundry, if desired. The common spaces, such as the dining, multi-purpose room, library, and small meeting room are clustered in the core of the building plan. They are all very well lit and face onto exterior courtyards or terraces. The “Pampering Room” (i.e. tub room) and therapy room stepped threshold condition at entry to a unit.

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view of windmill court facade at street front.

view of exterior gallery access to the individual residential units.

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View of glazed winter balcony showing operable windows and ventilation panel.

typical upper floor plan

Drawing courtesy of PRP Architects.

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ground floor plan

Drawing courtesy of PRP Architects.

also provide significant amount of light, but respects privacy through a sandblasted finish. While the built form of the residence has been recognized to feature many of the best practices promoted by the HAPPI report, it nonetheless faces some challenges in its final use. As the Ministry for Housing did not apply any age or care restrictions for application, the change in expected demography of the residence meant that in reality the amount of care required was underestimated by the operations team. While that was adjusted over time, the shift to a concentration of less mobile and more dependent residents also meant that the common spaces were not utilized in the same way as was imagined. Similar to many other projects of this type, the intent was also to develop a restaurant in the building which would serve the residents as well as the larger neighbourhood for income generation. However, ensuring financial viability requires a certain scale for delivery and siting to attract outside clients. As this project lacked either element, in the end, the restaurant could not retain an operator and as such, is rarely used. These challenges underline the importance of considering how to build in for resilience, whether it be in the building or the systems. While changes in residential makeup will occur inevitably, the design of public, semi-private, and private spaces and how they are configured to speak to a range of abilities and participation are really critical in maintaining communal life in senior housing. Equally important to the spaces themselves is the design of the programming to work with the specificity and strengths of the project in its context. View of winter balcony with operable windows in use.

typical unit plans.

Drawings courtesy of PRP Architects.

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DIAKONISSESTIFTELSEN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

The Diakonissestiftelsen was created 150 years ago by Queen Louise of Denmark to increase opportunities for nursing education. What developed was a hospital and home for the Deacon sisters, forming a community of service as well as education. Since their beginnings, the foundation has served an important role in Danish welfare. At their Frederiksberg headquarters in Copenhagen, the foundation recently developed 47 senior dwelling units within their existing complex which includes: a Learning Centre for health education, a senior care home, student housing, a psychiatric community, private homecare provider services, the Emmaus church, a second hand store, a kitchen and conference centre, and a bakery In 2013, the Foundation created a strategic â&#x20AC;&#x153;Development Plan 2020â&#x20AC;? to envision how their organization could be adapted to modernize their offerings in education, health, and care to match the changing needs of the future. Part of the plan included the development of senior dwelling units, a hospice, and a community hub which opens up the foundation with greater connections to the neighbourhood. The highly celebrated hospice, designed by NORD Architects was completed in 2016, and a portion of the senior dwelling units were completed earlier this year. The development of the senior dwellings came first through a senior outreach and consultation process which involved both surveys and meetings to help inform the building programme. Those participating were not necessarily guaranteed a dwelling as the residences are rental units with an application process through the Foundation. However, it created a necessary dialogue which motivated both parties. 98

The development of the senior dwelling units seeks to mediate between the larger, existing, institutional complex of the Diakonissestiftelsen and the neighbourhood to its south. The demolition of existing buildings on site provided the location for 6 small-rise buildings which sensitively step from 4 stories down to 2 as it meets the residential street it faces. The placement of these blocks also create various pockets of communal, green space which are shared between the residents, the foundation, and the neighbourhood. As these spaces are widely distributed across the site, they create places of discovery upon each visit as they are not all visibly apparent upon first glance. The result forms an interplay of overlapping private and semiprivate spaces.

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Exterior view of the apartment blocks showing a mix of brick and zinc clad facadeS.

Image courtesy of Vandkunsten.

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The buildings are composed of a brick base (which matches closely the brick of the former buildings on site) and zinc cladding at the upper stories. The bricks from the demolished buildings were reused as pavers at the ground floors of the apartment blocks, tying together the inside and outside space through material continuity. The recycled brick is also used in the ancillary structures adjacent to the apartment blocks, such as the bicycle sheds. The consistent use of brick helps to create visual cohesion amongst the group of buildings. The main layout of the building increases the diagonal aspects in order to bring daylight deep into the building. This illuminates the central atrium, gangways of circulation, and the main staircase to encourage social encounters and active movement. Intended to streamline and control the construction process, each apartment is made from two modular units which are pre-fabricated off site and assembled in-situ. The apartments within each block vary in size and are all designed to be fully adaptable. Fittings in both the bedroom and kitchen have been prepared to accommodate for lowered counters, with the oven in already set at a lower height. Much attention was given to details, such as the lighting, hardware, and storage, in consultation with occupational therapists. Meeting with one of the residents, it was clear that the success of living in the residences also derives from each individual’s involvement in the community which is organized through various committees. Each resident is thus personally engaged in the development of ongoing programmes and activities which has provided many social opportunities while respecting individual preferences. In addition to the individual apartment units, the residents have access to a “common house” with a communal kitchen in the adjacent existing building of the Foundation. It is here, or just outside 100 during the summer months, that the residents have communal meals when organized or their weekly coffee times on Tuesdays. The senior dwellings at the Diakonissestiftelsen exemplify how communities for the elderly can be fostered between an institution and its existing neighbourhood. As the residents settle into their new homes and further elements of the Diakonisse’s development plan are realized, the community that is growing will be supported by the design of the built environment provided to encourage exchange within the complex of the foundation as well as its surrounding neighbourhood.

main stair washed in daylight by skylight above.

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atrium view looking up to the circulation gangways above.

typical section through atrium space.

Drawing courtesy of Vandkunsten.

typical floor plan.

Drawing courtesy of Vandkunsten.

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GENERATIONS HOUSE AARHUS, DENMARK

Through the development of its eastern habourfront, the city of Aarhus continues to diversify access to one of the city’s prime districts, right at the water’s edge. By incorporating a range of commercial, housing, office, and recreational opportunities in both rental and market offerings, a balanced mix of tenure in the masterplan aims to avoid an over-concentration of private housing at the waterfront. In this vein, the Generations House, one of the current projects under construction at the northern portion of the “Aarhus Ø”, reinforces the ambition of the municipality in fostering an integrated and age-friendly neighbourhood. The Generations House began as a need from the municipality to provide for more care places in the city, which sparked its inclusion within the Aarhus Ø masterplan. The city was intent on finding synergies between care dwellings and other programmes, in search for mediation between the typical care home and mainstream housing available in Denmark. Because Danish policies have placed heavy emphasis on home care for healthy and moderately-healthy seniors, this has skewed the residential makeup of “care homes” to those who require significant care, tending towards individuals with dementia. Tackling this complex endeavour required a collaborative approach which spanned across four entities in Aarhus: the Ministry for Children and Youth (MBU, Børn og unge), the Ministry for Health and Care (MSO, Sundhed og omsorg), the Ministry for Social Relations and Occupations (MSB, Sociale forhold og beskæftigelse), and the Brabrand Housing Association (Brabrand Boligforening) 102 The programme was derived through government review

as well as through public consultation, which in its final form will accommodate: • 100 care units for the elderly (for intensive care needs) • 100 units for senior living (of which 28 would be convertible to care units) • 12 units for individuals with physical disabilities • 12 units for individuals with acquired brain injuries • 40 units for youth / students • 40 units for families • an integrated daycare centre & 9 children’s groups for a total of 150 children (with room to grow to 190) Similar to the overall masterplan for the area, the conceptual framework for the Generations House centres on improving diversity and integration in its approach to residential design. The creation of a 2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

exterior rendering of the generations house. Image courtesy of ERIK Arkitekter.

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North elevation showing variety in material expression of the facade, to differentiate between apartment blocks.

longitudinal section through the apartment blocks.

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The Generations House with its surrounding context at the northern portion of the Aarhus Ă&#x2DC; district. Drawings courtesy of ERIK Arkitekter.

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Underlining this philosophy is the research which supports the growing evidence that loneliness is a major determinant in aging well. This has required the team for the Generations House to shift their thinking – from institution to a house; from disciplinary silos to interdisciplinary collaboration; and from specific programming to resourcefulness and synergies (in the spatial, professional, and economic sense). The goals of the conceptual framework are addressed at various scales, beginning with the massing strategy. The main design intent is to reduce the perceived scale of the project through the creation of eight, 8-storey building blocks instead of one large housing development. To reinforce this concept, the material expression of each building is varied, creating distinct facades which feature a mixture of concrete, slate, and masonry. The design proposal emphasizes the recreation of a small, multi-generational village with regards to scale, grain, and experience, where the space between buildings is just as important as the buildings themselves. The “gaps” created between the four buildings afford multi-directional views from block to block, encouraging a certain level of visual engagement between residents. Within the buildings themselves, the apartment blocks are divided at each level into smaller “houses” which accommodate a variation of housing configurations across generations. The only exception is the care home units, which due to their specific needs, are located altogether in the apartment blocks which bookend the complex. The connections between the care home units to the public spaces below and between the buildings are maintained however so that residents are not isolated. While aspirations for such a truly mixed, multigenerational housing situation may seem idealistic, the city of Aarhus and design architects have worked diligently on addressing the challenges which arise from this novel arrangement. From an architectural perspective, this has meant sensitively designing variations and transitional gradations from public to semi-private to private spaces in order to respond to a diversity of individuals, living collectively and independently at the same time. While each individual or family will be afforded their own private dwelling unit, opportunities to engage with

the larger community are offered to varying degrees. Main public and common spaces are provided at the ground floor of each building which reach out beyond the project to the neighbourhood beyond. These include the daycare centre, outdoor green spaces, cafe, and a theatre. At each floor, semi-private gathering spaces are offered in close proximity to the individual houses and maximize the usage of circulation space for interaction amongst residents. “Pit stops” are strategically dispersed throughout the floor plan to support integrated, multi-disciplinary work spaces for the various management, service, and care staff required. Universal design is a key component of interior design, with an accessibility auditor contracted for this project. For example, wayfinding is addressed through subtle changes in the materiality of the flooring, wall colours, and differentiation of each threshold experience. The level of consideration given to the public spaces is similarly seen in addressing the specific needs of individual apartments for a wide range of individuals. In addressing the needs of the elderly care and senior apartments, the architects acknowledge the enlarged spatial requirements in anticipation of equipment and lifts through the generosity of rooms where possible and the use of “borrowed space” where needed. Specifically, for residents with dementia, the underlying principle is to avoid segregation through the use of locked doors. Instead, much research is placed on the use and locations of sensors and assistive technology to address this issue in a more dignified manner. The project is currently under construction with an expected completion date in 2020. As construction progress over the next two years, the city continues to focus on finalizing details for the operations and social organization of the residence, which form a critical complement to the project.

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large scale, multi-generational housing development draws parallels from its analogue in detached multigenerational housing typologies. At a larger scale however, this would entail going beyond adjacencies of segregated residential blocks, to a specifically designed arrangement which intentionally mixes the generations in the planning of the dwellings.

HERFRA TIL EVIGHEDEN & EGEBAKKEN ROSKILDE & FREDENSBORG, DENMARK

Since the late 1980s, Denmark has seen a rise of senior cohousing communities as a subset of the cohousing movement. The benefits of community and informal social networks which such a housing arrangement can foster are appealing to elders who in many cases are approaching their next phase of later life as “empty nesters”. Two such senior cohousing communities include Herfra til Evigheden (or “Højen”) in Roskilde and Egebakken in Nødebo. The similarity in both their narratives for realizing this specific form of housing is striking. In both cases, the projects began through the formation of a club, gathering like-minded individuals interested in the development of a senior cohousing community for a specific area. The amount of interest and commitment from individuals of these clubs would determine the size of the project. For example, the Højen was initiated by 5 couples whose club grew to 24 families, with the final development providing for 26 houses and a common house. Similarly, Egebakken was initiated by 5 couples who gathered 40 families for an interest list, with 20 families finally committing to an investment for the build. Final development provided for 29 houses and a common house. The interested families invested capital for initiating the development, with final construction costs divided amongst families upon completion. In both situations, the clubs lobbied their respective municipalities regarding their development. In each case, the municipality was instrumental in making property available for each group to realize their need for a significant land acquisition. Due to the desire of both groups to create a specific senior community of 50+ years, both properties also required rezoning. 106 When I asked why the group felt an age restriction was important in their community, both residents I interviewed indicated that they wanted to maintain a specific focus on seniors’ needs by communing with those who shared common interests. It was always assumed that residents in the cohousing development would be suitable for independent living. Interestingly, both groups engaged Vandkunsten to design their communities. This may not be surprising as Vandkunsten has had a long history working on cohousing developments, starting with one of the firm’s earliest and most influential projects, Tinggarden (19711978). Through this project, they have been recognized for their sensitive spatial skills and design solutions which encourage social cohesion. In both the Højen and Egebakken, Vandkunsten laid out the general masterplan of the properties to maintain an overall 2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

exterior view of residences at egebakken.

view of typical roofscape at herfra til evigheden.

herfra til evigheden site plan

egebakken site plan Drawings courtesy of Vandkunsten.

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exterior view of the common house, gathering space, and playground at herfra til evigheden.

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view of the main living space and kitchen area in a typical residence at Egebakken.

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living room at herfra til evigheden.

currently facing. For example, the construction costs for both projects ended up being more expensive than planned, due to the customization of each house. For construction companies bidding on the project, what appeared on the surface to be tract homes, were in reality, dozens of individualized houses. This raises a Common requests from each group of residents challenge for architects to consider how customization resulted in similar architectural features, manifested at this scale can be addressed in a more cost-effective through differing architectural expressions. The desire manner. At the Højen, residents also came to realize the for ample daylight in the individual houses resulted in strategic placement of enlarged windows and expressive importance of covered, exterior gathering spaces as well as the circulation spaces between buildings in their daily skylights in the massing of houses on both projects. lives. They realized that together with the design team, The connection between interior and exterior space is they had not appreciated these areas enough during the highlighted both at the entry to the houses and at the design process, while placing more emphasis on the access to individual gardens. individual homes and common house. Both developments also allowed for flexibility in One of the issues, which both communities currently adaptation, either in the overall housing configuration face, arises from the fact that the cohousing or interior divisions. At Egebakken, this is evident in development initially drew similarly aged couples the main large space of the house, which could be subdivided into two rooms. Add-on features like another together in this specific endeavour. As a result, one of the outcomes has been that the residents are all entering bedroom, an enclosed garage, or winter garden were into older age as a cohort together. As the groups looks also options that were explored between each family forward, they foresee that this may affect the rate of and the architect. Underlining design discussions sales within their community as well as the general rise between residents and the architects was also a view in need for support, beyond informal provisions amongst towards future maintenance of the buildings. This neighbours and home care service. In an effort to create required strategic investments in quality materials in interest in the “young-old” for joining a community of areas with would reap the most long-term benefit. “older-old”, Egebakken has realized that the need for some form of diversity is necessary. In that effort, they Residents described that a major motivation for have begun to expand the membership of the cojoining such a community was having greater social housing community to include non-resident seniors from engagement with their neighbours, in addition to being the greater area who would be offered access to the able to age well in their own homes. The success of these cohousing communities for the residents lies also use of the common house and planned activities. These non-residents would in turn be placed on a waiting list in the social organization that accompanies this type should properties be available for sale. of living. At both the Højen and Egebakken, residents are actively involved in various committees and boards Discussing both the success and challenges of these which deal with topics ranging from operations and specific senior cohousing developments with the maintenance, to social activities, to daily living support residents themselves has highlighted the complexities of residents. 109 of planning sustainable solutions for elder living. They The need for social integration highlights the importance offer insights to strengths which we can learn from, such as the importance of community building in the of the common house which forms an integral part of context of aging well, but also touches on issues such each development. At the Højen, it is centrally located in the masterplan’s overall courtyard configuration. Their as diversification which require further consideration. common house features a shared kitchen, woodworking space, meeting rooms, library, fitness room, guest suite, and shared laundry facilities. At Egebakken, the common house serves as an entry marker to the larger housing complex, where the individual houses are laid out in an array of four rows. Their common house features a common kitchen, library, and small crafts and fitness area. With the experience of living in each one of the developments for roughly a decade, the residents I spoke with were clear with some of the lessons they have learned along the way and with issues they are

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design consistency regarding housing configurations and site layout. Concurrently, they worked very closely with each of the residents to customize individual homes.

DE HOGEWEYK

WEESP, NETHERLANDS For the last 15 years, the Vivium care group has been rethinking the delivery of care in their dementia-specific long-term / palliative care residence, De Hogeweyk. At the helm of changing the philosophy of elder care at this residence was Eloy van Hal, one of the founders of De Hogeweyk in its current form. Before its redevelopment, De Hogeweyk was representative of the typical, Dutch institutionalized long-term care facility. Beginning in 1993, however, the management team began to shift their approach towards care provision, focusing on resident abilities and normalizing the resident experience at De Hogeweyk. What they soon realized was the significant impact spatial reconfigurations had in this new philosophy of care provision. Ideas of normalization necessitated a reduction in scale, allowing residents to commune in spaces that were more recognizable for humanscale interactions. Finding ways to engage residents with aspects of their former daily living activities also triggered novel concepts in spatial planning. The team tested these ideas in pilot projects, working with the existing building of De Hogeweyk. For example, resident group sizes were minimized to 10 and the idea of a “house” per floor was introduced. Grouping residents in the various “houses” according to their interests also came as a natural progression. Storage space at the lower floor was turned into a “market” to allow caregivers the opportunity to bring residents shopping for their daily needs. Seeing that each test made over the years had yielded significant positive changes in their residents, the team was encouraged to consider redeveloping De 110 Hogeweyk, as an embodiment of their revolutionary care concept. Vivium collaborated together with Molenaar&Bol&VanDillen architects to translate their ideas into a larger architectural vision. The concept of the house was a key feature of the newly imagined complex, reintroducing independence back into the residents’ lives. In this new configuration, residents reasserted agency over their daily activities which brought them out of the house and in negotiation with all which that entails. This helped to reinforce the care team’s focus on resident independence and abilities. Originally, 23 individual houses were built, with 6-7 residents per house. However, in 2017, 4 additional houses were constructed, bringing the total to 27 houses. The form of individual houses redraws the boundary between living and work space in a care environment. Whereas in typical care settings, these 2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

View of the walkways and group of houses around the courtyard.

THE THEATRE FORMS THE ANCHOR POINT AT ONE OF THE COURTYARD SPACES.

ARCHITECTURAL AND LANDSCAPE PLANS UNDERSCORE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COURTYARDS IN THE CONFIGURATION OF DE HOGEWEYK. Drawings courtesy of Molenaar&Bol&VanDillen architekten.

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View of the restaurant interior at De Hogeweyk with central atrium space beyond.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

spaces were often overlaid, the conscious act of entering and leaving the house has reassigned hierarchy to resident privacy in their living space. Small details such as the care team ringing the doorbell before entering the house form significant strides towards maintaining dignity. Overnight supervision is carried out only through acoustic sensors in resident rooms, which are monitored by night staff at the entry reception building. They are supported additionally by 5-6 staff throughout the complex. Only the front door of each house is locked overnight.

activities desired to be paid separately. Clubs offer differing levels of participation according to a wide range of interests including arts and crafts, fitness, music, and film.

While the success of De Hogeweyk is no doubt a reflection of well-considered design (of both care and environment), it is important to note that it is a state-funded residence, receiving the same operating budget as other care homes. Often, there has been the presumption that this model is possible only as a result of increased costs to the resident. Instead, implementing this innovative care concept required rethinking resource Following from what Vivium discovered in their pilot allocation to ensure its financial viability. For example, projects, residents are grouped according to their the concept of the supermarket is merely a rethinking interests, with the interiors of each house designed to in logistics regarding storage and redistribution. Instead reflect their lifestyles. Through observation, the care group recognized that residents were more relaxed when of having storage rooms and utilizing separate staff to they were around similar people and engaged in familiar distribute items, these functions are taken over between activities. They found that having similar interests in food caregiver and residents in their daily activities. To and surroundings helped ease residents’ frustration and minimize the number of medical experts on the team, Vivium has prioritized their primary role as advising and underlined the importance of maintaining a social life, coaching caregivers, who in turn manage residents whatever one’s age. From their demographic group, Vivium decided to represent 7 different lifestyles: Artisan, during their day-to-day interactions. With this shift in approach, the care group have found strategic ways to Christian, Cultural, Gooise, Homey, Indonesian, and deliver extraordinary care, on budget. Urban. Despite the fact that their novel approach to care and care environments have made a significant positive impact on their residents, the care group has also had a chance to reflect on areas which they would like to grow as they move forward. One of the main objectives is increasing the connection of the residence with its surrounding community. This could be achieved by firstly creating a more inviting exterior facade and finding a way to create a more visible connection between the restaurant and the street. Currently, as one approaches the complex, it appears very closed off. This is reinforced by the singular, controlled point of The covered, public spaces at De Hogeweyk play just as access at the reception area. Integrating programming with the greater community has also been discussed. an important role as the courtyards. The main covered Diversifying the use of the complex through the addition hall serves as the atrium space for the restaurant, of a daycare or kindergarten could be a way to improve pub / cafe, and market on site. They also function as connections with the residents. points for community integration as the restaurant, bar, and cafe are open to the public. The atrium features With the amount of attention De Hogeweyk has a piano which has found use by residents as well as garnered, Vivium has expanded to include the “Be” neighbourhood visitors. In addition, a theatre is also Hogeweyk care concept team which focuses on found in the complex, which is used once a week for advocacy, advising, and consultation. As De Hogeweyk concerts to the residents. It is also leasable to outside denotes by name (“weyk” meaning a group of houses in organizations, which together with the restaurant and Dutch) and form, the residence illustrates the power of bar /cafe, help offset operating costs. community living, as part of a new paradigm of care for the elderly with dementia. As found in other projects, programming forms a vital part of the residence. At De Hogeweyk, a separate team is dedicated to organizing activities, in the form of “clubs”. Residents only sign up for the activities in which they are interested. Each resident receives one complimentary activity per week, with any additional Each of the individual houses are configured around 6 courtyard spaces which form key landmarks for wayfinding. Much attention was given by the landscape architects in creating differentiated outdoor spaces, serving as diverse backdrops for resident walks and family gatherings. Instead of securing residents in wards, which has been the tendency in other care residences, the provision of generous outdoor spaces allow wandering behaviour to occur in a more natural and purposeful manner, making it a distinct feature of De Hogeweyk.

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REFERENCES

MORE RESOURCES

1. “Historical Age Pyramid,” Statistics Canada, last modified May 1, 2017, https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/ census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/pyramid/pyramid. cfm?type=1&geo1=01.

Websites:

2. “Aging of Japan,” Wkipedia, last modified November 24, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aging_of_ Japan. 3. Durrett, Charles. Senior Cohousing: A Community Approach to Independent Living. Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers, 2009. 4. “Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100”, PopulationPyramid.net, accessed November 7, 2018, https://www.populationpyramid.net/. 5. Murayama, Hiroshi, Kondo, Katsunori, and Fujiwara, Yoshinori. “Social Capital Interventions to Promote Healthy Aging” in Global Perspectives on Social 114 Capital and Health, edited by Kawachi, Ichiro, Takao, Soshi, and Subramanian, S.V., 205-238. New York: Springer, 2013. 6. Ceylan Yeginsu, “UK Appoints a Minister for Loneliness,” New York Times, January 17, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/17/world/europe/ uk-britain-loneliness.html 7. “Constitution of WHO: principles”, About Who, World Health Organization, accessed November 27, 2018, https://www.who.int/about/mission/en/.

HOME: Housing our Mature Elders Blog https://housingourmatureelders.wordpress.com/ The Age of No Retirement https://www.ageofnoretirement.org/ Housing LIN https://www.housinglin.org.uk/ Books: Anderzhon, Jeffrey, Hughes, David, Judd, Stephen, Kiyota, Emi, and Wijntes, Monique. Design for Aging: International Case Studies of Building and Program. Hoboken: Wiley & Sons, 1992. Becker, Annette, Schmal, Peter Cachola, and Haas, Claudia, eds. Network Living: Architecture for All Generations. Munich: Prestel, 2013. Designing for the Third Age: Architecture Redefined for a Generation of “Active Agers”. Architectural Design 82, no. 2 (2014). Feddersen, Eckhard and Lüdtke, Insa, eds. Living for the Elderly: A Design Manual. Basel: Birkhauser, 2009. Huber, Andreas, ed. New Approaches to Housing for the Second Half of Life. Basel: Birkhauser, 2008. Schittich, Christian, ed. In Detail: Housing for People of All Ages: Flexible, Unrestricted, Senior-Friendly. Basel: Birkhauser, 2007. Simpson, Deane Alan. Young-Old: Urban Utopias of an Aging Society. Zurich: Lars Müller Publishers, 2015.

2018 H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS John Brown, Housebrand and University of Calgary Faculty of Environmental Design Karli Gillespie and Dick Hellof, Union Street ECOHeritage Kevin Kollinger, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Kouketsu-san, Kenyuen Home for the Elderly To the following, thank you for collaborating to conduct Kristian Martinsen, Vandkunsten tours, interviews, and translations: Lesley Brady, Windmill Court Madieke de Wit, De Drie Hoven Barbara Lepp and the Boyne Valley Hostel Corporation Mai Furukawa, Japanese translation Steering Committee Motoyasu Murumatsu, Murumatsu Architects Berit Sandfeld, Farum Midtpunkt Nick Sully, Shape Architecture Betsy Williamson, Williamson Williamson Inc. Niels Schjoldan Holm, Egebakken Birgitte Andreasen, City of Aarhus Norman Blackie, (formerly) Capital Planning Branch at Caro van Dijk, Caro van Dijk Architectuur Manitoba Health Cor Wagenaar, University of Groningen Chair of Oikawa-san, IDU Terrace Architecture, Urbanism, and Health Pieter Graaf, Open Kaart and Veldacademie Deane Alan Simpson, Louise Dedenroth, Max Richard Milgrom, University of Manitoba Department of Pedersen, and Sidse Carroll, Royal Danish Academy City Planning of Fine Art Institute for Architecture, Urbanism, and Rob Martin, Danish Architecture Centre and Arcspace Landscape Robert van der Nahmer, Diagoon Housing Dorte Bach Schmidt, City of Aarhus Rudy Friesen, Eldering Eitaro Hirota, NSDA Architects Taryn Griffiths, Vancouver Cohousing Ellen Smit, Het Nieuwe Instituut Toshiaki Kawai and Goro Hishida, Kawai Architects Eloy van Hal, Be - De Hogeweyk Care Concept Troels Rydahl, Herfra til Evigheden Emiko Kagiya, Japanese translation Valerie McIntyre, Windsong Cohousing Gina Hall, Nikkei Place Zoran Juresa, ERIK Arkitekter Gordon Daman, Red River Group Gustav Brade, Realdania To my family, friends, and especially Blaine for all your Drs. Habib Chaudhury and Atiya Mahmood, Simon support and belief in me through all my lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adventures. Fraser University Gerontology Department Hanne Moe, Diakonissestiftelsen Dr. Hans Becker, Residence Roosenburch Hiroki Nagahara, Kamigyo Day Care Centre Ioulia Ossokina, Eindhoven University of Technology Urban Systems and Real Estate Isobel Mackenzie, BC Seniors Advocate Jenny Buterchi, PRP Architects My sincerest gratitude is extended to the multitude of people who have supported me with the generosity of knowledge and time throughout this year of study and travel. Your efforts have all contributed in expanding my development in the practice of architecture.

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