Tensions/Care Home

Symptomatic of the “normalisedsensory deprivation”2 within Western society, the existing institutional care home interior symbolises societal attitudes towards aging.

Spatial associations of the contemporary care home;

- Stale air

- Clinical, oppressive atmosphere

- Synthetic lighting, colour and material palettes

Such design schemes isolate people from sensory stimulation and connections to the natural world, detrimental at a time when they are often increasingly confined to the interior, and experiencing the anxieties of moving home.

The impact of design upon morale and health is stated by Daniel Ibbotson, a cancer patient who describes his perspective upon the utilitarian NHS environment,

“Everything you can see and touch is there to keep you alive, not to help you live”3.

The vitality of spatial surroundings in fulfilling human wants and needs for life-giving surroundings during ill-health is highlighted.

An understanding of the spatial problems and anxieties related to the existing care home aids in applying solutions to deinstitutionalise the interior.