A new footprint for a modular care home designed specifically for people with a dementia that would be appropriate for elderly people without the disease.
The traditional layout of many care homes is unsuitable for people with dementia - long winding corridors confuse residents while those furthest away from staff areas suffer from isolation. Social interaction is limited their bedroom or the lounge. Traditional bedroom design too is inflexible and cannot be adjusted to the actual stage of the dementia sufferer with mismatching and unsuitable furniture added piecemeal. The regimented management of care homes fails to take into account the need of people with dementia to roam within a secure environment. The aging process brings with it reduced mobility, cognition and visual perception yet many homes are poorly lit with surfaces of similar tones that pose problems for anyone with impaired vision. The team wanted to design a home weighted towards the needs of those with dementia that combined a sense of security and community with a feeling of freedom that would be a soothing but stimulating environment for all.
The building is light, airy, modular and friendly and the simple open plan helps reduce the possibility of isolation that comes with linear corridors. The team wanted simple navigation unreliant on signage and the circular plan ensures residents never got lost and more effective monitoring. Key lines aid perception clarity and the peaceful central garden and sparse Scandinavian approach to materials maximise available light. The smell that can pervade accommodation for elderly people will be ameliorated by materials specification and fresh air circulation. The central atrium provides a place to enjoy the changing seasons.
A living wall outside each room reminds residents of the key events of the last 50 years while a dedicated window box next to each contains memorabilia relating to their lives. The personalised colour scheme helps residents identify their room. Each room is wheelchair accessible and contains a personalised space with a bookshelf, mantelpiece, writing desk and television. Deliberately contrasting colours and lines help residents perceive the planes and divisions of the surfaces and shelves. Intelligent lighting and under floor heating eliminate the risk of burns from radiators. The restaurant, TV and cinema room and gaming and craft rooms are separate areas so that staff do not need clear and set up an area each time its function changes. The roof has integrated solar panels, all rainwater is collected and the structure is as environmentally sustainable as possible.
The judges felt that the team had acknowledged the right of those living in care homes to a lifestyle based on good design. They felt that the issues addressed in Ormsthwaite House went to the heart of care home design – the removal of the tyranny of corridors and the introduction of circulation patterns, which encourage mobility without it being seen as a liability. They felt that the airiness and visibility that the design incorporated would make life easier for staff too with the modular aspect of the design making it applicable to different contexts.
“A worthwhile and memorable experience that enabled us to radically challenge our pre-conceptions of existing care environments outside of commercial constraints. The ultimate aim was to deliver a series of innovative ideas embodied within a practical and pragmatic approach to environments appropriate for sufferers of dementia, underpinned by a rigorous process of research and analysis.”
Samuel Tucker, Judge Gill
