FURNITURE, INTERIORS & DESIGN
With a sense of independence created through the living spaces, we have an equal aim of creating a sense of community amongst the residents and local area. A range of social spaces are integrated into the design, including gardens that feature raised planting beds so residents can garden together, a restaurant and cafe, a salon, a medical treatment room, and activity rooms for use by the residents and local community groups who use the space to host meetings and workshops.
The shared spaces facilitate dynamic community relationships, and the result is a lively home where the public integrate with residents to give a sense of normalcy and community. Years aſter construction of The Elms was complete, the site foreman still visits every Friday for fish and chips with the residents at the restaurant.
PRINCIPLES OF GOOD DESIGN
The Elms was designed in response to the recommendations set out in the government’s 2009 HAPPI (Housing our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation) Report, which aims to encourage a healthy and active lifestyle for people aged 55 and over.
In essence, the HAPPI Report sets out 10 basic design principles for housing for aged persons which we incorporated in The Elms:
● Space and flexibility. ● Daylight in the home and in shared spaces. ● Balconies and outdoor space. ● Adaptability and 'care ready' design.
● Positive use of circulation space. ● Shared facilities and 'hubs'. ● Plants, trees, and the natural environment. ● Energy efficiency and sustainable design. ● Storage for belongings and bicycles. ● External shared surfaces and 'home zones'.
The scheme includes elements of flexibility for residents in anticipation of their needs changing over time. The internal layouts therefore take into account the differing levels of dependency the residents will encounter and are flexible enough for people to stay in their homes for as long as possible.
At the time of the project completion, Kevin McGeough, then the Head of Corporate Strategy at the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), commented: “The Elms has set a benchmark for high-quality extra care in the north-east. HCA are delighted that our Care and Support Specialised Housing fund has helped Cestria to deliver this excellent project. We have been particularly impressed by the developers understanding of the HAPPI principles which are clearly evident in the scheme.”
All project requirements are different by nature, but The Elms acts as an example of how we are working to enhance the standard for delivery of extra care accommodation that improves residents’ lives, and we apply this thinking to all projects we work on with our social housing clients, to deliver the very best quality of new build and refurbished extra care accommodations.
To hear more from Mura, watch this video.
www.jddk.co.uk
https://vimeo.com/944815372
x.com/TomorrowsCare
- 21 -
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34
