Family welcome A library at the NewBridge community. Photo courtesy of Chris Cooper©
and Perkins Eastman Architects.
Residences that encourage family involvement, visiting, and interaction can reduce isolation, ease the process of transition from family home to senior residence, and even lessen burden on the workforce, Regnier pointed out. This requires culture change, but design can also help: A warm color palette, comfortable seating and conversation areas, and residential-style lighting bring out a quality of coziness—hamish in Yiddish, or hygge in Danish—at NewBridge, a Life Plan Community outside of Boston. An open floor plan is a “useful spatial technique, especially in common spaces where it is a priority to invite social connection.” In addition, NewBridge is co-located with an elementary school, for multigenerational interaction.
The “100 percent corner” A hangout corner at La Valance in Maastricht the Netherlands.
In urban planning, the “100 percent cor- ner” means the busiest intersection down- town. But the concept works for senior res- idences, too: It’s a space designed to create social opportunities. Look for a space near the primary path, on the way to the lobby or the mailbox, with views of active or outdoor areas and a good number of passers-by, and add a table that seats six to eight, and it will naturally become a hangout spot, such as this one at La Valance in Maastricht in the Netherlands. “A designer has more power than they really know when it comes to making a building friendly,” Regnier said. “Being with other people makes people happy.”
Natural effects Sunrise Senior Living of Hermosa Beach offers ample windows on a courtyard. Photo courtesy of HPI Architects and RMA Architectural Photography.
“It’s amazing what we’ve learned about the pow- er of landscape on health,” Regnier said. The evidence is in, and design can help: Courtyards with natural light, plant materials, and looped pathways for exercise can boost health. In Europe, non- or lightly air-conditioned atriums are often used to integrate indoor and outdoor spaces. Very important: Make sure caregivers can observe the courtyard, so residents can come and go freely. “If there’s no way to see residents, that door to the outside is going to stay locked,” Regnier said.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
ARGENTUM.ORG 45
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 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
