120 HEALTHCARE


Morden College retirement home in Greenwich (see case study).


Alex Ely, founder and director of Mae Architects, has several projects on the go for this demographic. He is particularly interested in the ‘active elderly’ and how their contribution to the city can be activated and integrated through new housing models. He says: ‘It’s this portion of society, usually aged 60 to 74, who are active in the sense that they may have retired from work but are fully mobile, are available and interested to engage in leisure and cultural pursuits. Tere’s also evidence that many of them are taking on roles mentoring and supporting younger businesses, contributing to society through community activities and social infrastructure. Tose that are more affluent, and have financial security, have time on their hands and wish to remain active members of society.’


To this end, the practice has worked with both local authorities and private later life housing providers such as PegasusLife (now Lifestory) to build accommodation around community or commercial facilities that will encourage interaction. For Westminster City Council Mae recently completed a Community Supported Housing apartment block, Daventry House, in Lisson Grove that sits above a 1,300m2


enterprise centre, envisioning possible roles for the older residents as mentors and coaches for young entrepreneurs.


For Southwark Council, Mae Architects has completed the Harriet Hardy extra care home, with 119 new council homes arranged in an almshouse-style horseshoe around a south- facing courtyard. Designed for a range of abilities, needs and also ages, 54 of the flats are extra care apartments; the idea is that Southwark residents will be able to stay in place, and in their communities, for many decades. Meanwhile, in East Ham, for the London Borough of Newham, Mae is at work on Noele Gordon House, an ambitious scheme of 75 one and two-bed apartments available for affordable rent, split into two medium-rise blocks, arranged around a shared roof garden and communal areas, with a community health centre with two GP surgeries on the ground and first floor.


Elsewhere in the UK, Mole Architects has just completed an almshouse scheme in the village of Girton (see case study) and is drawing up another scheme for Cambridge Council set right in the heart of the city – just behind the legendary gallery, Kettle’s Yard. RCKa, like Mae Architects, has been working closely for some time with both local authority and private later living housing providers, and is trying to incorporate the


ALL IMAGES: DAVID BUTLER


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