TIM  LAHAISE  ARCHITECT

This project is tailored for the steadily rising population of elderly people within Aberdeen, as an option for downsizing from their previous homes. My design primarily works to resolve the issues of loneliness and isolation often felt by the elderly, by creating a lively and social atmosphere and catering to people’s natural behaviour: as documented by the likes of Jan Gehl, William H. Whyte and Oscar Newman.

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Taking strong inspiration from Herman Hertzberger’s Diagoon Housing, De Drie Hoven, and Central Beheer, the basis of my design was to split the building into two volumes, separated by an internal street. These two volumes are offset in floor heights, so that the balconies of the resident’s flats face each other across the street diagonally, thereby opening up social interaction to neighbours both diagonally above and below you, creating a sense of community and connectivity. This also meant that floors could be connected with half-flight stairs, becoming a less imposing challenge for the elderly.

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With direct access to the balconies from the resident’s rooms, interaction with the public space becomes quick, easy and non-threatening, improving the likelihood of its use. These balconies overlook the street and social areas to create a comfortable space for “people watching”. Furthermore, the social opportunities provided within the design mimic those that occur naturally at different levels in our environment: at a neighbourly level (shared balconies), a neighbourhood level (communal space per floor), and a city-wide level (ground floor street and social space).