Infilling the Aging: A Holistic Approach to Urban Care Environments

Abstract

“Infilling the Aging: A Holistic Approach to Care Environments” adresses the need for an improved connection between family, community, and those in care-based living. It addresses this issue by questioning the difference between quality of life and quality of living condition. Furthermore, it calls into question the impact that family and community have in promoting an improved quality of life for those who need long-term care. Instead of creating a repository for the elderly, this project seeks to integrate the elderly back into society by defining a new typology that responds to the urban fabric of a community. This improved connection stands to benefit not only the residents and their families, but also the community. Investigating a new typology for long-term care will improve on current traditions of care-based living. By fulfilling this need, new roles can be created and old roles re-discovered among those who need long-term care, their families, and communities. The building typology is a mixed-use senior living facility located in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. The building consists of 50 units containing 65 beds in 115,000 square feet.