Rebranding the silver market -The alteration of Huis Davidtsz from institution to place of living

[摘要] Places designed for the elderly tend be stigmatising, which is predicated inits medical engineering background. The institutional nature of these placesaccelerates decline as it negatively impacts on the health of its residents,physically and psychologically disabling them.Spaces that support the wellbeing of residents can be identified by thepresence of three characteristics: a sense of control over ones environment,a sense of access to social support and access to positive distraction.Huis Davidtsz is a frail care facility, located just west of Pretoria's centralbusiness district, which has housed elderly people since 1968. The interiorenvironment of Huis Davidtsz is dull and disabling and for this reason isselected as site for design intervention. In order to re-design HuisDavidtsz into a psychologically supportive environment the aforementionedcharacteristics of supportive space are translated into architectural design.Four elements of architectural space: floor, wall, ceiling and window, aremanipulated to create an intimacy gradient.This gradient humanises the institution by establishing a range of spaces anda sense of territoriality. The unforgiving threshold between intimate andpublic space is moderated by subtle spatial indications of levels of intimacy.This provides Huis Davidtsz with the seven levels of intimacy associatedwith domestic spaces, enabling individuality and choice. The result is acomfortable and secure place for living.

[发布机构] University of Pretoria