Architecture and dementia

Architecture can be a powerful tool for supporting people living with dementia. That is, if it is designed with this group in mind. A special issue of Architectural Science Review consists of articles about people living with dementia. The articles have a medical flavour, especially those focused on residential care design.  The lead article is Architectural design gives hope for dementia. The author explains that this special edition is dedicated to an exploration of evidence-based and theoretical approaches to design. Architecture is not just the setting for care, but a critical part of the complexity surrounding dementia. 

A manifesto

introduces the values of dignity, autonomy, independence and equality. The manifesto has a short list of values followed by ten design principles. It follows the recommendations from the Alzheimer’s Disease International World Alzheimer’s Report 2020. Open access.  You can download the World Alzheimer Report from the website.

Design assessment

A design assessment tool for layout planning in residential care for dementia discusses design that can reduce symptoms and improve wellbeing. The authors’ assessment tool provides an evidence-based means of assessing layout planning quality. The authors challenge some of the existing published information used by architects. Open access. Socio-spatial relationships in design of residential care homes for people living with dementia diagnoses presents a grounded theory approach. The study challenges generalisations of occupants in care homes and focuses on lived experiences. Ethical and methodological issues are discussed and the authors recommend more research to enable co-design methods. Open access. 

Hospital design

Towards human-centred general hospitals: the potential of dementia-friendly design focuses on people with dementia in hospital. The needs of patients with dementia are poorly understood. Therefore, a stay in hospital can increase functional decline. This paper discusses a special care unit specifically to treat people with dementia. This includes a focus on dementia-friendly design. This paper requires institutional access for a free read.   You can find similar papers when checking out the links to the papers above.

Architectural Design for Dementia

A student in the Netherlands has attempted to get to grips with the complex area of architectural design for dementia. Iga Potok’s research is based on two case studies of community living in Europe. She wanted to find out how architectural design can provide stimuli to prevent or delay cognitive impairments. In addition, Potok looked at dwelling design, and neighbourhood design that fosters contact between generations. The second case study is WohnProjekt Wien Co-Housing in Vienna, which used the same three part method. Part 1: Collaborative building processes and opinions. Part 2: Design of communal spaces, and Part 3: Design of living and half private spaces. This collaborative housing project is home for 67 adults and 25 children.

Some conclusions from the study

Feeling like part of a community was the most significant overlap across the ages. Residents in both housing projects put emphasis on communal functions in the bousing block. Opportunities for social interaction were supported by visual connections between all floors and a sufficient amount of light. Combining multiple collective functions and placing them in a visible location next to busy circulation spaces maximised their use. The intergenerational aspect was important for all generations. Various apartment types and sizes allows for a healthy mix of people from all walks of life. Flexibility of apartment design offers multiple possible arrangements and future-proofs the space. In terms of preventing cognitive decline, social interaction was the key element. Architectural design that inspires physical movement reduces the probability of developing dementia and depression. That’s the conclusion of the author. The title of this chapter of the thesis is Prevention of Cognitive Impairments Through Architectural Design. Many drawings and sketches illustrate this chapter. However, with some text presented as drawings, and small font, the accessibility of the document is not optimum. Indeed, some of the script-like text is difficult to read even with good eyesight.