Connecting a Community
This scheme has been designed to improve both people’s mental and physical health, focusing on the older generation. However, it was important to create a space that could connect the generations too.
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By choosing the wellbeing brief, it allowed me to focus on an issue that has become very visible since the Covid-19 pandemic – isolation in older generations. It is more obvious than ever that they need to have places they can exercise and socialise. There could also be connections made to the many members of younger generations in the area, adding to a sense of community. This could be in the form of either the academic or physical exercise classes (the swimming pool is a defining feature of the scheme). The site itself is located on Westfield Lane, on a green space of land between residential buildings, something of an oasis in a desert. Therefore, it is important to maintain the majority of the grass and trees, so my design incorporates a large green roof, and the building will be offset from the existing trees. The green roof will slope up at the same pitch as the site, leading to the main mass of the building. Timber and glass will be used externally, complimenting the green space, with the timber mimicking the wood of the trees, and the glass reflecting the surroundings. The final scheme is a product of deep analysis into the brief and the location, allowing everyone to learn, connect and reflect.