A Sustainable Design for Long-Term Facilities: "a Healthy Environment for Elderly"

Fares Alsaygh; Sahand Abbasi; Debajyoti Pati

Long-term care facilities are one of the most critical places to design for elderly which provide care and support for this population. However, this type of facilities can cause some main issues for its user; such as loneliness, hopelessness, and boredom; which could lead to mortality. The literature on evidence-based design aims to provide effective solutions for the issues mentioned above. In addition, the sustainable design solutions and connection to nature have been proven to enhance the problems.

The method of the design project depended on practice-based research and evidence-based design. A real client of Senior Living was proposing the construction of a new Memory Care Unit and provided their program and site plan.

The empirical evidence clearly supports the effect of physical, social, and psychological aspects of the environment on loneliness, helplessness, and boredom. One of the important evidences is the therapeutic effect of connection to nature on the healing process for the elderly. A review of the literature was conducted to investigate the types of connection to nature and its impact on occupants’ health and well-being, and to create a high-quality living environment; taking into consideration the main psychological issues in elderly in long-term facilities. Some examples of nature connections are visual contact, physical engagement, access to daylight, blue and green space applicability, etc.

The findings indicated several designs and sustainable recommendations that have positive physical and psychological enhancement to the building and its users. These recommendations might lead to a compelling physical design which leads to the well-being of the population and their family members and creates a healthier environment with sustainable design considerations. Passive solar cooling, heating and ventilation, thermal comfort, bioswale, and LEED standards are some of the sustainable design applications that have been accomplished to achieve the study goal.

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