The twenty-first-century norm is represented by people living longer. This new demographic structure creates a number of societal challenges. One such challenge is that living longer and becoming old increases the likelihood of acquiring long-term conditions such as dementia. Another challenge is with the difficulties in defining a clear line between normal ageing and pathological ageing, a blurred distinction leads to stigmatising older adults as a social and economic burden. Therefore, there is a need for a care model-shift which is able to cope with a potential increase in a demand for high-dependency and high-cost services and also address stigmatisation. Importantly older adults’ mental and physical well-being should have a central role in this "shift." A robust and productive relationship between people and space, and wellbeing can have a positive impact. Of course, this shift has inevitable architectural repercussions. Taking this into account, this paper critically explores the comparable impact of the Humanitas setting in Deventer, the Netherlands and the Gojikara Mura setting in Nagakute, Japan. The analysis of these two case studies is based on a one-time, post-occupancy evaluation framework, and organised into three parts defined as "thinking, making, and living." The method reveals the principles for conceiving a new architectural typology, the “open typology,” which is grounded in the notion of an “open system.” This system promotes “heterotopias” - diversity is the main medium for the production of relationships. Consequently, a new pattern of care is revealed, which is built around participatory and coherent collaborative team-work among different groups of health care providers, volunteers, residents, and their families. This “open typology” setting addresses both a new architectural design and a new care model with a focus on to normalizing ageing and tearing down personal and socio-economic stigma.
The “Open Typology” as “Heterotopia.” A Comparative Analysis between the Gojikara Mura© in Nagakute (JP) and the Humanitas© in Deventer (NL)
D. Landi
2018-01-01
Abstract
The twenty-first-century norm is represented by people living longer. This new demographic structure creates a number of societal challenges. One such challenge is that living longer and becoming old increases the likelihood of acquiring long-term conditions such as dementia. Another challenge is with the difficulties in defining a clear line between normal ageing and pathological ageing, a blurred distinction leads to stigmatising older adults as a social and economic burden. Therefore, there is a need for a care model-shift which is able to cope with a potential increase in a demand for high-dependency and high-cost services and also address stigmatisation. Importantly older adults’ mental and physical well-being should have a central role in this "shift." A robust and productive relationship between people and space, and wellbeing can have a positive impact. Of course, this shift has inevitable architectural repercussions. Taking this into account, this paper critically explores the comparable impact of the Humanitas setting in Deventer, the Netherlands and the Gojikara Mura setting in Nagakute, Japan. The analysis of these two case studies is based on a one-time, post-occupancy evaluation framework, and organised into three parts defined as "thinking, making, and living." The method reveals the principles for conceiving a new architectural typology, the “open typology,” which is grounded in the notion of an “open system.” This system promotes “heterotopias” - diversity is the main medium for the production of relationships. Consequently, a new pattern of care is revealed, which is built around participatory and coherent collaborative team-work among different groups of health care providers, volunteers, residents, and their families. This “open typology” setting addresses both a new architectural design and a new care model with a focus on to normalizing ageing and tearing down personal and socio-economic stigma.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
