SENIOR PROJECT: ENGAGE - An Intergenerational Community

PROJECT ENGAGE

An Intergenerational Community Home

PROBLEM DEFINITION

Current new techno-capitalist cities in Egypt are mass produced monotonous capsule buildings that are gated, with a lack of in between communal spaces. There’s a focus on the individual and a lack of community. Our new cities reflect economic and technological needs, rather than human needs: they focus on quantity over quality. Therefore, architecture should be redirected into bringing people together and not creating hostility, dividedness and alienation amongst society members.

Social fragmentation should be replaced with communal wholeness.

“43% of older adults experience social isolation, which is closely correlated with loneliness and depression, as well as mental and physical decline.” In Egypt, retired elders have the highest rate of depression amongst all age groups. Children grow in a bubble and are disconnected from older generations. They experience anxiety from the vastness and misguidance of the digital age. They need groundedness. In Cairo, most elders live in the older parts of the city such as Downtown and Heliopolis, while new families move to New Cairo and 6th of October City, thus disconnecting from the older generation.

What can the very old and the very young offer each other?
Introducing a new typology: Inter-generational Community Homes.

CONCEPT

In the past, tribal community was human’s mode of survival and living. All generations lived under one roof, passing on their knowledge and wisdom from one generation to the other. In the modern cities, we delude ourselves to think we don’t need people. The generational gap creates a dysfunctional society, where young ones and old adults cannot understand each other nor care for one another. Children are bubbled and seniors are isolated. This project aims to bridge the generations by creating a community of all ages; & closing the social circle whole.

DESIGN APPROACH

The project program and design responds to the needs of elderly and children. Some of these needs are mutual since they’re both vulnerable age groups that need care and attention, while some of the needs are opposite such as playful settings for children vs. quiet and predictable settings for the elderly’s comfort. The building in response to that tries to blend the needs into a unique setting that achieves both user groups’ physical and emotional needs separately and then brings them together where needed.

The surrounding site is mainly residences on the west side and there’s empty land on the east side, while the northern part of the building overlooks the sports club of El Rehab, a gated community. In between the different zones there are gardens and play areas that provide natural ventilation and pleasant scenery for users. The main public entrance faces the main street. The form of the building is that of two wings embracing each other, one bigger than the other - to symbolize the elderly embracing the children and both fitting with each other into one whole. Most of the building’s facades are oriented towards the north-east winds. The in-between spaces provide places of relaxation and reflection for the elderly.

The structure emerges within the spaces creating interesting nodes and playful shadows, while roofing other spaces whole. The design is laid out in a way where elderly can have their privacy as well as being engaged. A schedule is planned for each age group illustrating when their activities intersect.

The building is designed into 5 main zones: 1. The elderly residence where elderly live in the community home is on the north -west, where the weather is cooler due to the northwest winds and the sun is not direct so that they can enjoy their cooled rooms and the adjoining balconies. This wing has an entrance on its own. 2. The children’s classes on the other side of the building , where children aged from 3-6 learn primary school curriculum in addition to crafts. These classes have flexible walls to reorganize and re-purpose the spaces as fit to the activities inside. 3. The library path is a place of story telling and sharing of knowledge amongst elderly and children. Elderly can pass on their wisdom and skills through activities in the library path, which is composed of storytelling spaces, gathering tables for collage making and crafting, and shelving. It’s connected to the elderly residence and children’s classes on both ends. 4. The public zone where families come in for their children, where there are exhibitions and a stage room for plays . This space is meant to celebrate intergenerational connection and bring all people of all ages together. It is placed in the south, where the main entrance is. The basement underneath has a clinic and nurse housing to service the elderly, as well as a children’s napping room. 5. The most important and central zone is the intergenerational activity zone which includes: art spaces, a walking path on the roof, gardening, and the dining area. This is where children and elderly meet at the center of the building for scheduled activities to know one another and interact with each other. This is the highest point of the building where the structure intersects. The structure also intersects over the public zone and the library path zone, and then flattens over the elderly residence and the children’s classes, when each generation is on its own. Therefore, the structure celebrates intergenerational zones.

The structure is meant to express the concept of intergenerational co-depdence by having two forms interconnecting to create a stable structure. Steel arch frames hold alternating wooden beams that are then bound together with L-shaped steel components. These beams are then cladded from the outside and exposed internally or are covered with glass for transparency; which also creates interesting shadow play throughout the building. The overhead structure is at its highest intersection over the most intergenerational zone, followed by the family activity zone and then the library and storytelling zone. The structure then flattens out over the elderly residence and the children’s classes (age 3-6), where each age group resides alone.