Condor Kinetic

The prerequisite in a residence, that which serves as a background by which all comforts are measured, is the quality and temperature of the air within, in spite of ambient conditions.
This should be measured and controlled by natural means.
The need for climate control systems only defines the magnitude of the issue itself. An inviting room in a residence speaks for itself. This is a room that has the ability to aerate and maintain a freshness without surrendering its distinct character that for ever entices the individual to it.
Rooms in residences are spaces with a give and take character, finely balanced, each with its unique offering and activity suited to it. Today’s building technology allows the architect to build more precisely and efficiently focusing so much on the star rating that a six/ seven star ‘plastic box environment’ may be the end result.

Rockwool

Stone wool insulation will not expand or contract due to temperature variances within the enclosure. These attributes result in optimal thermal performance of a building envelope. Vapour Permeability Insulation products, membranes and other building materials all have varying levels of vapour permeability and can potentially act as a vapour retarder. When designing enclosures with thick insulation levels, consideration with regards to the appropriate use of vapour retarders is critical. Depending on the climate location of the building, the vapour retarder profile should be either on the interior or exterior side of the enclosure.

Rockwool

In our modern world, the increased use of technology, along with the construction of purpose built cinema and entertainment rooms are among the plethora of noise that we are exposed to every day in our homes. Being exposed to high levels of noise impacts everybody differently. Such factors as age, health, and cognition to name a few, can influence the impact of noise. Good design detail and construction practice is critical to acoustical performance.

Polytec

Decorative battens can provide a warm and rich textural appearance for a wide variety of panelling, ideal for wall and ceiling applications in with vertical or horizontal set outs. Prefinished decorative battens create strong directional lines adding a striking feature and depending on its application, can enable visibility for the safety of younger children. Spacing is the distance between each individual batten, and will not only affect the aesthetics but any ancillary function. Privacy improves as does acoustics and the control of sunlight.

Polytec

Driving this approach is the belief that if children are given beautiful and stimulating materials to work with, and allowed to work in an environment that is well organised and maintained, that they will  in turn maintain and respect their own (and the broader) environment. For the purpose of this module we look at joinery as an example. Creating interesting joinery and cabinetry is important. There are a number of finishes and textures of melamine board and laminates that serve the purpose of design and performance. Consider HPL for surface benchtops and Chroma board for joinery and cabinetry.

Rockfon

It is crucial to determine that the right ceiling panels meet all necessary safety requirements. Stone wool is 100% pure resin bonded mineral wool, and a natural volcanic diabase rock is melted and transformed into stone wool. Stone wool ceilings meet the highest levels of design performance criteria particularly for education buildings. Good quality sound easily passes through the surface and is efficiently absorbed in the stone wool material which in turn provides excellent acoustic control.

Stone wool wall insulation solutions are proven to reduce ambient noise, impact and reverberation noise in educational buildings. Stone wool can be used under extreme conditions. It retains its insulation properties in both very low and very high temperatures, making it naturally durable as it does not contain organic nutrients or cellulose fibres. The high density of the material provides superior sag resistance and stable over the life time of a building. Subsequently, it never needs replacing.

Rockwool

High sound absorption means less reverberation and a less stressful environment. As there are high volumes of occupants located in the same room within education buildings, there is a higher demand to create the right interior acoustic environment specifically when it comes to reverberation and speech intelligibility. Good listening conditions for students is referred to as having a high signal-to-noise ratio. The teacher’s voice needs to be loud and clear above the (unoccupied) background noise.

A well thought out facility is one that balances the needs of the residents (and staff) whilst catering for the ‘whole person’. There is a vast body of knowledge that looks at the impact that the built environment has on the mental and physical health of the resident.

Best practice design involves rethinking ‘aged care facilities’. This can be achieved by moving away from antiquated ‘institutional’ models of design and construction, to a structure that emulates domestic design and character. The key here is to remember that the aged care facility is first and foremost a home.

Careful consideration should be given to the occupants of the facility that one is designing for. This is perhaps even more important when designing for the elderly and furthermore for dementia patients in aged care facilities. Conversations at the design table, are often focused on bed numbers and service provision rather than the broader vision or amenity of the residents.

The challenge here is finding the balance between architecture and practicality. The ‘institutional look’ of aged care facilities is antiquated. Moving forward, the design of aged care facilities should reflect warm and homely buildings, as austere and collective living environments have been shown to impact the personal identity of the residents and should be avoided. The design of urban centres need to change in order to encourage a more integrated way of living.

Below are the current approaches in aged care design;

• Aim to create a home-like environment,
• Take inspiration from nature and
• Utilise the interior fit out to support acoustic comfort.

Providing a domestic ambience through colour selection is desirable. Choosing the correct colour palette directly impacts on how people feel and thus impacts their moods. According to Dr Zena O’Conner PhD, with reference to the interface between colour and human response “Colour and contrast together can play key roles in encouraging engagement, supporting orientation and way-finding, and through colour differentiation provides a safer environment for everyday activities.” (Reference-http://dementiadynamics.com/category/alzheimers-and-dementia/page/6/.) ‘Colour Psychology’ as a concept is nothing new.  With each colour in the spectrum having a different significance, it is important to look at the effect that each colour has on mood, behaviour, and the overall emotional well-being of residents.

As deteriorating eyesight is commonplace, it should also be given due consideration when considering colour selection. Declining vision can cause the contrast between colours to be less noticeable which may also result in changing depth perception. This is why high contrast colours may assist in helping residents to define objects and levels. Colour and depth perception become greater issues when designing spaces particularly for dementia patients. Creating a built environment that accommodates people with dementia is one of the greatest challenges faced today by the building and design industries. Dementia has become a major health priority, with more than 50% of aged care residents living with dementia. Yet understanding the condition’s best management practises is still relatively new in clinical terms.

One of the key ways to render an aged care facility as ‘dementia friendly’ is to provide a space that has distinctive environmental cues. As people with dementia experience memory loss and disorientation, it is important to “highlight the purpose of different spaces and location of items.” (Alzheimer’s Care Quarterly, J. Nagy).   For all practical purposes, colour should define spaces, and also create a sense of ‘familiarity’ within the space. In order to assist residents to overcome disorientation more easily, allowing them to regain their autonomy and independence, it is best practice to paint different areas with distinct colours.

Colour and pattern must also be carefully considered when exploring flooring choices. Particular attention should be given to pattern as residents with dementia often perceive patterns and motifs as actual objects. For example, a carpet with a pattern of white specks on a dark background may be distracting to a person with dementia. They may perceive the specks to be bits of tissue and therefore try to ‘pick’ them up off the carpet. This also applies to strong contrasting bold and prominent patterns including patterns with large motifs and/or small patterns which are also to be avoided. Therefore, patterned floors should be avoided, as should sparkly floors as they may be perceived as a wet surface (slip risk).  Logos or brands may also be perceived as an obstacle.  Stay away from any flooring with a high gloss or shiny finish which may also be viewed as a slippery surface. Aluminium, brass or any such reflective trims or transitions are also a hazard as they often result in ‘high stepping’.

Ultimately, the goal is to design an aged care facility which enables the physical environment to compensate for the sensorial and perceptual deficits of residents and should be regarded as a therapeutic goal. As such, a well-designed space should be achieved.