YORK ARCHITECT UNVEILS CARE HOME DESIGNERS OF THE FUTURE
York-based DWA Architects has announced the winners of an international student competition that hopes to inspire the care homes of the future.
We launched the Caring for Older People Competition in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA); with support from one of the UK 's largest care home operators, BUPA Care Services.
The winners were announced at an awards ceremony at the RIBA headquarters in London. The first prize of £3,000 went to students from Birmingham University, whose design was based around the principle that the provision of care should be integrated into society.
It recommended a city centre location for the care home of the future, making it easier for friends and family to incorporate a visit to relatives into their working day or weekend.
Based on a site in Birmingham city centre, the care home was designed on a high-rise basis, taking into consideration the very real issue of land shortages and an increased cost of land.
Second prize was awarded for a design from two Cardiff University students that focused on adapting people's own homes as their needs change; and third prize went to a Spanish student from Madrid University.
Says DWA Architects chief executive, David Ward, “The competition attracted 70 entries from all over the world, and has encouraged students to think creatively about the care sector. Entrants from the UK, Ireland, Albania, Singapore, Latvia, Romania, Hungary, Canada, India and South Korea came up with some incredibly detailed, well thought through and innovative designs, considering issues that are important now and will only become more important in the future – such as land shortage and the UK's ageing population.”
The competition was judged by David Ward; BUPA Care Services director of business development, Lyth Watson; Alzheimer's Society
director of fundraising and marketing,
Jo Swinhoe; and Professor June Andrews of the
Dementia Services Development Centre, Stirling University.
Lyth Watson says, “This competition has brought some extra innovative thinking to the collaboration that Bupa and DWA have forged over the past few years on a number of complex projects."
“It has been an exciting project and I have been impressed by the range of fresh, yet practical, designs that we have seen from around the world."
The sixteen top entries will be on display at the RIBA headquarters until 23 May 2009.