The Green House® Project
National Design Competition - First Place Award
Project Overview
In an effort to expand their vision, The Green House Project sponsored The Green House Design Charrette to explore new and creative design solutions for Green House® homes. The competition was open to design professionals and design students interested in examining the interplay of living at home with provisions of significant care services. The Green House® movement represents a radical change from traditional, institutional nursing homes to a setting where people thrive and live in relationship with others who care for and about them. While the setting may seem deceptively simple, a home for ten individuals; creating a place where people not only feel at home but are supported through the design to maximize their potential, physically, socially and emotionally is a challenge. The design must also creatively and unobtrusively support the caregivers, both professional and family.
Our design response to a suburban setting presented an opportunity for the four Green House® homes to be connected to the surrounding residential community while maintaining a private internal neighborhood garden, central to the site. This allows the resident elders to ‘self-direct’ their daily lives by providing a wide range of choices – from intimate private spaces to active community connections – from quiet internal gardens to engaging with local school children.
Our solution to this design competition goes beyond providing just a physical living environment for seniors. It provides an adaptable prototype that when customized for a particular site, will enhance the comfort, independence and wellness of the elders who live there.
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