Perancangan Panti Wredha dengan Pendekatan Architecture of Happiness

Abstract

Most elderly housing in North Sumatra, especially in the city of Medan, consists of nursing homes. However, most nursing homes have limitations, where the facilities provided are not extensive enough to support the activities of the elderly. Therefore, the context of elderly housing development is relatively low in supporting the well-being of the elderly. The purpose of this design is to give special attention to active elderly residents to enhance their productivity and build their self-confidence, making them more psychologically and socially empowered. This function is the focus of the design to address this issue, with a scope focused on the typology of elderly housing with an "architecture of happiness" approach. In the publication "Elderly-friendly Design Guidelines," which serves as a guideline for the designer, it is explained that in creating room designs that are more accommodating for the elderly, four main principles must be met: safety, support, cognition, and well-being. Based on these four principles, there are six considerations in designing elderly-friendly spaces, which are used as a method in the design process. This results in design recommendations, such as simplifying the building's massing to avoid confusion among the elderly, arranging the mass centrally to have a stable composition with a central garden. The provision of gardens can also respond to the sensory aspects of the elderly. In addition, the building mass has a hierarchy of spaces, such as the lobby area, residential area, care area, activity area, and services.