Envisioning a Healthier Build Environment for Elderly People with Dementia in Denmark – A Conservatory for People and Plants

Abstract

Scientific research has shown how exposure to daylight and continual contact with greenery, natural elements and habitats are crucial factors for human well-being. In the wake of these findings, it is highly important to improve access to facilities that enable and promote these effects of increased life quality and well-being among all groups of people in our societies. The paper describes an in-progress project focusing on how to enhance the everyday conditions of elderly people in a care home setting in Denmark, all of which are living with Dementia. The paper presents a vision for a new physical extension to the existing building structure on the care home location that supports everyday life, activities and the overall well-being among the residents. The vision can be seen as the first step in the development of a set of generic guidelines for the design and use made to be transferred and tested in other settings in Denmark and internationally. In drafting and designing the conservatory the project group employs principles of Universal Design in combination with newer research findings on the health-promoting potentials of spaces characterized by access to natural light, plant growth and living environments. Furthermore, the work rests on a holistic ambition to create brighter, greener, naturally aligned and healthier conditions for residents, care home workers and visiting relatives alike.