Elizabeth Square

Project Details

Project Description

PROJECT SYNOPSIS Elizabeth Square is going to be a mixed-use community located in the heart of Silver Spring, MD. The project engages multiple generations - from the very young to the elderly - in a vibrant setting intended to maximize interaction between people. As with any project, we spend a good amount of time strategizing and setting goals for ourselves. A technique we use is visioning through words. These words provide guidance throughout the process while also allowing others to understand the vision. As we went through this exercise and others, we realized that this project could become so much more if we would allow ourselves to go past our initial premise of just replacing the senior housing currently on the site. Words that resonated were home, active, healthy, holistic, arts, and multi-generational to name a few. Elizabeth Square is a flourishing multi-generational, mixed-income, and mixed-use living environment, which integrates sustainability, the arts, health & wellness, and technology, creates smart-living. THE PROBLEM POPULATION GROWTH The current state of senior housing in the United States is not prepared for the next 20 years of population growth. Today there are approximately 41 million people aged 65 or older; by 2030 that population is expected to grow to 72 million (a 76% increase) and by 2050 that population is expected to reach 80 million. Perhaps a question that should be asked is: HOW CAN WE ENGAGE SENIORS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY? AFFORDABLE HOUSING Many affordable senior housing communities are simply lacking in basic hospitality – they are poorly designed and many have fallen into disrepair, as well as being poorly managed and financed. These are certainly not places where people would choose to live if they were given a choice. Because many seniors have fixed incomes from retirement savings and/or social security, they are not left with a choice. They must live in these undesirable places. HOW CAN WE MAKE AN AFFORDABLE ELDERLY HOUSING COMMUNITY THAT SENIORS WILL ACTUALLY WANT TO LIVE IN? DISPLACED SENIORS Too often these days a parent or grandparent gets older, reaches a point where they can no longer see as well as they used to or begin to experience difficulty completing tasks around their house. They are declared unable to live in their current environment and are moved to a nursing home or elderly care facility. MANY OF THESE FACILITIES TODAY ARE LOCATED AWAY FROM BASIC SERVICES, WHICH FAILS TO ALLOW SENIORS TO BE A PRODUCTIVE & VALUED MEMBER OF SOCIETY. HEALTH CENTERED SOCIETY As an inevitable result of aging, senior communities often have high demands for good healthcare programs. However, the conventional thinking in these programs are often sickness focused, to treat the ill, monitor the unwell and sometimes restorative training. INSTEAD, THE SOCIETY SHOULD BE PROVIDING PROGRAMS THAT ALLOW SENIORS TO ACHIEVE MORE HEALTHY, ENERGIZED AND ACTIVE LIFESTYLES. To furthermore make an impact to counter the rising healthcare cost, the healthcare programs should be easy to access, digitally managed for both sides and offers a variety of health-oriented services. THE SOLUTION As architects, we find this project to be an amazing opportunity. We all get old; we all age at different quality levels, our lives constantly change with different opportunities and situations come upon us. This project is about those different situations. It boils down to that basic human need for shelter and the compassion at all stages of life that supports it. It is as simple as reaching out and grabbing someone’s hand when they need it the most. Multi-generational shared sites enhance quality of life for all participants, provide needed services, enhance employee benefits, and attract additional funding and positive public relations. Many art forms are at the core of the human condition and provide older adults with multiple benefits while also creating a platform for young and old to share, teach and experience things that inspire. We should aim at producing a community that is health centered which will reduce the burden on reactive medicine. Employment and continued education should be implemented to give seniors a meaningful way of engagement. THE SITE The future of the senior population will be inside the community. The mobility limitations of seniors mandate that this community be located in an urban area close to amenities, thus the city becomes their community of amenities. An example of this community is found in Silver Spring, Maryland. Although it is located just outside of Washington, D.C., this area is a full urban community unto itself. -Within 800 ft. to the red line Metro -Convenient bus routes passes by the site -Several bike path and hiking trails -Downtown Silver Spring is also within walking distance The edge city of Silver Spring is a perfect location for housing of this type. The continuing growth and excitement of the Central Business District through the Arts, Entertainment, and Culture along with the interconnectivity of transportation options make this the most viable site in our portfolio. The senior population is not comprised of only one race or economic status, but rather all people will eventually be a part of the senior population. Therefore, the niche of this growing number of people must be located in an area with a diverse population. THE CONCEPT Elizabeth square consists of three design principles that will ensure its success: HEALTH + WELLNESS A well rounded and health conscious environment ARTS Creative and intellectually rigorous exploration TECHNOLOGY State of the art opportunities and infrastructure As a result of these principles the following will make Elizabeth square the unique development that it will be: PLACE MAKING A unique setting and community COMMUNITY A multi-generation and mixed-income development JOBS Opportunities for self-advancement and job creation SUSTAINABILITY Environmentally friendly lifestyles and technologies THE PLAZA In order to create a vibrant, mixed income, multi-generational community, we knew we would have to produce a synergy amongst the arts, health and wellness, sustainability and technology. The question became…how to do it in a thoughtful and creative yet natural way. That implementation all starts in the Plaza. The central plaza includes a large lawn framed by informal seating areas, lush gardens, and natural habitats, places for large groups to gather in a multitude of ways. The grand stairs will celebrate the bio-filtration on site, and lighting will be powered by Photo-voltaic fixtures around the walking paths. Creating places for people to relax and for local habitats to flourish by creating different seating groups and water features. Creating places for people to interact with nature and each other with butterfly gardens and chess tables. A variety of Art display spaces that satisfy the creativity of others and inspire creative action. PUBLIC REALM If the Plaza is the heart of the project, then the building programs are the veins that connect it all together. The mixed use program to support functions of health, arts, and education are designed to inspire movement from one building to the next. The proposed public use spaces will enliven the community. Elizabeth Square will be able to provide incidental collisions between young, old, rich, and poor that deepen our understanding and ultimately teach us more about ourselves and others. “The Cupping Hand” The composition of the Elizabeth House III tower is driven by the idea of “Cupping Hands”. The two major volumes join together with the lower levels of public use spaces to form the overall composition. The curvature facing the courtyard celebrates the invitation and the landscape of the site. SUSTAINABILITY + TECHNOLOGY Reducing utility costs across the spectrum is paramount for seniors with fixed or limited incomes. The building will supply 30% of its own energy and 100% of its own heat through the use of micro-turbines and PV cells. All water will be collected and reused on site. THE UNIVERSAL DESIGN The units are standardized using Universal Design Principles such as floor to ceiling cabinets, auto lock self-closing door, and raised toilets. And special attention is paid to lighting since seniors need about 60% more light than a younger generations. Personalization is also a key to defining home. Custom made door knockers for each residential unit will help the process.