Staying away from an institutional feel: Puwan Ccrc
WIT Design & Research
Interior
/
Completed
The public part of the demonstration of the Puwan Continuing Care Retirement Community
Puwan CCRC is a specialized design for senior citizens native to Beijing. It is free of an institutional look and is centered around the idea that old people have relatively poor short-term memory, but they can clearly remember things that they experienced when they were young.
Challenge: The public area of Puwan Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) is a specialized design for Beijing born and bred senior citizens. The space has been contextualized to reflect the area these citizens lived in when they were young. However, the design of almost all CCRCs in China has simply been copied from those in the US or Japan. Often, the elderly have relatively poor short-term memory, but they can clearly remember things that they experienced when they were young, including experiences in their former homes. Secondly, some senior citizens prefer to stay in their rooms rather than to engage in the public activities in the retirement community.
Solution: A siheyuan is a historical type of residence in Beijing. This was a basic dwelling used by natives of Beijing when they were young. All the groups of ancient Siheyuan buildings, courtyards and pathways have been covered with curtain wall and, as a result, have been fully integrated into one larger building in this project. The different levels, which because of the originally inside/outside design, have been covered with concrete and MEP pipes, and therefore changed into the same level. The spaces have been extended and the deeper buildings have been brightened by the introduction of natural light. From the inside, the residents can better see the ancient roofs and facades of the buildings, such as the ancient roofs and facades of the old buildings. Various social spaces, originally outside of the streets, which we called Beijing Hutong, have been created inside, such as an area where the elderly can play chess, a fruit stall and space to engage in conversation with others. In this “inside Hutong”, which is a communal living/drinking/reading/studying/entertaining space, their former residential street is now a the space to engage in conversation with others. Therefor a friendly neighbourhood has been created inside. In addition, a music room has been moved to a small courtyard and a two-storey library has been constructed in a larger courtyard.
The elderly in Beijing have experienced many types of apartments in past decades and are attracted by ‘fresh’ memories within ancient Siheyuan buildings full of the stories of their youth. The design for the CCRC stays away from an institutional feel.
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Interior fruit stall
Felix Zhenhua Luo
interior Hutong which historically belonged to outside space. For living/drinking/reading/studying/entertaining space.
Felix Zhenhua Luo
From the inside, the residents can better see the ancient roofs and facades of the old buildings.
Felix Zhenhua Luo
A multifunctionally two-story library has been constructed in a larger covered courtyard.
Felix Zhenhua Luo
The senior citizens are encouraged to use this communal space
Felix Zhenhua Luo
Beijing born and bred senior citizens can play chess here.
Felix Zhenhua Luo
The display of the food and fruit stimulates the appetite at the entrance of the restaurant.
Felix Zhenhua Luo
It is not only for the inhabitants, but for the elderly residents’ numerous visitors who call in to see their parents or grandparents.
Felix Zhenhua Luo
Swimming pool at basement
Felix Zhenhua Luo
The word which is brand name, drew on the main theme painting
Felix Zhenhua Luo
the upstair of the library
The interior fruit stall, originally outside on the streets, have been created inside
Felix Zhenhua Luo
Puwan CCRC
Felix Zhenhua Luo
Challenge 1
Felix Zhenhua Luo
Challenge 2
Felix Zhenhua Luo
Section
Felix Zhenhua Luo
Layout
Felix Zhenhua Luo
music room
Felix Zhenhua Luo
From the inside, the residents can better see the ancient roofs and facades of the old buildings.
Felix Zhenhua Luo
Their former residential street is now a the space to engage in conversation with others.
Beijing
China
Sino-ocean group
02/2019
5000 m2
WIT & BIAD
Felix Zhenhua Luo, Kemp Zhao, Lin Yang, Changxin Tian, Zijun Lin, Chaobo Wang, Qiang Wei, Jiamin Mo, Liang Zhao.
GUO
BIAD, Pro Lighting & Grenring
Felix Zhenhua Luo
Curriculum
Founded in 2015, WIT has been awarded with several international prizes like WAF/WIF, WIN, IDC by IIDA, Andrew Martin Review and SDA. Its design team, including architects, interior designers, structural engineers, FF&E designers, furniture designers and artists, provides large ranges of design services, such as hospitality, Continuing Care Retirement Community, club, residence, restaurant, retail, official and entertainment space and transportation hubs. WIT also provides FF&E services.