Project Overview

This project is a retirement living residence owned by a retiree with a pure living mindset; in the Chinese-speaking literary world, a metaphor of a pristine lotus emerging out of the earth is a subtle reflection of the life outlook of the residence owner; the designer chooses the lotus to articulate the life value of simplicity while deploying architectural elements portraying the parallel pattern on the petal of lotus. On top of that, the matt-finished concrete grey symbolizing a sense of serenity creates a living environment best for the residence owner to practice a humble lifestyle. With all considered, the precious family time, friendly companionship, and wellness preservation are embodied in the ambiance while negotiating or even embracing the inevitable yet realistic process of aging at the later stage in life.

Organisation

CHEN-WAI Architecture Integrated Design Co.,Ltd.

Team

Ta-Hsiu Lee

Project Brief

The circular path planned for the first floor of the interior amalgamates the fluidity and connectivity amongst different function spaces. Apart from the convenience-driven functionality, it gives a rise to an environment conducive for family and friendly interactions. The interior of the second floor radiates outwards from the family room as it is the interlocking part across every room on this floor to ensure optimal family interactions. The linear circulation planned for the third floor, complemented by the outdoor machinery and indoor storage and work-out spaces, seeks to afford optimal interactive footprints across the entire interior.

Project Innovation/Need

As the concept of modularization has been rooted during the Japanese colonial rule period in Taiwan, the unit of area embodies the essence of modularization; the design of this building echoes such modularization concept by allowing most of the cabinet volumes composed of modular units to spread out across the interior; as there is a correlation in their dimensions, they can be mass-produced from the modular units. With the preliminary design, most cabinet volumes only require front and bottom instead of all six faces, which echoes our design mantra of minimal consumption of materials taking precedence over the utilization of environmentally-friendly materials in design.

Design Challenge

The primary air circulation route is designed to go bottom-up to create positive pressurization for the first-floor air inlet and induce negative pressurization at the air outlet on the penthouse level with accelerated airflow. The secondary air circulation designates individual air inlets and outlets on each level to promote cross-ventilation. A semi-outdoor area on the first floor, a verandah, is ideal for gathering, and an integral part of the ventilation scheme, inundated with a natural breeze, perfect for a casual and care-free space for family and friends.

Sustainability

Apart from water channeling purposes of the external tile cladding, no surface treatment or cladding is applied to the rest of the building surfaces inside and out. It is an epitome of the designer’s realization of minimal material consumption in design, as material minimalization takes precedence over the conventional approach of green material utilization. As this approach seeks to impart a greater significance in resource, pollution, manufacturing, transportation, and recycling, the designer intends to fulfill the greater objective of bestowing a tranquil ambiance and lively living style for this retirement alcove residence.