The Stereotype-busting Architecture Changing the Way We Retire
Big windows, snugs, wood cladding, multigenerational socials and biophilia… Could care homes be changing for the better?
What images come to mind when you hear the words ‘retirement home’ or ‘sheltered housing’ – institutional furniture? A claustrophobic room with a communal TV? Depressing carpet? These are stereotypes, of course, but they come from a past where housing designed to assist older members of society to live safely has not had good architectural design to the fore. And, as anyone reading this will already know, the power that good design has to boost, or erode, our wellbeing is huge.
But things may be changing. This year, the John Morden Centre, a daycare facility for older people, was the winner of the 27th RIBA Stirling Prize for the UK’s best new building. Read on to find out what makes it special and learn about some of the other stereotype-busting architectural developments making later life more joyful, sociable and beautiful.
But things may be changing. This year, the John Morden Centre, a daycare facility for older people, was the winner of the 27th RIBA Stirling Prize for the UK’s best new building. Read on to find out what makes it special and learn about some of the other stereotype-busting architectural developments making later life more joyful, sociable and beautiful.
Sympathetic brickwork at the John Morden Centre, designed by Mæ. Photo by Jim Stephenson.
What’s the history of the John Morden Centre?
Philanthropist Sir John Morden established Morden College in 1695 as a charitably-run home for retired merchants. The Grade I listed almshouse in Blackheath has been attributed to the English architect, Christopher Wren, and was built by his master stonemason, Edward Strong.
Mæ’s brief was that the new building should bring together facilities previously spread across the college site, as well as adding spaces for new activities – all this while respecting the original adjacent architecture.
“The main quad is [a] beautiful classic almshouse; colonnade at ground floor, lovely brick architecture, pitched roofs animated by chimneys on the skyline,” says Alex of the 17th century building. “And the new centre very much follows some of those ideas.”
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What’s the history of the John Morden Centre?
Philanthropist Sir John Morden established Morden College in 1695 as a charitably-run home for retired merchants. The Grade I listed almshouse in Blackheath has been attributed to the English architect, Christopher Wren, and was built by his master stonemason, Edward Strong.
Mæ’s brief was that the new building should bring together facilities previously spread across the college site, as well as adding spaces for new activities – all this while respecting the original adjacent architecture.
“The main quad is [a] beautiful classic almshouse; colonnade at ground floor, lovely brick architecture, pitched roofs animated by chimneys on the skyline,” says Alex of the 17th century building. “And the new centre very much follows some of those ideas.”
Find and hire a local architect through Houzz.
The John Morden Centre, designed by Mæ. Photo by Jim Stephenson.
How is the centre “uplifting” – and what does it look like?
With the old building in mind, the centre is made up of a series of pavilions clad in a red brick that echoes the almshouse. These are connected by a covered walkway or cloister (pictured), which meanders through its length.
As well as looking beautiful, the walkway provides constant connection to nature through its expansive glazing. Indeed, the site is set within a beautiful landscape and capitalises on the principles of biophilic design, known for its spirit-lifting properties.
“We’ve got this wonderful cedar tree [pictured], which the whole building was designed around,” Alex says. “It means you’re always aware of nature; there are constant views out to the landscape.”
Throughout, practical features are built in seamlessly to make daily life happier. For example, the walkway features frequent places to sit. These seats have simple armrests that make it easy to get up, while the window mullions have handrails built into them.
Inside the pavilions there are a number of social spaces, including a snug, a lounge, an arts room and a café. The centre also includes a theatre space and outdoor areas with chairs and tables. It’s all a far cry from the idea of a single communal space with wing chairs facing a television.
The decor trumps cliché, too, and the aesthetic is airy and relaxing; much of the space is clad or built with pale timber and flooded with daylight. Artificial lighting, too, is soft, warm-toned and stylish.
How is the centre “uplifting” – and what does it look like?
With the old building in mind, the centre is made up of a series of pavilions clad in a red brick that echoes the almshouse. These are connected by a covered walkway or cloister (pictured), which meanders through its length.
As well as looking beautiful, the walkway provides constant connection to nature through its expansive glazing. Indeed, the site is set within a beautiful landscape and capitalises on the principles of biophilic design, known for its spirit-lifting properties.
“We’ve got this wonderful cedar tree [pictured], which the whole building was designed around,” Alex says. “It means you’re always aware of nature; there are constant views out to the landscape.”
Throughout, practical features are built in seamlessly to make daily life happier. For example, the walkway features frequent places to sit. These seats have simple armrests that make it easy to get up, while the window mullions have handrails built into them.
Inside the pavilions there are a number of social spaces, including a snug, a lounge, an arts room and a café. The centre also includes a theatre space and outdoor areas with chairs and tables. It’s all a far cry from the idea of a single communal space with wing chairs facing a television.
The decor trumps cliché, too, and the aesthetic is airy and relaxing; much of the space is clad or built with pale timber and flooded with daylight. Artificial lighting, too, is soft, warm-toned and stylish.
A relaxed outdoor seating area at the John Morden Centre, designed by Mæ. Photo by Jim Stephenson.
How have residents responded?
“I come up and do knitting,” says June, who lives at the college. “I didn’t really come out as much as I do now, but when this [centre] was finished? I come here. It’s a nice place to come.” Another, Fred, adds, “I’m so happy walking here in the morning. I love it.”
David says it’s “a place that has a sense of hope about it. It’s not just about the functionality, it’s about going in there and just feeling better by the time you leave.”
More: Meet the Sustainably-minded Pros Striving for Empty Skips
How have residents responded?
“I come up and do knitting,” says June, who lives at the college. “I didn’t really come out as much as I do now, but when this [centre] was finished? I come here. It’s a nice place to come.” Another, Fred, adds, “I’m so happy walking here in the morning. I love it.”
David says it’s “a place that has a sense of hope about it. It’s not just about the functionality, it’s about going in there and just feeling better by the time you leave.”
More: Meet the Sustainably-minded Pros Striving for Empty Skips
The courtyard at Appleby Blue almshouse. Photo by Philip Vile.
Why is a design that fosters a sense of community so important?
Research, published last year in the journal Aging-US, found that feelings, including loneliness, depression, sadness or hopelessness, are worse for ageing than smoking – adding nearly 20 months to a person’s chronological age.
Another study, by Cambridge University, found that social isolation may shrink the brain and increase the risk of dementia, suggesting a lack of stimulation from friends, family and co-workers can lead to neurodegeneration.
With that in mind, it’s significant that the John Morden Centre is attached to an almshouse. Social housing complex Appleby Blue (pictured), also in south-east London, opened this year. Designed by architects Witherford Watson Mann (WWM), it’s built of precast concrete, brick and oak and is a passively ventilated, part-solar-powered, 21st century take on the almshouse.
Why is a design that fosters a sense of community so important?
Research, published last year in the journal Aging-US, found that feelings, including loneliness, depression, sadness or hopelessness, are worse for ageing than smoking – adding nearly 20 months to a person’s chronological age.
Another study, by Cambridge University, found that social isolation may shrink the brain and increase the risk of dementia, suggesting a lack of stimulation from friends, family and co-workers can lead to neurodegeneration.
With that in mind, it’s significant that the John Morden Centre is attached to an almshouse. Social housing complex Appleby Blue (pictured), also in south-east London, opened this year. Designed by architects Witherford Watson Mann (WWM), it’s built of precast concrete, brick and oak and is a passively ventilated, part-solar-powered, 21st century take on the almshouse.
Residents enjoying the abundance of natural light at Appleby Blue almshouse. Photo by Philipp Ebeling.
Almshouses have been around since medieval times, providing charitable sheltered living for (usually) older members of society in need, and a recent report* found that living in one can increase life expectancy by 2.4 years.
Like Appleby Blue, explains Nick Phillips, chief executive of The Almshouse Association in a foreword to the research, “An almshouse is often a three-sided quadrangle with doors and windows facing each other over a courtyard – enabling a sense of community and companionship, yet still allowing independence. … It’s the epitome of a good living environment.”
* Almshouse Longevity Study was co-authored by Alison Benzimra, head of research at United St Saviour’s, the charity that operates Appleby Blue, and published by Bayes Business School in May 2023.
Almshouses have been around since medieval times, providing charitable sheltered living for (usually) older members of society in need, and a recent report* found that living in one can increase life expectancy by 2.4 years.
Like Appleby Blue, explains Nick Phillips, chief executive of The Almshouse Association in a foreword to the research, “An almshouse is often a three-sided quadrangle with doors and windows facing each other over a courtyard – enabling a sense of community and companionship, yet still allowing independence. … It’s the epitome of a good living environment.”
* Almshouse Longevity Study was co-authored by Alison Benzimra, head of research at United St Saviour’s, the charity that operates Appleby Blue, and published by Bayes Business School in May 2023.
A street-facing walkway at Appleby Blue, with a double-height communal area below on the left, where more streetside glazing creates two-way visual access. Photo by Philip Vile.
What other features can help a building to reduce social isolation?
“It has become increasingly common practice to relocate the over-sixties away from urban centres, pushed or incentivised to the city edge or the coast,” WWM director Stephen Witherford says. “Yet, as people live longer and remain active later in life, not everyone wants to withdraw from the bustle of the city; on the contrary, many wish to remain close to the neighbourhoods they have spent their lives in.”
The inner-city location of Appleby Blue is therefore significant. Not only is the complex close to various transport links and local amenities, crucially it’s also on a busy road. Taking advantage of this, WWM flipped the usual almshouse convention of a U-shaped building with its “back” to the public. The building and its communal spaces face and feel open to the street. Cleverly, the courtyard, which is overlooked by residential areas, retains privacy from the street, as it’s buffered by communal space and another wall of windows.
Boosting this sense of real-world connection, programmes of activities are also open to the public, from food events in a community kitchen to crochet lessons or digital skills sessions in the library, hobby or skills rooms.
What other features can help a building to reduce social isolation?
“It has become increasingly common practice to relocate the over-sixties away from urban centres, pushed or incentivised to the city edge or the coast,” WWM director Stephen Witherford says. “Yet, as people live longer and remain active later in life, not everyone wants to withdraw from the bustle of the city; on the contrary, many wish to remain close to the neighbourhoods they have spent their lives in.”
The inner-city location of Appleby Blue is therefore significant. Not only is the complex close to various transport links and local amenities, crucially it’s also on a busy road. Taking advantage of this, WWM flipped the usual almshouse convention of a U-shaped building with its “back” to the public. The building and its communal spaces face and feel open to the street. Cleverly, the courtyard, which is overlooked by residential areas, retains privacy from the street, as it’s buffered by communal space and another wall of windows.
Boosting this sense of real-world connection, programmes of activities are also open to the public, from food events in a community kitchen to crochet lessons or digital skills sessions in the library, hobby or skills rooms.
The Future Sølund urban nursing home by CF Møller Architects.
Is this way of designing housing for older people becoming a theme?
Things are certainly looking positive in this area of architecture. Local integration is also key in a huge new development, currently underway, in Denmark, pictured here in a drawing.
When it opens, the Future Sølund in Cophehagen will be Denmark’s largest nursing home and its designers, CF Møller Architects, describe it as “an ambitious and pioneering example of city integrated care centres”.
The complex will include 360 care homes, 150 youth dwellings, 20 senior dwellings, a day-care institution, retail outlets, cafés, workshops, a nursery, public and private carparks, and a pocket park and public square. It’s also set on the edge of a lake, another draw for the local community.
The team at CF Møller say, “In this way, Sølund creates its own green cityscape, inviting children, young people, seniors and the elderly to be involved in shared activities, inspire each other in the worksops and kitchens or simply meet across age divides in the numerous green spaces, and creates an environment where people in need of care are no longer excluded from urban life and distanced from their fellow humans.
“Sølund will make it possible to give elderly in need of care a whole new opportunity to live and interact with other generations. … It will be a place where senior citizens, young people and children not only live close together, but also supplement and benefit from each other,” they add.
Is this way of designing housing for older people becoming a theme?
Things are certainly looking positive in this area of architecture. Local integration is also key in a huge new development, currently underway, in Denmark, pictured here in a drawing.
When it opens, the Future Sølund in Cophehagen will be Denmark’s largest nursing home and its designers, CF Møller Architects, describe it as “an ambitious and pioneering example of city integrated care centres”.
The complex will include 360 care homes, 150 youth dwellings, 20 senior dwellings, a day-care institution, retail outlets, cafés, workshops, a nursery, public and private carparks, and a pocket park and public square. It’s also set on the edge of a lake, another draw for the local community.
The team at CF Møller say, “In this way, Sølund creates its own green cityscape, inviting children, young people, seniors and the elderly to be involved in shared activities, inspire each other in the worksops and kitchens or simply meet across age divides in the numerous green spaces, and creates an environment where people in need of care are no longer excluded from urban life and distanced from their fellow humans.
“Sølund will make it possible to give elderly in need of care a whole new opportunity to live and interact with other generations. … It will be a place where senior citizens, young people and children not only live close together, but also supplement and benefit from each other,” they add.
Boughton Heath, in progress and designed by RCKa.
Back in the UK, in Boughton Heath, Chester, a development by architecture firm RCKa for the over-sixties has been designed to adhere to the new Fitwel Standard, an accreditation based on environmental sustainability, wellbeing, transport connections, safety and landscape.
The site is next to a park-and-ride location and also connected to a nearby canal towpath, which takes cyclists and pedestrians into the centre of town. Again, it will feature facilities open to the public, with communal and shared spaces organised around a central pedestrianised avenue and a community square to encourage social links and connections to the wider community.
Boughton Heath represents a new approach from RCKa’s client, Retirement Villages Group (RVG), called Thrive Living. RVG, which already manages 16 communities for older people across England, aims to create 40 new communities by 2030 under the Thrive umbrella, whose marketing video features retirees kayaking, dancing, drinking wine, mountain biking and leaping into swimming pools.
“Thrive is about leveraging the amazing talents and wisdom of older people for the benefit of their local neighbourhoods,” says RGV CEO Will Bax. “We call it positive ageing.”
It’s a concept that these architecturally inspiring, life-enhancing buildings – and hopefully many more to come – will make a whole lot easier.
Tell us…
Do you know about other developments that are breaking down older living stereotypes? Let us know about them in the Comments.
Back in the UK, in Boughton Heath, Chester, a development by architecture firm RCKa for the over-sixties has been designed to adhere to the new Fitwel Standard, an accreditation based on environmental sustainability, wellbeing, transport connections, safety and landscape.
The site is next to a park-and-ride location and also connected to a nearby canal towpath, which takes cyclists and pedestrians into the centre of town. Again, it will feature facilities open to the public, with communal and shared spaces organised around a central pedestrianised avenue and a community square to encourage social links and connections to the wider community.
Boughton Heath represents a new approach from RCKa’s client, Retirement Villages Group (RVG), called Thrive Living. RVG, which already manages 16 communities for older people across England, aims to create 40 new communities by 2030 under the Thrive umbrella, whose marketing video features retirees kayaking, dancing, drinking wine, mountain biking and leaping into swimming pools.
“Thrive is about leveraging the amazing talents and wisdom of older people for the benefit of their local neighbourhoods,” says RGV CEO Will Bax. “We call it positive ageing.”
It’s a concept that these architecturally inspiring, life-enhancing buildings – and hopefully many more to come – will make a whole lot easier.
Tell us…
Do you know about other developments that are breaking down older living stereotypes? Let us know about them in the Comments.
What was the ambition for the new building?
“The brief was to produce a building that would truly add value to the quality of life of the older people who live with us,” says David Rutherford Jones, chief executive of Morden College.
The Centre, in a leafy part of south-east London and designed in 2021 by Mæ architectural practice, was conceived to complement Morden College, a residential and nursing facility on the same site. As Alex Ely, principal architect on the project, says, “It’s the hub of community life at the college.
“We know that, in later life, some of the biggest challenges are isolation and loneliness,” he says. “John Morden Centre is very much about creating a space where residents can connect. David had this vision to create a building that could become the centre of community life, that could uplift the spirits of residents, but also be a place of coming together.”