Garden Diary APP
The Garden Diary is a specialized mobile application designed to guide seniors through real-life gardening activities. Tailored for those with dementia, it features an extra-large, high-contrast interface with simplified, step-by-step instructions for every gardening stage. By breaking down complex tasks into intuitive digital prompts, the app empowers users to manage their gardens independently. This "digital gardening companion" fosters a sense of accomplishment and supports cognitive health by establishing a consistent, therapeutic daily routine.
Therapeutic Spatial Design
For individuals with dementia, space is not merely a shelter but a vital therapeutic tool. A well-designed, intuitive environment compensates for cognitive decline, reducing anxiety and fostering independence.
In my design, we prioritized three core elements: "Visual Anchoring" through intuitive cues like circular doors to improve spatial recognition; "Emotional Stimulation" via integrated gardening spaces for psychological stability; and "Social Connectivity" through unit-based village layouts to prevent isolation. By harmonizing these architectural strategies with digital therapeutics, we create a holistic healing environment that preserves dignity and enhances the overall quality of life for seniors.
The Memory Commons
Set within the open ground of an aging apartment estate, this single-story care center replaces the institutional corridor with a home. Two household units of eight residents flank a shared commons, and every bedroom door opens directly onto a daylit living hall. Research shows that straight, visible routes support wayfinding far better than looping corridors (Marquardt & Schmieg, 2009), so movement inside the building is always a straight line with the kitchen and dining hearth in view. At the center, a tree grows through a sunken courtyard in the dining hall, giving the whole community one unmistakable anchor. The oval promenade wrapping the site is deliberately kept as a strolling path only. Walking is endless and safe, but it is never the way you find your room. Arched openings, a deep-red timber roof, and matte, high-contrast finishes make the building legible to eyes affected by dementia, while the memory café and front garden stay open to the neighbors, keeping residents part of everyday town life.
Urban Sanctuary
A low red-roofed commons held between concrete towers. The oval promenade rings the site, offering endless walking with zero dead ends.
An Open Front Door
The center meets the street at eye level. Arched windows and a memory café invite neighbors in, not out.
The Living Hall
No corridors. Bedroom doors open straight onto a shared living hall lit from both ends, so home is always in sight.
A Room of One's Own
A private room with an arched garden window, personal furniture, and a colored door with a memory box for effortless recognition.
A Room of One's Own
The dining hall wraps a sunken courtyard where a single tree marks the community's anchor, the one place everyone can find.
Between the Roofs
Two household wings and the commons share one garden seam, so every window looks onto green, never onto a wall.
Adaptive Memory Apartment
Residential designs for dementia patients offer tailored cognitive support based on family dynamics. For 3-member families, the layout centers on the LDK area for easy navigation, featuring distinctive circular doors with personal photos to enhance spatial recognition, alongside a private terrace garden for emotional stability. In multi-generational layouts (3-5 members), the senior’s suite is strategically separated from children’s areas to minimize noise, yet maintains a clear line of sight from the living room for visual connectivity. The inclusion of a private ensuite bathroom further ensures independence and dignity within the shared home.
A Family of Three
2. Dementia
Older Adult Room
1. Living Room
3.Terrace Garden
1. Living Room
3.Terrace Garden
2. Dementia Older Adult Room
1. Living Room
A Family of Five
2. Dementia
Older Adult Room
1. Living Room
3.Terrace Garden
1. Living Room
3.Terrace Garden
2. Dementia Older Adult Room
Care Vilage
Inspired by the Hogeweyk "Dementia Village," this center utilizes a Unit Care System where 8-12 residents live in one of five distinctively designed buildings. This creates a familiar, village-like atmosphere. A central communal garden and vegetable patches foster a sense of accomplishment through harvesting and social networking. A recognizable grand hall serves as the hub for reception and various activity-based therapies.