Retirement Village Residents – inside and outside spaces, though photography
Retirement village residents greatly valued the beautiful natural environment, as well as the informal social connections from life in a communal environment. A design feature as simple as a verandah opens up valued opportunities for serendipitous interactions and a sense of social cohesion, as residents walk by and wave “hello”.
Inside their homes, residents valued having the space for treasured items and artifacts, reminding them (and others) of who they are, where they have been, what they have done and what is important to them.
Aged Care Residents – inside and outside spaces, though photography
Access to and adaptability of inside and outside spaces is a central priority and source of comfort and pleasure.
We can see this in the patio and garden that Kylie lovingly maintains outside of her room, on the walls that Dawn uses to hang her most recent artworks and in the image of her own table and patio, which she uses to look out and daydream. For others, it is simply about having the space to personalise with artifacts that act as both sentiment and testament to who they are and where they have been.
From spoons and teddy bears, to televisions and letters from grandchildren; from hallways and made beds, through to comfortable chairs and safe paths and bright gardens to explore and relax in—the inside and outside spaces of residents’ homes both mark and are marked by their daily movements and transitions.
As one resident explained, “oh, they (the gardens) are absolutely beautiful. Whenever you look, you walkdown the passage – you see all out there, all that lovely garden. And you see gardens out my door. Every door you look out, you see a different arrangement of gardens. They are all gardens. Beautiful” (LC10).
