Embedded Files
Concept
In the village, houses are oriented toward the central well, creating a natural node that fosters community interaction. This shared orientation isn’t just functional—it organically forms a social space where daily routines bring people together. As the well is essential for water, it becomes a point of convergence, encouraging spontaneous encounters and shared experiences. Over time, this central point evolves into an informal gathering space, reinforcing a sense of belonging and collective identity. The layout promotes visual and physical connectivity, as homes face inward toward the communal heart rather than away from it.
Iterations
The design had small, intimate nodes between clusters of units, with narrow passages encouraging neighbors to connect and interact. These spaces felt personal and familiar. However, what it lacked was a larger, central gathering space—a place where everyone could come together for festivals, meetings, or celebrations. While the smaller nodes fostered connection, the absence of a unifying space left the community without a true sharing space.
So here, I placed the housing units along the edges of the site, intentionally leaving the central space open for community interaction. The idea was to create a shared space for gatherings, something that lacked previously. While this did provide a larger communal area, it missed the intimate scale and character of the smaller nodes found in the village. The new space felt open, but it didn’t carry the same warmth or natural flow of daily life.
Final Design
Plan: 200 Scale
Plan: 100 Scale
Section
Model: 200 Scale
Model: 100 Scale
The old age home is designed using a node-based approach inspired by village clusters, where houses naturally orient around a well, fostering social interaction. Instead of a rigid layout, the units are arranged in smaller formations, creating nodes that serve as community spaces. A V-formation is used to activate both the external surroundings and the spaces between two units, generating organic pause points that encourage conversation and engagement. These nodes ensure that residents have smaller, intimate gathering spaces while still feeling connected to the larger community. A key feature of the design is the shared roof between two units, which incorporates a gutter system to efficiently channel rainwater into a central kund. From there, the collected water flows into an underground tank, ensuring a sustainable approach to water harvesting. So the water becomes a defining element of both community and individual spaces.
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