This competition project involved the consideration of a complex list of programmatic requirements. At its core, the Social Welfare Institute will provide a home for over 300 elderly people in its first phase, and 700 children with special needs. The residential components will be supported by a large medical center, a school, a guesthouse, and numerous recreation facilities. The relatively compact site is in the middle of a transitioning industrial zone that will be ringed by an access road for all of the new buildings’ support functions. To enhance efficiency and safety, the site is organized into three semi-autonomous cores: one for the elderly care home, one for the children’s home, and one for the medical center and other support buildings. Each core is self-contained in the amenities it offers its residents, but all are connected by a central waterscape courtyard that binds the site into a cohesive whole.
The waterscape borrows heavily from the most outstanding elements of historic Chinese gardens: it is intimate, human-scaled, and defined by small spaces for contemplation and reflection. It is primarily meant for use by the elderly residents and their visitors. By contrast, the courtyards of the children’s home are lively and spacious to accommodate age-appropriate activities. My role in this project began in the initial masterplan phase and continued through the design of the school and support housing facilities, along with final graphics production.
MATTHEW MARANO 