A purpose-built “Alzheimer’s Village” in the French commune of Dax will give residents the ability to roam free and go about their daily lives in a new approach to treating the disease. According to The Telegraph, residents will live in shared houses in four districts reminiscent of the southwestern French region.
The village is designed to look like a medieval-style bastide, which is common to the area and will help prevent patients from becoming disoriented. Designed by NORD Architects, the village will have a local shop, a hairdresser, restaurants, a cultural center, and a healthcare center. Additionally, volunteers will help to stage activities for the residents.
The idea behind the new design approach is that the freedom the design provides will allow patients to lead an almost normal village life and maintain their participation in a social life (which recent research has shown to be a strong factor in living longer, healthier lives).
Oslo Alzheimer's Village with CLT construction. Courtesy NORD Architects.
Plain-clothes medical staff will watch over the residents, who are confined to the village for their own safety, and researchers will conduct a study to see if this new style of care helps patients remain more active, require less medication, and live happier lives. In total, the village will support 120 Alzheimer’s residents, 100 live-in caregivers, and 120 volunteers.
NORD Architects is also working on an Alzheimer Village in Oslo, Norway and will use CLT to construct the project’s various buildings.
Related Stories
| Feb 28, 2012
Griffin Electric completes Medical University of South Carolina project
The 210,000-sf complex is comprised of two buildings, and houses research, teaching and office areas, plus conference spaces for the University.
| Feb 22, 2012
CISCO recognizes Gilbane for quality construction, design, and safety
The project employed more than 2,000 tradespeople for a total of 2.1 million hours worked – all without a single lost-time accident.
| Feb 14, 2012
The Jackson Laboratory announces Gilbane Building Co. as program manager for Connecticut facility
Gilbane to manage program for new genomic medicine facility that will create 300 jobs in Connecticut.
| Feb 13, 2012
WHR Architects renovation of Morristown Memorial Hospital Simon Level 5 awarded LEED Gold
Located in the Simon Building, which serves as the main entrance leading into the Morristown Memorial Hospital campus, the project comprises three patient room wings connected by a centralized nursing station and elevator lobby.
| Feb 13, 2012
New medical city unveiled in Abu Dhabi
SOM’s design for the 838-bed, three-million-square foot complex creates a new standard for medical care in the region.
| Feb 10, 2012
Mortenson Construction research identifies healthcare industry and facility design trends
The 2012 Mortenson Construction Healthcare Industry Study includes insights and perspectives regarding government program concerns, the importance of lean operations, flexible facility design, project delivery trends, improving patient experience, and evidence-based design.
| Jan 31, 2012
Fusion Facilities: 8 reasons to consolidate multiple functions under one roof
‘Fusing’ multiple functions into a single building can make it greater than the sum of its parts. The first in a series on the design and construction of university facilities.
| Jan 31, 2012
Suffolk Construction to manage Lawrence & Memorial Hospital Cancer Center project in Waterford, Conn.
Leading construction management firm overseeing one of first healthcare projects in the country to utilize innovative IPD process.
| Jan 16, 2012
Suffolk completes construction on progressive operating suite
5,700 square-foot operating suite to be test bed for next generation of imaged-guided operating techniques.
| Jan 4, 2012
HDR to design North America’s first fully digital hospital
Humber River is the first hospital in North America to fully integrate and automate all of its processes; everything is done digitally.
