Architecture In A Time of Covid  (Senior Living)

​

As a response to the much needed reassessment of the long term care facilities in Canada, the Golden Retreat is a reimagined proposal to the 2020/23 pandemic caused by the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an infectious disease that is having an especially hard effect on the sick and the old.

This proposal addresses several requirements, such as space management and safety with the control entry on Frank Street, and secure permanent like apartment homes on the second, third, fourth and fifth floors. Further to the brief, young-old living is set on three floors, mainly, while facility-based care is set in one floor. They are supported by amenities for both private and attentive care living with the aid of 24-hour nursing facilities, entertainment and relaxation areas and gathering areas, in and outdoor.

The building’s design proposal is a mixture of materials starting with concrete cladded service basement, a frame constructed from cross laminated timber columns, beams and panels, and brick accents along the corridors. This integrated design facility includes a sunken ground floor that is inviting to the passing public on Bank Street and accommodates family visitation at the back off the main entrance on Frank Street. Architecturally, the design pushes “the envelope” with a desired biomimicry outcome, “carved” building skin, with the fifth and sixth floors, dedicated to social activities.