Promotion: students at the Instituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Florence, Italy, have developed sustainable models for a nursing home, intending to improve residents’ wellbeing and social interaction.
Third-year students from the university’s three-year Interior and Furniture Design course, coordinated by design studio Deferrari and Modesti, were tasked to propose an inclusive and sustainable residential care facility for the elderly, focusing on improving residents’ quality of life.
The proposals were developed by the university’s third-year students
Developed in collaboration with French healthcare company Korian Group, the students were tasked with redesigning a nursing home, focusing on its common areas and bedrooms.
The main focus was accessibility, with the students required to reinvent the interiors to address the needs of individuals with diverse visual, mobility, or hearing impairments.
The students drew on biophilic principles and research into sensory architecture, incorporating natural materials, arches and geometric patterns into their proposals in a bid to create a relaxing yet stimulating environment.
Light and colour were enhanced throughout the building – the latter used as a way for residents to navigate the space and identify certain areas, such as their bedrooms, the cafe and the living room.
The students focused on the residency’s communal spaces and bedrooms
The students also designed furniture proposals as part of the project, including chairs, tables and comfortable seating crafted from wood to align with the proposal’s overall biophilic design principles. The systems aimed to be practical and ensure comfort for individuals with specific needs.
IED Florence explained that the project aligns with the university’s DesignXCommons vision, a design approach that examines ‘common goods’, which it defines as “the set of material and immaterial resources, with which several communities of people relate”.
The proposals aimed to show how design can be a powerful tool for improving people’s wellbeing in assisted living environments.
The students’ proposals aim to improve residents’ wellbeing and social interaction
“By integrating values of equity, solidarity, and continuous learning, this project showcases how design can be a catalyst for social transformation and the improvement of living conditions in nursing homes,” said the university.
“Through an innovative and sustainable approach, students explored ecological materials, dynamic spatial layouts, and advanced technological solutions to improve the livability of the facility,” it continued.
“The result was a series of proposals that combined aesthetics, functionality, and inclusivity, demonstrating how design can be a powerful tool for enhancing wellbeing in assisted living environments.”
The students’ proposals were designed using sustainable materials
IED Florence is an international education network specialising in communication, fashion, design and visual arts.
The university has campuses across Italy, Spain, and Brazil, and aims to promote innovative learning methods that merge creativity, sustainability and social responsibility.
To learn more about the course, visit the university’s website.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for Istituto Europeo di Design as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
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