Connect. Connect between young and old. Connect between elderly and kids. And
connect between kindergarten and nursing home which is coexistence of elderly and children.
I was intended to design intergeneration center. The objective to promote intergenerational connection and bridge the gap between young and old by putting this two-age group in the same picture, creating an experiential learning environment.
From data Majlis Daerah Kota Tinggi (MDKT),the infographic of the age group in Bandar Kota Tinggi state that the majority of the citizen is working class from age 15 to 59 years old follow by the children around ages 0 to 14 years old and the minority which is elderly.
Because of the demography stated, the target users for my building is children around 2 to 6 years
and senior citizen around 60 years old and above. So the issue is the scattered socializing place for senior citizen and lack of the early childhood learning center.
This is predicted to grow to 12% of the population by 2030 this percentage
has steadily grown but dramatic advances in medicine are allowing people to live longer, creating
aging populations across the globe. As we get older, our social circles tend to become smaller. This
leaves many seniors at risk of loneliness and social isolation, which can negatively impact their
physical and mental health.
Intergenerational connection can bridge the gap between the young and old. It’s fun and
educational for the kids. For the elderly, they get a reprieve from the stress of their lives.
The objective is to design effective of learning environments on preschool-age children, Suitable features of environments that help preschool-age children feel secure, comfortable, welcome and ready to explore and learn and maintain a developmentally appropriate environment for children and also practical use of multipurpose spaces, clean, odor-free and sanitary environment and good aesthetics creating a therapeutic homelike environment for both elderly and children.
Current issue I want to highlight is Pandemic covid-19. Since this learning center host children whose ability to understand the situation and behave appropriately is limited, the implementation of measures is difficult or impossible. Also, both elderly and children easy to get Covid-19 infection. For this reason, the said organizational measures and the adjustment of the functional design of a
building are extremely important for children and elderly.
Lastly, is about quality of experience for both elderly and children, it was been design for re-purposing and integrating technology, accessible quality external environment, and digital and physical connectivity for them.
The study discovered that mixed-age care encouraged sensitivity to others in both the young and old, with one mother of a preschool-aged participant stating that the program had made her daughter “extremely sensitive, much beyond her years.” Young children who received intergenerational care had more advanced motor and cognitive skills, higher developmental scores, and more advanced social and emotional competencies, to name a few findings, and older adult participants reported lower levels of loneliness, reduced agitation, and improved health, among other findings.
We can’t change the fact that young people are being pushed to leave home in quest of better prospects, and that families are being fragmented across the country. However, as a society, we can support and encourage the movement to reintegrate generations in safe and caring environments. It may seem far-fetched to put babies and the elderly in the same day care center, but it’s one of the most promising strategies to help decrease elderly alienation while also exposing youngsters to a generation they would otherwise never meet.
Thank you.😊
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