Ashurst Park care home (under construction)

Health, Residential

Ashurst Park Care Home is an existing retirement and care facility located in Kent. The project involved extending the existing building to increase resident capacity while introducing a range of new facilities. The design was heavily influenced by the principles of dementia-friendly architecture, with a strong focus on creating a safe, familiar, and therapeutic environment.

To promote a more domestic and less institutional atmosphere, each bedroom cluster is arranged into groups of six residents, encouraging a sense of community and familiarity. Floor-to-ceiling windows have been incorporated throughout the accommodation, providing residents with uninterrupted views of the surrounding gardens regardless of their position within the room or their mobility. This visual connection helps blur the boundary between indoors and outdoors, enabling residents to remain engaged with their surroundings and supporting overall wellbeing.

The same design philosophy has been applied to the communal day rooms, which feature extensive glazing to maximise natural daylight. Increased exposure to daylight helps support residents’ circadian rhythms, promoting healthier sleep patterns and contributing to vitamin D intake, both of which are particularly beneficial for older adults. To mitigate the risk of overheating associated with large glazed areas, external fins and generous roof overhangs have been incorporated to reduce solar gain while maintaining high levels of daylight.

The design also responds to the increasing need to accommodate bariatric residents within modern care environments. Assisting immobile residents can place significant physical strain on care staff, often leading to long-term musculoskeletal injuries. To address this, bespoke ceiling hoists have been integrated into the design and concealed within custom cabinetry when not in use. This approach provides the necessary functionality while minimising the clinical appearance of the spaces, helping to maintain a warm, homely environment for residents.