Assisted Living, Gravesend Kent

'Assisted Living' is based on the principle of independent living for elderly persons but set in a community environment of similarly aged people. A daytime concierge acts as an assistant looking after the building. Lifts, communal coffee-making facilities and visitor areas create an atmosphere of sharing and closeness.

The type of accommodation being considered by the client is a response to the changing demographics of the UK where senior citizens are downsizing but still want to live close to others of a similar age – the urban village so to speak. The constraints on this project were aplenty - planning constraints and potentially poor returns being the principal ones. They are nevertheless realistic issues architects have to deal with daily.