DAY STAY CENTER
joanne najem
After studying the lifestyle of the Japanese Elders in Nakanojo, active ageing in their community became an imminent require-ment. For, everyday hobbies that have become harder for them to access and practice were all catered in one program that allows this constant activity as well as enhance their social interactions with one another and with visiting tourists. The project mainly revolves around the idea of a resort fueled by the elderly as an act against loneliness. As a concept its rather a platform that does not impose a separation but instead unifies the youth with the elders, and this then translates onto the project’s physical components of a starting point that is present and continuously expands and adapts according to its func-tional needs and components. The main fuel of the project is the main interest of the elderly, which is the process of growing and consequently cooking, and this is represented by the main element of the cooking “machine” which in itself represents a seamless promenade that expands and adapts. Another key interest in the project is the Nagaya typology which most houses in Nakanojo possess, whilst the drive of the project is to keep the essence of this typology but have it re-adapted to break from the rudimentary restraints that led to the flee of rural villagers to urban areas. As additional programmatic functions, a wellness area is also introduced as a means of spiritual and mental relaxation, with the typological presence of an “Onsen” a Japanese steam bath that is embedded within the landscape linking nature with the manmade.