Master Plan

To develop a new plan for the Saint Francis site I combined ellements from the two theories relevant to the history of the site, Islamic Town Planning and the Laws of the Indies. I also added relevant ideas from the two new theories now being used in California, Pattern Language and New Urbanism.



The Laws of the Indies encourgaed me to include a town square, surrounded by retail, at the meeting of two intersecting avenues. I also included long, narrow lots with shared building edges. From Islamic Town planning I took the idea of the family compound surrounding an interior courtyard at the end of a narrow, winding alley.



Pattern Language suggested that the homes include side gardens and six foot balconies, and be arraigned in south facing terraces, and that there be some activity center in the middle of the site, perhaps even a Promenade or main walking street through the center.



From New Urbanism I took the idea of interconnected street grids, limiting the cul-de-sacs of Islamic planning. I also saved the nun's shrine in the little copse of trees as a central city green. I also mixed the demographics of the site with seniors and nuns living mixed with hospital workers and guests.

Building for Seniors

Recent UN studies have confirmed the importance of social interaction for the elderly. Increased personal connections obviously improve quality of life, but can also improve health and even extend lifespans. Seniors can also provide a valuable service to younger members of the community.

Storing seniors in secluded, 65-and-older communities (or simply vertical towers) nearly eliminates the chances of unplanned interaction with the broader community. Additonally many American families migrate great distances between generations and elderly parents may end up thousands of miles from their extended family.

A new paradigm for senior living could improve this situation. Mixing seniors within a neighborhood of younger people and families offers continued relvance for the seniors and may allow them to provide child care, medical care, and mentoring to younger neighbors. The younger neighbors can provide oversight, medical care, and practical home and personal care services to their older neighbors.

Building a community for multiple generations can be a challenge. The physical needs of seniors requires carefull attention in the design of the structures and the layout of the grounds. The needs of seniors for easy navigation and safety appear to conflict with the desires of younger residents for increased privacy and activity.

Scandinavian designers Noverre Musson and Helen Heusinkveld published a series of guidelines for building for seniors that could easily apply to any age group. A moderate level of youthful design features that provide a little physical challenge can help maintain senior mobility and extend life. Returning to the UN studies we are reminded that increased social activity can maintain mental facilities and improve quality of life. Meanwhile, the increased practicallity of some senior oriented design features may be welcomed by a resident or visitor of any age.

Senior Design Suggestions:

Privacy - visually and audibly shield living areas (public spaces) from bedroom and bathroom areas (private areas).

Access - the bathroom should be in direct line to the bedroom, doors and halls should be wide enough to allow mobility aides (other people, walkers, and wheelchairs).

Limited vision - increase natural and artificial light in kitchen and bath areas, limit changes in horizontal surface height and materials (carpeting and stairs).

Limited flexibility - bathrooms and kitchens should be arraigned to limit body twists and bending during typical activities.

Limited physical strength - shelves and drawers should be shallow and at waist height, there should be more of them instead of making them larger (seniors cannot lift and carry great weight).

Building for Community

Sustainability

Economic Sustainability

One definition of a city, as opposed to a village or town, is the presence of a wide range of economic specializations that utilize the economies of scale of a large population base. When a settlement concentrates on a single industry it risks collapse in the face of economic or environmental pressures (competition, scare resources, etc). Neighborhoods within a city face similar concerns from horizontally zoned and large-scale uses. Mixed uses in moderate footprints and organized up as well as out offer protection against stagnation and failure.

Social Sustainability

Soc. Sust. refers to the ability of a city to maintain its livability into the future. A town with strict limits upon new residents and growth can see the work force shrink and the tax base starve as the original inhabitants age into retirement and onto fixed incomes. A gated community of a single income or age range may seem safe and comfortable. However, these communities can be boring and unsafe for many hours and seasons as all the inhabitants share similar work, sleep, and vacation schedules.

Environmental Sustainability

It is now recognized by the UN, and even Fortune 500 companies such as Exxon, that humans have a global impact on the climate and the ecology of the planet. We terraform entire regions - creating forests here and replacing them with farms there. Our built environment is the largest user of energy (about 70% considering materials, construction, lighting, and A/C) and by result the greatest polluter. Returning to traditional, natural building materials and conditioning strategies can help control environmental impacts and even remediate some contexts (cleaning air, water, and soil - or returning energy to the power grid).

Sustainable Goals

It is the fundamental assumption of this project that the redevelopment of St. Francis should not be limited to Cottage Hospital employees (although they should remain the primary focus). This project will attempt to retain multiple uses and demographics in the final master plan. Specific building designs will be developed to reuse materials from the existing site and structure. Natural daylighting and air conditioning will also be rellied upon. Ensuring a healthy local ecology and community will be the measure of success.