| Abstrakt: |
AbstractThe residential unit, in which the elderly spends most of their time, is an essential component of a nursing home. In order for a nursing home to provide comfortable environment and good architectural appearances, it is mandatory to have well-designed residential units. We undertook this study to define prototypes of residential units and compare their characteristics. We identified the concept of residential unit and analyzed 67 cases of residential units from 62 nursing homes in four different countries (Korea, Japan, U.S., and the U.K). We then classified architectural prototypes of the residential unit into 12 groups based on the shape and function of corridors. Finally, architectural characteristics were compared analytically in terms of such factors as the number of residents per unit, the number of residents per bedroom, the residential unit area per bed, and the proportion of the bedroom area to the unit area. This work may serve as a knowledge base in designing future nursing homes and contribute to the establishment of a standard guideline for nursing home design. |
