Senior Citizens Housing

Project description

PKA Architects was commissioned by the St. Vincent de Paul Society, in association with Fingal County Council, to design this sheltered housing and communal building development at Estuary Road, Malahide.

Located on a backlands site, PKA's design consists of two ranges of housing: a curved terrace winds along the public road side's boundary; and this is faced by a series of pavilion blocks, each containing three units that screen an adjoining housing development to the rear.

An enclosed garden as the focus of the scheme creates a secure environment for the residents. All living rooms face onto this space, maximising passive surveillance and generating a sense of communal engagement among residents.

The language is simple and economic; rendered walls, slate roofs, timber windows and cedar cladding are used on all three elements to give the scheme an identifiable character and identity.

Using state-of-the-art technologies to reduce carbon emissions, the scheme has obtained a B1 energy rating, with solar panels, self-condensing boilers and high insulation levels.

The project has been widely praised by its residents and housing professionals alike. It won the Irish Council for Social Housing's best housing for the elderly in 2009.

Source: www.pka.ie