Spatial Clues for Orientation: Architectural Design Meets People with Dementia

The physical environment holds great potential to improve the well-being of people with dementia when designed appropriately. However, when designing environments for them, architects are faced with a lack of adequate design knowledge. At the same time, it is hypothesized that the perspectives of people with dementia have the potential to expand architects’ design expertise. Starting from this hypothesis, our research aims to gain a better understanding of the spatial experiences of people with dementia in order to expand architects’ design knowledge. This paper outlines how this overall objective has become more articulated into more specific research questions through preliminary research. The central research question is how the physical environment as a motor medium can afford or impede a person’s orientation in time-space-identity. We plan to tackle this research question in two ways: firstly, through ethnographic research that is a combination of an analysis of the physical environment, interviews and observations, and secondly, through ‘research by design’. We hope to add new insights on important aspects of how people with frailty and cognitive impairment negotiate space and that our results will help designers to improve the orientation and well-being of people with dementia and to reduce their care needs.status: publishe