HammondCare’s newest dementia village design, at Daw Park in Adelaide, sets a new standard in home-like design that helps improve quality of life for people living with dementia.
HammondCare Daw Park is a purpose-built village for people requiring specialised dementia care. Modelled on a regular family household, Daw Park’s small cottages are uniquely designed to improve quality of life. Accessible features including family home kitchens encourage continued involvement in daily activities.
The Brief
Katie Formston, HammondCare’s Head of Design, Property and Capital Works, said the interior designers and decorators went above and beyond to make the rooms even more warm and inviting than previous builds.
The use of familiar domestic objects and furniture makes them more recognisable and usable for residents than the institutional coverings in traditional aged care and hospital environments, and the tactility of elements such as upholstery can be comforting.
“Fabric is one of the many tools for making an environment enabling for our residents,” said Katie. “If residents can see and sense their space it allows them to understand that space, meaning they can live more independently. Fabrics are a big part of that.”
Materialised Product
One of their favourite selections are the Materialised fabrics they’ve been using for many years.
The Dementia Centre’s Design Lead, Daniel Jameson, explained, “One of the best things about Materialised is their wide range of Crypton fabrics. Because it resists moisture, it can withstand all the challenges that aged care can throw at it. Plus you can clean it, and it’s hard-wearing. At the same time, it comes in a range of textures, colours and patterns.“
“And because many of the Cryptons can be digitally printed, we can use different selections in the one space – just like at home.”
The Result
Katie said that she considers it a real responsibility to make spaces more enabling for HammondCare residents. “We’re entrusted with the well-being of that resident – they’re at the centre of every design decision,” she said. And clearly they have achieved exactly that!
Learn more about HammondCare’s textile considerations for dementia design in their blog post.
The Team & Credits
Aged Care Facility: HammondCare
Interior Design: Bickerton Masters
Materialised Team: QLD
About the Author: Catherine McGowan
