Elder Care Housing

This Elder Care Housing proposal explores how a community rooted in companionship can define architecture and strengthen the everyday relationships that sustain well-being throughout later life. Rather than emphasizing individual accommodation alone, the project creates a sequence of shared indoor and outdoor spaces that encourage gathering, conversation, gardening, and the simple rituals of daily life, fostering a lasting sense of belonging among residents.

Responding to the sloping landscape of the site in central Portugal, two gently folded building wings descend the hillside, opening toward the arc of the sun and the surrounding valley. Their careful arrangement shapes a series of sheltered courtyards and terraced gardens, allowing the landscape to become an extension of the communal life of the village. Double-height spaces draw natural light deep into the buildings, marking places of encounter, shared activity, and movement through the complex.

Views between buildings, across gardens, and through the valley establish continual visual connections, allowing residents to remain aware of one another while preserving privacy and independence. The architecture seeks to balance companionship with moments of retreat, creating an environment where social connection arises naturally through the rhythms of everyday life.

The project proposes a model of aging grounded not in separation, but in community—where architecture strengthens the bonds between people, landscape, and the shared experience of belonging.