This is the synopsis of Moksham Design Competition themed towards healthy living for the elderly by Pappal Suneja & Associates. The team comprises of a trio of young Indians: architect Pappal Suneja, and architecture students Mayank Gupta, and Nalini Sharma. The competition motto emphasized the fact that making life longer cannot be controlled, but making it better can be! And the brief described in the competition brochure stated that “the world stands on the threshold of a stunning demographic transformation: “the global aging”, and it promises to reshape virtually every dimension of the economy and society over the next few decades. This raises a question on the ability of our society to provide a decent standard of living for the elderly to our country.

The basic ideology behind this proposal is that Elderly Citizens are a resource to a society, thus we must cater to their needs and aspirations when they need us the most. The design attributes must be inclusive and make them feel comfortable away from their homes. There is a famous saying that one goes back to their childhood once they turn 70+, thus, it is imperative that they are taken care of and made feel lively by creating opportunities so that they can comfortably utilize the time available to them. The site chosen by the designers is in Gobindpura; Phagwara, Punjab. It is 1.4 km from Phagwara railway station and bus stand. The temperature here ranges from 12.7 degrees C to 33.6 degrees C. Even the basic facilities over here are much limited that it leads to the migration of people to better places. Their migration results in the elderly being left alone and helpless.

The team has proposed a 15 bedded old age home inclusive of an additional daycare facility for 50 people. The major motto is to provide a decent standard of living to the inhabitants and to bring positive vibes in their lives so that they can feel comfortable and freely pursue their hobbies, share laughter with the people around them and a lot more.  The various spaces that form a part of the scheme are Meditation Space, Nursing, Indoor recreation, outdoor kitchen gardens, parks, multi-purpose hall etc. so that they are busy with one or the other activity and satisfactorily utilize the time available.

The design parameters adopted by the team in this proposal correspond to a simple approach such that it is easy for the elderly to correlate with the spaces on their own; the color scheme undertaken is cool colors to provide the much needed soothing effect. Also, the inter-relational spaces of recreation are treated with the sole purpose of accommodating them. 

In every manner, it is ensured that the prime factor of consideration is their comfort just as no other place can provide the most comfort and contentment in comparison to what one’s own house can provide With the elements of freshness, Venturi Effect (Doctor’s Breeze), Indoor Plants as Disinfectant, Cool Color Scheme in Accommodation unit and Warm Color Scheme in the Indoor Activity and Recreation area add life to the place. An excellent blend of a calm and serene environment with that of jovial and active ambiance makes the place full of high Spirits. Working with the principles of Ar. Laurie Baker, the building is designed on the strata of cost efficiency and humane comfort.

On a concluding note, this home for excellence and growth is designed such that happiness and contentment are attained in the last stages of their life. An effort to help them in recollecting their good memories has been made. This place shall help them to live their second childhood. Also, there could be a crèche added in the future, once the inhabitants are stable as the symbiotic relationship attained because of the interdependence of both age groups shall add to the overall growth and this shall eventually increase the life expectancy of the people who are accommodated in this Old Age Home for Excellence. This shall enable the elderly to share their experiences with children and in return, the children will teach them about the technologies used these days.

Energy Savings 

Total Energy Saved Equivalent to 354,411.54 kWh (1 kWh = 3.6 MJ) for building footprint of 2000 sq.m

Fact file:

Name of Competition: Moksham, Healthy Living for the Elderly

Conducted by: IIT Delhi & HUDCO, India

Date of Commencement: April 2018

Participating Team: Pappal Suneja & Associates

Participants: Pappal Suneja, Principal Architect

Mayank Gupta, Architecture Student & Graphic Designer

Nalini Sharma, Architecture Student & 3D-Visualizer

Status: Honorable Mention

All Images © Pappal Suneja, Mayank Gupta, Nalini Sharma