CHINATOWN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
The senior population going to Community Health Centers (CHCs) have been increasing through the years. ‘For the first time in history, by 2035, the elderly population will outnumber the children population, and this will cause a unique set of challenges in regard to health care.’ 1 Another concern is that as seniors get older, their mobility decreases. There is a 65% chance that seniors will not visit friends or family because they cannot drive. At the moment, there are about 11 million—or 28%—of seniors living alone in the United States. 2
A building should be able to stand as its own entity, but also connect with its surrounding. Therefore, for my project, the goal was to design an open space for the public along with institutional and residential components that have some cultural and neighborhood specificity. Another goal was to explore how to harmoniously connect—as well as separate (public vs private)—the various programs in the building. Referencing Codman Square Health Center (Dorchester, MA) and Bill Walczak’s philosophy, community health centers are not just about going to a doctor’s office, but also having a place for the community to go to. Therefore, my project centers around seniors and creating spaces that enable them to be close to a community health center and public space.
A building should be able to stand as its own entity, but also connect with its surrounding. Therefore, for my project, the goal was to design an open space for the public along with institutional and residential components that have some cultural and neighborhood specificity. Another goal was to explore how to harmoniously connect—as well as separate (public vs private)—the various programs in the building. Referencing Codman Square Health Center (Dorchester, MA) and Bill Walczak’s philosophy, community health centers are not just about going to a doctor’s office, but also having a place for the community to go to. Therefore, my project centers around seniors and creating spaces that enable them to be close to a community health center and public space.
1 https://news.usc.edu/143675/aging-u-s-population-unique-health-challenges/
2 https://www.census.gov/en.html
2 https://www.census.gov/en.html
