From Institutions to Neighborhoods: Designing an Intergenerational Care Community: A Service Design Proposal for Shared Living Between Children in Residential Care and Older

Abstract

Care environments have traditionally been organized around institutional models that separate vulnerable populations from everyday community life. While these structures provide essential protection and professional support, their spatial organization and social routines may unintentionally reinforce identities based on dependency and institutional belonging rather than personal identity, autonomy, and social participation.

Drawing on environmental psychology, social ergonomics, attachment theory, and service design perspectives, this research investigates how spatial configurations and relational structures influence the perception and experience of care environments. It explores the limitations of traditional care models and identifies the importance of small-scale environments, relational continuity, and opportunities for informal interaction.

Based on these findings, the project proposes a service design model for an intergenerational living compound integrated within a residential neighbourhood. The proposed model consists of small house-like units where seniors, orphans in residential care, and stable adult figures coexist while maintaining privacy, autonomy, and personal boundaries. Shared spaces within the compound extend beyond residents by inviting the surrounding community to participate, creating opportunities for voluntary encounters between children, adults, and seniors.

This proposal explores how spatial and organizational conditions can enable meaningful connections to emerge naturally. By transforming care environments from isolated institutions into open relational ecosystems, this research contributes to the exploration of how service design and architecture can support belonging, identity reconstruction, and more inclusive models of social care.