Architecture is not for selected few but EVERYONE.

LAFC (Lakewood, Washington State, USA)

Lakewood Adult Family Care (LAFC) project is for a couple from Kenya who dreamed of opening a five-bedroom adult family care facility.  They have a big dream with a limited budget.

The proposed design is very simple.  Bedroom wings are oriented north-south for solar orientation.  They are then connected by communal/gathering spaces such as kitchen, dining, and family rooms.  To keep the cost down, the building must be as compact as possible, resulting in a triangular plan with an internal courtyard.  A patio is provided at the front of the building and an access to the garden in the back.

The form of the building is a simple split gable for easy construction but with a twist, creating higher ceiling space for the bedrooms culminating at dining and family rooms.  The triangular internal courtyard is covered with polycarbonate roof for weather protection but it allows natural light to come in.  Windows and sliding doors are vinyl to keep the cost down.  They are arranged compositionally as punch openings in the walls clad with panel siding. The project reinterprets the use of cheap materials common in spec houses to create a fresh look.

The main color of the building is white to match with the vinyl windows and doors.  Accent paint colors are used in the interior to identify each room.  As we age, we perceive color less vibrantly.  Therefore, the elderly requires more contrast to distinguish colors.  The colors chosen are toned down accordingly to suit the elderly.  Red and yellow are used in the kitchen and dining to bring out appetite and desire for activity.  Greens, blues, and purples are used to identify each bedroom for rest and peacefulness.  These colors, although toned down, create enough contrast to the white background of the building.  Natural material is introduced to soften the space in the form of the laminated wood floor.