Description

The Will Mark Kashiihama Residences enjoy an exclusive location in Kashiigata Bay, 20 minutes by bus from the centre of Fukuoka, and are run according to an operating concept similar to that of a hotel, a format that is not uncommon in Japan and the USA. The project’s concept can be attributed both to the architects Kume Sekkei, who have long-standing experience in hotel design (the practice was founded in 1932), and the operator, who runs a number of hotels in the region as well as several facilities for the elderly.

Although functional and rectilinear in its external appearance, the 11-storey brick-clad concrete building – with separate three-storey blocks on the north side with apartments for assisted living – resembles a high-class hotel inside. A wide variety of facilities are available to the tenants including a luxurious lounge with billiard room, a library, an event room, seminar rooms, hairdresser and beauty salon, fitness room and not least a bathing area with a panoramic view over the city. The interiors throughout have been given a distinct contemporary American-English style but are sufficiently structured to accommodate different needs and atmospheres. In addition, there is a “Japanese Room” which is regularly used for family celebrations and larger gatherings.

The apartments in the high-rise block are for active and mobile senior citizens and have south-facing windows and balconies with sizes ranging from 48 to 80 m². All apartments have an open-plan arrangement and a fully-equipped kitchen which can be divided with sliding Japanese screens. Less able-bodied residents live in the low-level blocks adjoining the main building and have access to a 24-hour care service and a nearby clinic when necessary. These 24 m²-large single rooms each have two windows on different sides to ensure sufficient illumination and to create an impression of space.

The rooms and bathrooms are designed for the elderly and equipped with a variety of technical installations; worktops and counters are designed so that wheelchairs can roll beneath them. Light wood surfaces and light green upholstery lend the entire assisted living facilities an open and friendly atmosphere.

Internal courtyards with different designs are interspersed throughout the complex and provide direct contact to the world outdoors. Along with the common rooms in the main wing, they also serve to encourage contact between the residents of both buildings.

The entrance zones and parking spaces are fully lit to ensure the safety of tenants and guests even if they arrive home late at night, and the reception is staffed around the clock.

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Originally published in: Eckhard Feddersen, Insa Lüdtke, Living for the Elderly: A Design Manual, Birkhäuser, 2011.