Murray & Evanthea House
27 state-of-the-art care bedrooms for people living with dementia in the Borders
Murray & Evanthea House provide 27 state of the art care bedrooms for people living with dementia in the Borders. The two linked houses are adjacent to the existing Queens House Nursing Home in Kelso.
The Board of QME Care identified a clear need for specialist dementia appropriate accommodation in 2016. The initial scope of the project was for an 18 bedroom model, Murray House, with a further 9 bedroom house, Evanthea, being added during design.
The site previously formed the garden of a villa and the remaining part of the original stone wall has been integrated into the boundary of the site. The main community street and entrance building picks up this line with the two separate houses sitting as individual pavilions in their garden grounds.
The community street provides reception, café, hairdressers and visitor facilities with the entrance clearly marked by mono pitched zinc roof elements.
Visually, the elevations of the houses are given interest and movement by the pattern of bedroom bays united under a simple pitched roof.
Working with Hammond Care, Aitken Turnbull developed a design strategy drawing on best practice in dementia design and based on:
- Freedom of movement
- Small living groups
- Clear and legible environment for residents using best practice in dementia design
- Maintain the connection with the outside garden space
PROJECT GALLERY
