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Rooftop Garden and Brick Facade Enriching Community Spaces for Seniors

Authors:
Zaoqing Liu, Boyang Li, Yizhuo Chen
Rooftop Garden and Brick Facade Enriching Community Spaces for Seniors

Project in-detail

With a rooftop garden and a brick facade, this facility enhances community interaction and well-being for seniors through thoughtfully designed residential and communal spaces.
5 key facts about this project
01
Rooftop garden designed for social interaction and relaxation.
02
Brick facade integrates with the historical context of Harrisonburg.
03
Cross-laminated timber panels enhance structural efficiency and sustainability.
04
Charred wooden shingles provide improved weather resistance and aesthetic appeal.
05
Dedicated spaces for intergenerational activities foster community connection.

**Project Overview**
Senior Renaissance Living is an elder care facility located in downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia. The design responds to the increasing challenges posed by an aging population and aims to create an environment that supports community engagement, fosters interaction, and promotes active living among seniors. By offering various amenities and enhancing connectivity, the facility addresses issues of social isolation, thereby improving the quality of life for its residents.

**Spatial Organization and Community Integration**
The facility is organized across four floors, each designed with specific functions to support the diverse needs of senior residents. The first floor serves as a public interface with features such as an accessible community kitchen and gallery, encouraging social interaction. In contrast, the second floor incorporates a library and gym, linking indoor activities with outdoor spaces. The arrangement of the third floor facilitates connections among residents, while the fourth-floor rooftop garden provides green spaces for relaxation and social gatherings. This strategic layout enhances both private and communal experiences, integrating the facility into the broader urban environment.

**Material Selection and Sustainability**
The chosen materials reflect a commitment to warmth, safety, and sustainability. Brick serves as the structural base, providing durability while honoring the historical context of Harrisonburg. Glass elements maximize natural light and foster visibility between spaces, enhancing the user experience. Wood accents in communal areas create a welcoming atmosphere, while steel is used for structural integrity. Incorporating vegetation and living walls improves air quality and promotes therapeutic landscapes, further supporting both resident well-being and environmental sustainability. This approach underscores a holistic vision of elder care that acknowledges and respects the dignity of aging populations while revitalizing the urban fabric.

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MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

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Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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