ACADEMIC CASE STUDY / 2015

Senior Living

Architecture for the rhythms
of everyday life.

PROJECT: Master’s degree project
INSTITUTION: Lebanese University
SCALE: Approximately 40,000 m²
DESIGNER: Safa Abdo

Atrium — view beneath the glazed dome — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Atrium — view beneath the glazed dome3D VISUALIZATION

THE DESIGN QUESTION

How can architecture respond
to time and everyday experience?

Developed as my master’s degree project, Senior Living explores time as a fourth dimension and its relationship to the experience and well-being of senior residents. The work moves from the scale of the site to the spaces of daily life: arrival, dining, recreation, and rest.

Academic design study · Drawings and visualizations document the proposed design.

MY CONTRIBUTION

Architectural and interior design · Space planning · Floor plans, elevations, and sections · 3D visualization

AutoCAD · 3ds Max · V-Ray · Photoshop

SITE & ARCHITECTURE

From the whole
to the individual space.

The site plan and ground floor establish the project’s overall organization. Curved building wings, circular shared spaces, and the landscape form a consistent geometry that carries into the interior studies.

Landscape and overall site plan — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Landscape and overall site planDESIGN DRAWING

Ground floor plan — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Ground floor planDESIGN DRAWING

Select any drawing to enlarge it. In the image viewer, “Open full resolution” lets you inspect the original sheet.

ARRIVAL & VOLUME

A central space,
developed in plan and section.

The reception study brings the architectural and interior scales together. The circular plan, mezzanine, and glazed dome are developed through drawings and perspectives, making the relationship between levels and volume visible.

Reception floor plan — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Reception floor planDESIGN DRAWING

Reception section A–A′ — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Reception section A–A′DESIGN DRAWING

Reception — arrival-level perspective — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Reception — arrival-level perspective3D VISUALIZATION

Explore the mezzanine, second section, and alternate view

Reception mezzanine plan — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Reception mezzanine planDESIGN DRAWING

Reception section B–B′ — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Reception section B–B′DESIGN DRAWING

Reception — alternate perspective — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Reception — alternate perspective3D VISUALIZATION

RESIDENTIAL INTERIORS

A closer look
at private daily life.

The bedroom study brings the project down to the scale of furniture and individual use. Plans and sections show the arrangement of sleeping, seating, and bathroom areas; the perspectives show how those elements are composed as an interior.

Bedroom — view toward the seating area — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Bedroom — view toward the seating area3D VISUALIZATION

Bedroom floor plan — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Bedroom floor planDESIGN DRAWING

Bedroom sections — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Bedroom sectionsDESIGN DRAWING

View the bedroom from the sleeping area

Bedroom — view toward the sleeping area — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Bedroom — view toward the sleeping area3D VISUALIZATION

DINING & RECREATION

Spaces for
life together.

The shared-space studies cover dining, billiards, and an indoor pool. Each is presented through its own drawings and visualization, showing the move from a functional layout to a developed interior.

Dining

Furniture layout, sections, and atmosphere.

Restaurant — interior perspective — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Restaurant — interior perspective3D VISUALIZATION

Restaurant floor plan — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Restaurant floor planDESIGN DRAWING

Restaurant sections — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Restaurant sectionsDESIGN DRAWING

View an additional restaurant perspective

Restaurant — alternate perspective — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Restaurant — alternate perspective3D VISUALIZATION

Recreation

The billiards room.

Billiards room — interior perspective — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Billiards room — interior perspective3D VISUALIZATION

Billiards plan and sections

Billiards room floor plan — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Billiards room floor planDESIGN DRAWING

Billiards room sections — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Billiards room sectionsDESIGN DRAWING

Pool

The indoor swimming space.

Pool plan and sections

Pool floor plan — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Pool floor planDESIGN DRAWING

Pool sections — Senior Living, Safa Abdo — Pool sectionsDESIGN DRAWING

TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT

Read the project
across its levels.

The remaining architectural sheets extend the case study with the basement, upper floors, and building elevations. They remain available here for a closer review of the project.

Open the architectural drawing set · 5 sheets