Vaamika Yadav

CHoF: Community + Learning Hub for the Elderly

The essence of the project is to create a new communal space for people of all generations as well as creating an ecological node  that connects well with both the town of Musselburgh and the QMU campus. The proposed hub building aims to complement  the care-home complex and to enhance the welcoming feeling for local people from the community. The building  carefully differentiates between public, private and semi-public spaces, providing a programme of functions dedicated to mental and physical well-being, particularly for those requiring care. The three storied building is organised vertically. The ground floor offers cafe and retail spaces are utilised by the public with opportunities for all to interact with the main event space. The activity/learning room on the north side offers volunteer-based, interactive activities like music, reading etc. Other  programme specific areas like the gym, hydrotherapy and art and gallery spaces on the first level are more private. The building is located on the north-west corner  of the allocated site of Queen Margaret University,  next to the proposed student accommodation tower. Hence, it successfully provides a link with the town and acts as a resource for frail older people living within the complex and the wider community.