One of the greatest challenges in designing a care home must surely be to empathise with the human condition at what is the most distressing stage of life — to create a “home” within an essentially institutional building typology.

Nevele Care Home extension by 51N4E

Source: Filip Dujardin

The plan is almost entirely characterised by the deployment of individual rooms, with ensuite bathrooms, along a single-loaded corridor.

51N4E’s Nevele project (Buildings May 17) would appear institutional in the extreme. The view along its corridors would do any hospital proud: a double-banked corridor serving an unrelenting procession of bedrooms unrelieved by visual cues — a good example of “what not to do” in designing for those with dementia.

The apparent lack of convivial outdoor amenity areas is a lost opportunity.

You referred to the two reports by HAPPI (Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation) while claiming that debate only revolved around the cost of old age (Leader May 17). As a member of the panel I can assure you that both reports were focused virtually entirely on promoting design quality.

There has been a great improvement in the design quality of housing for older people since the publication of the HAPPI report. It is regrettable that your publication has not chosen an exemplar closer to “home”.

Roger Battersby
PRP Architects

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