Shree Nighila Ak
MSc in Interior Design, Bangalore
Prefabricated Home & Retirement Home – JD Design Awards 2024
Shree Nighila Ak, a talented student enrolled in the MSc in Interior Design at JD School of Design in Bangalore, has recently been honoured with the prestigious JD Design Award for Best Thesis of the Year. Her winning project, titled “Prefabricated Home & Retirement Home,” envisions a nurturing environment that maximises comfort while promoting independence for elderly residents. This innovative thesis combines modern convenience with sustainable design, reflecting Shree’s commitment to creating healthier, more eco-friendly living spaces.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Shree’s project aims to address the unique challenges faced by elderly individuals, particularly those related to mobility and independence. Her design incorporates a ceiling lift system, a feature that significantly enhances mobility within the home. By integrating prefabrication techniques, the project also emphasises sustainability, utilising passive housing principles to ensure optimal indoor air quality. The materials chosen for construction, such as rice husk, hydraulic lime plaster, and bamboo plywood, underscore her dedication to sustainability.
These natural materials not only support environmental health but also create a breathable and healing living environment. This thoughtful blend of functionality and eco-friendliness positions Shree’s project as a forward-thinking solution for the rising demand for retirement homes, driven by societal trends such as nuclear family growth and the desire for independent living.
JDDA 2024
Shree’s project draws inspiration from the older adults’ desire to have their own transportation while living in communities that care for them. The project scenario involves innovative retirement home architecture that incorporates creation technologies and eco-friendly resources to improve people’s standard of living. The opportunities of 3D printing technology and the idea of using mud mix for construction allow Shree to preserve the exotic Indian appearance of homes while, at the same time, being an environmentally friendly project.
Shree has selected Prefabricated Home & Retirement Home due to her passion for home designing and her inspiration for the JD Design Award for Best Thesis of the Year. Incorporating terracotta flooring, aluminium window frames recycled from other products, and lime plaster enhances the project’s sustainability idea. Shree’s design solution thus not only caters to the functional needs of older adults who face physical disability but also provides them an opportunity to activate their belongings with Natural Build and consequently lead a better and less painful life. Her project’s key fact is a perfect example of how sustainable design will meet the needs of people for convenient and usable space in the future.
Shree Nighila Ak
MSc in Interior Design, Bangalore
www.jddesignawards.com