The Fair Close Centre, Newbury By: iB Architects Location:  Newbury, West Berkshire  |  Client:  Age Concern Newbury  |  Status:  Complete The Fair Close Centre is a purpose-built facility in the south of Newbury’s town centre.  It was  opened in 1967 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and provides essential aging-well programmes for the older community.  The building is brick and designed in the modern style – synonymous with mid-century form. The centre approached iB Architects to help expand their services and include a dementia respite day care facility. This project aimed to transform an underutilised, large south-facing day-lounge into a dementia-friendly space.  The proposed space overlooks a small garden and provides direct external access into the room, it currently is not dementia friendly, and it was felt that a more thoughtful approach could provide a bespoke room to really enrich the experience of the users. Using research provided by the Dementia Services Development Centre at Stirling University, a renovation scheme was designed to transform the building into a welcoming safe and friendly space, where people living with dementia can enjoy spending time, engage in various activities, and meet new people – providing much needed respite for their full-time … Continue reading Dementia-Friendly Design With Big Impact