LIVING SPACE FOR SENIORS IN RURAL AREAS

A specific issue is dwelling for seniors in rural areas, especially now, when Czech rural areas inhabitants are coming older. The good design of living space for seniors (not only in rural areas) could be devided into three sections according to the movement of seniors. In rural areas is necessary to count with the smaller scale and more private and natural design than in urban areas. The first one is private zone, which is presented by flat units for seniors. There should be mentioned flexibility (the health condition of inhabitant may get worse) and private space that make a home-feeling. The private greenery is very important in rural space, so the design of private gardens makes the home-feeling stronger. Flat units for seniors and the other facilities units are composed together to make a rural natural shapes of urbanistic layout. There is very important to think of a good orientation in complex. Long straight corridors are unpleasant and uncomfortable. Much better are short sections with islands of green. Creating quality urban spaces makes a good condition for primary community development. Primary community are inhabitants of seniors dwelling complex. The public spaces for meetings of primery community present the second zone of movement. There is the main rule to avoid boring solution. Monotony and straight lines do not make good residential areas. The third zone is presented by the places of meetings with the secondary community (non-inhabitants of seniors dwelling complex). This is an urbanistic task of relations between seniors dwelling complex and the center of village. There is important to keep in touch seniors and others residents. So the locations too far from the village center are not very suitable. Ideal locality should be not very far from the village center, but should be also in calm area. The journey from seniors dwelling complex to the center should be easy, safe and comfortable, with benches to have a rest. The seniors dwelling complex should offer enough cultural and social activities for the other residents of village to make stronger community relations. Interesting type of living could be senior cohousing too. The paper presents a schematic solutions of flats units, spatial composition of the flats units and examples of suitable and unsuitable location of seniors dwelling complex in context of the village. The typology schemes are completed by the example of existing and twelve years good runs senior dwelling complex in Kne'lice nearby Nymburk.