Guiding Light: The Architecture of Sleep for Dementia

Disruptive sleeping behaviours are a key symptom of dementia that accelerates transition from the home towards full time institutional care. For thousands of families in New Zealand, respite facilities offer a temporary relief from this symptom in an attempt to prolong care at home. However the predominant use of pharmaceutical therapy coupled with unstimulating care environments leads to sleeping behaviours deteriorating upon returning home.  In order to provide an alternative approach to pharmaceutical therapy and research towards treating disruptive sleep behaviour, this thesis addresses pre-existing inter-disciplinary literature, field trips, international precedents and an iterative method of design to investigate: How can the architecture of a respite facility improve sleeping behaviours and instigate meaningful environmental research within dementia care?  Environmental strategies involving light, movement and community were identified as key objectives towards improving sleep behaviour within the design. Introducing a shared courtyard with the public that facilitated continuous movement alongside the circadian rhythms of the sun, allowed a design that would engage with all three objectives in order to improve sleep behaviour of residents with mild symptoms of dementia. As symptoms progress, the adoption of an artificial lighting environment in a purpose built sleep lab allowed a space for scientific enquiry to the nature and treatment of sleep for those with later stages of dementia. The final design integrates both natural and artificial environments into a single respite facility, strengthening its therapeutic potential to prolong home care for the thousands of families affected by dementia in New Zealand.