Buildings in the Making: A Sociological Exploration of Architecture in the Context of Health and Social Care

Overview

Our research examines the work of architects who design and develop buildings for health and social care, and is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Architects are not health and social care professionals, but they are often employed to create buildings where care takes place. A better understanding of their ways of working and their contribution to the design and delivery of care therefore offers an important path for research.

Project aims:

• Develop a sociological understanding of the day to day work of architects
• Cast light on the way knowledge about health and social care is engineered into buildings designed for care
• To understand the challenges and complexities associated with design in the health and social care sector

The study involves ethnographic case studies of architectural practices commissioned to deliver buildings for care in later life and cancer care, working alongside teams of designers and other architectural practitioners.

We are conducting qualitative interviews with architects to scope issues and challenges that they face when designing buildings such as care homes and dementia centres in commercial, charitable and public sector contexts.

We will also work alongside teams of designers in architectural firms, attending to the processes of commissioning, planning, concept and technical design of buildings in the making. This involves interviewing architects, commissioners, operators, planners, and service users, examining documentary sources (e.g. architectural briefs, perspective renderings, policy guidelines and specifications), and observing meetings and site visits.

Funding Scheme: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Research starts: August 2015
Research ends: July 2018
Grant reference number: ES/M008398/1

People

We are a team of Sociologists from the Universities of York, Kent and Queen’s, Belfast.

Ellen Annandale (Co-Investigator)

Sian Beynon-Jones (Co-Investigator)

Christina Buse (Researcher)

Daryl Martin (Co-Investigator)

Sarah Nettleton (Principal Investigator)

Mikaela Patrick (Researcher)

Lindsay Prior (Co-Investigator)

Julia Twigg (Co-Investigator)

Outputs

Publications in peer reviewed journals

Buse, C., Twigg, J., Nettleton, S. and Martin, D. (2018) Dirty linen, liminal spaces and later life: Meanings of laundry in care home design and practice, Sociological Research Online https://doi.org/10.1177/1360780418780037

Nettleton, S., Buse, C., & Martin, D. (2018). ‘Essentially it's just a lot of bedrooms’: architectural design, prescribed personalisation and the construction of care homes for later life, Sociology of Health & Illness https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-9566.12747

Nettleton, S., Buse, C., & Martin, D. (2018). Envisioning bodies and architectures of care: Reflections on competition designs for older people, Journal of Aging Studies, 45, 54-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2018.01.008

Buse, C., Nettleton, S., Martin, D., and Twigg, J. (2017) Imagined bodies: Architects and their constructions of later life, Ageing & Society, 37(7), 1435-57. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ageing-and-society/article/imagined-bodies-architects-and-their-constructions-of-later-life/659A30B0F8C07577F02B29DBC659FCA5

Martin, D., Nettleton, S., Buse, C., Prior, L. and Twigg, J. (2015) Architecture and health care: a place for sociology, Sociology of Health & Illness, 37(7), 1007-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12284

Reports

Buse, C., Nettleton, N., Martin, D (2018) Buildings in Making final report (PDF , 3,027kb). York: University of York. [Buildings in Making Presentation (PDF , 2,765kb)]

Events

'Buildings in the Making’: A Sociological Exploration of Architectural Design for Care, 18th September 2018, The Hospitium, Museum Gardens, York YO30 7DR.  

Participatory workshop [invited participants], Architectural design and construction for later life care: challenges and opportunities for designing with and for building users, June 2018,Kings Manor, University of York.

Roundtable Discussion [invited participants], Working relationships in construction and architectural design, 15th February, 23 Peasholme Green, York YO1 7PR.

Presentations  

• Buse, C., Nettleton, N., Martin, D., Patrick, M., McGinley, C. Translating dementia friendly design: Following building projects for later life care, UK Dementia Congress, Brighton, 6-8 November 2018.

• Patrick, M., Buse, C., Martin, D., McGinley, C. and Nettleton, S. Building with Care: Learning from the design and construction of architecture for later life, RIBA Research Matters Conference, University of Sheffield, 18– 19^th October 2018 

• Nettleton, S. Buse, C. Martin, D. Patrick, M. and McGinley, C. Building stories: representations of architectural design, commissioning and construction of settings for later life care. BSA 50th Annual Medical Sociology Conference, Glasgow Caledonian University 12^th September 2018.

• Buse, C., Nettleton, N., Martin, D. Design and construction for dementia care: Following ‘buildings in the making’, York Minds and Voices [DEEP – the Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project], Wheatlands Grove York, 23^rd July 2018.

• Buse, C., Nettleton, N., Martin, D. Everyday creativity in architectural design and construction, Everyday Creativity: A Morgan Centre Conference, University of Manchester, 10-22 July 2018.

• Martin, D., Nettleton, S. and Buse, C. Biographies, bricks and belonging: architectural imaginaries of home-making in later life, British Society of Gerontology 47th Annual Conference, University of Manchester, 4 -6 July 2018.

• Buse, C., Nettleton, N., Martin, D. Architectural design for care in later life: following ‘buildings in the making’, Yorkshire & Humber Region Housing LIN Meeting, The Octagon, Hull, June 19^th 2018.

• Patrick, M., Buse, C., Martin, D., McKinlay, C. and Nettleton, S. Ecologies of Care: designing, construtcing and living with care (homes), European Healthcare Design Conference Royal College of Physicians, London, 11-13th June 2018. [Poster Presentation]

• Buse, C., Nettleton, N., Martin, D., Patrick, M., McGinley, C. Design for dementia in practice: Following ‘buildings in the making’, Shifting Paradigms in Dementia 5: Architecture, Design and Dementia, University of Stirling May 31^st 2018. [invited talk]

• Buse, C., Nettleton, S., Twigg, J., and Martin, D.  Well-being and Materiality, National Heritage Science Forum event: Health, Well-being and Cultural Heritage: Research, Evidence and Practice, Tate Modern, London, 12^th September 2017. [invited talk]

• Annandale, E. Beynon-Jones, S., Buse, C., Martin, D., and Nettleton, S. ‘Virtual Collectives’ and ‘embodied individuals’: architects drawing stakeholders into alignment in the building of care homes for later life, BSA Medical Sociology Conference, University of York, 13-15 September 2017.

• Buse, C., Nettleton, S., Twigg, J., and Martin, D. Identity, Material Objects and the Built Environment, International masterclass on design for dementia 1^st June 2017, University of Stirling.

• Prior, L. Thinking about design … and its implications for health research, BSA Yorkshire Medical Sociology Group meeting Healthy spaces: space, place and design for well-being, University of York, 17th May 2017.

• Nettleton, S. Buse, C. and Martin, D. Making Places for Care: An Exploration of Materials and the Liveliness of Things in the Design of Residential Care Homes for Later Life, Research Seminar Series: Exploring Sensory And Material Methodologies Seminar Brunel University London, 5^th May 2017

• Martin, D. Buse, C. and Nettleton, S. The material cultures and affective atmospherics of care in later life. British Sociological Association Annual Conference. Manchester, 6^th April2017.

• Nettleton, S. Buse, C. Martin, D. et al. Managing body ‘matter’ in architectural design for later life. The sociological gaze: reflecting on David Armstrong's contribution to medical sociology  Guy’s Hospital, London, 31st March 2017

• Martin, D., Nettleton, S., and Buse, C. Future care, architecturally induced: the role of the body in designs for later life. ICC 6th International Conference on Architecture Competitions, Leeds Metropolitan University, 27-29^th October 2016.

• Buse, C., Nettleton, S., Martin, D., and Twigg, J. Images of ageing in architectural design for older people. Paper presented at 4S/EASST Science & technology by other means: Exploring collectives, spaces and futures, Barcelona, August 31- 3^rd September 2016.

• Nettleton, S., Buse, C. and Martin, D. Envisioning bodies and architectures of care: reflections on competition designs for older people, Ageing Societies: Transnational contexts, technologies & practices, Leeds, July 2016.

• Annandale, E., Beynon-Jones, S, Buse, C., Martin, D., and Nettleton, S. Architects Designing for Care: Knowledge brokers in times of change, 3^rd ISA Forum of Sociology, Vienna, 10-14 July 2016.

• Annandale, E. Beynon-Jones, S, Buse, C., Martin, D., and Nettleton, S. Compromising for care: architects as designers and knowledge brokers in the context of later life, ESA RN16 Mid-term conference, 19^th – 21^st May 2016.

• Buse, C. Material methods for research with people with dementia: dress and architecture, Dementia and Everyday Life Workshop, University of Manchester, April 2016.

• Buse, C., Nettleton, S., Martin, D., and Twigg, J. Bodies in mind: Architects conceptions of the ageing body when designing for care, BSA Medical Sociology Conference, University of York, 9-11 September 2015.

• Nettleton, S. Buse, C., Martin, D., and Twigg, J. Architects conceptions of the ageing body when designing for residential care in later life, Materialities of Care: Encountering Health and Illness Through Objects, Artefacts, and Architecture, York, 16-17^th September 2015.

   

   

Materialities Network

'Materialities of Care' is a research network exploring material culture in the context of health and social care. It addresses how everyday artefacts (such as objects, dress, interiors and architecture) are entangled with health and social care encounters, and mediate practices, identities and embodied experiences of health and illness. It is an interdisciplinary network, drawing together perspectives from across disciplines, including sociology, history, archaeology, architecture, geography and museum studies.

The network builds on a two day event Materialities of Care: Encountering Health and Illness Through Objects, Artefacts, and Architecture hosted at the University of York on 16-17 September 2015, supported by funding from the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness. Further information about the network can be found on our website or twitter

If you are interested in being part of the network or would like to hear more about future events please contact either Daryl Martin daryl.martin@york.ac.uk or Chrissy Buse christina.buse@york.ac.uk