A Study on the Spatial Composition Plan of Social Welfare Centers for the Intergenerational Interactions in Korea

Abstract

This study analyzes the welfare services and spatial composition of social welfare centers that represent complex welfare facilities in order to provide basic information for the spatial planning of social welfare centers. We examined 15 social welfare centers built in the 2000s. A literature review and case study were used as research methodology. The findings are as follow. First, services provided at the surveyed facilities overlapped for seniors and the handicapped. Most social welfare centers provided welfare services for seniors, young children, and teenagers. Second, the proportion of common area, program rooms was high for spatial composition. Third, front access by car was most common (used at nine centers) for the design of the access area and used by. Fourth, shared entry and exit was most common (used at 10 centers) for the design of the entrance. Fifth, regarding space combining style, a mixed style was most frequently used (observed at seven centers) where different private areas for different service users were partly mixed on certain floors. Sixth, a corridor type was most common (used at seven centers) for the design of a corridor space where visitors could walk along the corridor to access individual rooms. Based on the findings, we propose spatial composition of social welfare centers to promote mingling and exchanges among users of different generations.