Orli Schwartz
The Sandwich Generation refers to those that take on the responsibility of providing care for their aging parents, while simultaneously providing care and support for their own growing children. This is where the term sandwich comes from as these young to middle-aged adults are sandwiched between the two groups. It is estimated that around 11 million caregivers in the U.S. provide unpaid care to an adult relative while caring for their own children, however, this number is likely much higher than reported, as many in this demographic do not associate the work they do with caregiving.
The Sandwich Generation faces many challenges, including balancing unpaid care work of many types with paid employment and providing financial and emotional support to their parents and children. With the pandemic, they have faced the additional burden of protecting high-risk parents from the virus, all while working and looking after school-age children.
Through the research I have done, in addition to witnessing my own parents as they have navigated through this part of their lives, it is clear that the experience of being a part of the sandwich generation, in addition to the challenges it creates on a daily basis, can be incredibly isolating. While this group may not share a generational label, many of its members do however have a shared set of experiences, challenges, and responsibilities given the unique position they inhabit.
The Sandwich Generation faces many challenges, including balancing unpaid care work of many types with paid employment and providing financial and emotional support to their parents and children. With the pandemic, they have faced the additional burden of protecting high-risk parents from the virus, all while working and looking after school-age children.
Through the research I have done, in addition to witnessing my own parents as they have navigated through this part of their lives, it is clear that the experience of being a part of the sandwich generation, in addition to the challenges it creates on a daily basis, can be incredibly isolating. While this group may not share a generational label, many of its members do however have a shared set of experiences, challenges, and responsibilities given the unique position they inhabit.
My design for this project focuses on the creation of a community around this shared set of experiences, which in turn provides opportunities for sharing of caregiving and resources, and a celebration of the process of aging throughout all phases of life.
In taking on this project, I began by exploring concepts of separation and togetherness. The form of my buildings takes the shape of varying levels of separation in multiple dwelling pairs in order to allow for varying levels of independence and dependence for Sandwich Generation caregivers, their parents, and their children.
In taking on this project, I began by exploring concepts of separation and togetherness. The form of my buildings takes the shape of varying levels of separation in multiple dwelling pairs in order to allow for varying levels of independence and dependence for Sandwich Generation caregivers, their parents, and their children.
I chose to begin with gable forms, as they are present in the majority of the surrounding houses, and it was important to me that the dwellings blend with the fabric of the existing single-family neighborhood. Despite the more traditional or rigid street-facing sides of the buildings, there are glimpses of their irregularities beyond, through the spaces between them.
The pairs of dwellings are broken or cracked open to create voids. These voids function as common spaces for the sandwich generation families. The voids are connected with a faceted sloping landscape that also connects to both the rooftop of the support building and the surrounding residential streets. This common space bridges the dwellings to bring together the different generations of each family, as well as to connect all of the families, and to connect to the greater surrounding community of the site and neighborhood.
I created a layered isometric drawing of my design with the aim of telling a story about the experience of the design and how it operates for the users. My drawing focuses on the affordances of the relationship of the buildings and the space between them as a critical component.
I chose to focus on the term configuration as the starting point for my exploration. Configuration is defined as a relative arrangement of parts or elements. I wanted to explore what it means to configure space, how space can be malleable, and how this is especially important when considering aging in all of its forms. The sandwich generation as a constituency requires flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing needs on a daily, weekly, or yearly basis. The blending of scales with the hands and other entourage combines with this concept of configuration to show how those who live there might participate in configuring the space according to their unique needs over time.
The pairs of dwellings are broken or cracked open to create voids. These voids function as common spaces for the sandwich generation families. The voids are connected with a faceted sloping landscape that also connects to both the rooftop of the support building and the surrounding residential streets. This common space bridges the dwellings to bring together the different generations of each family, as well as to connect all of the families, and to connect to the greater surrounding community of the site and neighborhood.
I created a layered isometric drawing of my design with the aim of telling a story about the experience of the design and how it operates for the users. My drawing focuses on the affordances of the relationship of the buildings and the space between them as a critical component.
I chose to focus on the term configuration as the starting point for my exploration. Configuration is defined as a relative arrangement of parts or elements. I wanted to explore what it means to configure space, how space can be malleable, and how this is especially important when considering aging in all of its forms. The sandwich generation as a constituency requires flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing needs on a daily, weekly, or yearly basis. The blending of scales with the hands and other entourage combines with this concept of configuration to show how those who live there might participate in configuring the space according to their unique needs over time.