This project considers how built environments can foster intergenerational communities, helping people gracefully accompany one another through the transitions and cycles of life. It aims to make ageing visible in a positive sense, rather than denying or hiding it away. 

The building consists of two towers, connected by a large glazed atrium. Bridges and stairs connect the towers at strategic locations. The residential units form a shell around the atrium as the building’s central social core. Their large, inward-facing windows and balconies project into the atrium, softening the boundaries between public and private spaces. Green spaces are thoughtfully incorporated into the building and its landscape, drawing attention to natural biological cycles.

The building’s façade expresses two contrasting formal languages. The residential units are wrapped in a blocky, shell-like cladding, while large, fully glazed atrium and social spaces maintain a high degree of transparency between the inside and outside of the building.

The substance of the building itself is an illustration of time, incorporating exterior materials, such as Siberian larch wood and pre-patinated copper cladding panels, that will show their age as they are exposed to the elements without compromising their durability.

Visit the Ascenescent Animation page to view an animated ascent through the building and visit the Ascenescent Model and Ascenescent 3D Printing pages to see physical representations of the same project.