In March the first intesive programme in the SWAIP project was held in Alicante, focusing on Architecture on Dementia. The aim of the workshop was to explore, with an interdisciplinary group of students and teachers, questions such as how the built environment can influence the memory, and how we can work with the five senses and architecture, with the goal to slow down the Alzheimer disease.

Participants were both students and teachers from the fields of music, theater, design, architecture, fine art, art therapy, and education.

The workshop opened with excercises focusing on encouraging social communication and dialogues, walking on the beach and sharing experiences related to the sea through the notion of place, weather, smell, touch and emotional memory.

The workshop was based on group work inspired by Rem Koolhaas’ 15 books on Elements of Architecture. This allowed students to look at the main components that constitute our buildings with a particular attention on one element in each book, about the its history end evolution in terms of time place and techniques: Window, Façade, Balcony, Corridor, Staircase etc. With this starting point the students explored how the build environment, space, light, views and atmospheres affect those who suffer dementia, but also how the environment can be stimulating and an opportunity to work with memory. At the end of the course the students created a new addition to Koolhaas’ books on the elements, with input related to wellbeing and dementia.