The Kopitiam Village
This thesis reimagines dementia care through the lens of home, inspired by a personal experience with my grandmother with dementia who longed to “go home” despite already being there. It explores how dementia disrupts memory, spatial awareness, and belonging, particularly within Asian cultural contexts where stigma and expectations around filial piety often hinder access to professional care. By identifying three key components of home: stability, connection, and purpose, the project translates these into a masterplan comprising a familiar neighbourhood, a socially engaging communal house, and a purpose-driven kopitiam, a Malaysian coffee shop, where traditional coffee-making becomes a therapeutic, meaningful activity. Together, these spaces aim to offer individuals with dementia a renewed sense of home, rooted not in memory but in the present.
