Nestled Oaks is a very personal design project that was inspired by my own experiences visiting nursing homes in Ireland with my grandad. I remember how disheartening it felt to walk into these nursing homes that were sterile, joyless, and lacking any real sense of home. That experience has stayed with me. It then became my driving force behind this project: I wanted to design a nursing home that feels warm, happy, safe, and filled with dignity and care. I had also witnessed how uplifting it was for the residents to interact with young children. This gave me the idea to bring in the integrated Montessori onto the grounds to create opportunities for natural intergenerational moments that could bring joy and meaning to both age groups. My concept came from the oak tree. The oak tree, which represents the older generation that are strong and full of wisdom, while the acorn reflects the younger generation who are full of potential, curiosity, and growth. This symbolic relationship inspired a design that brings both together in one shared, nurturing environment.

My aims were to support emotional wellbeing, promote intergenerational living, and foster a sense of real community. The project includes shared activity spaces, an intergenerational garden, a wildflower courtyard garden, and easy access to the outdoors — all designed to encourage connection and comfort. Located at Rossbrien House in County Limerick, the project preserves and repurposes the existing Georgian architecture while integrating sustainable materials like Marmoleum flooring, Colourtrend Surface Protect paint, and it also integrates sustainable design principles through material finishes, building fabric upgrade and renewable building services.