In a world where age and disability often define one’s worth, Framed flips the narrative…

Set within a quiet site of Commonwealth Drive, Framed is not just a building —it is a voice. A voice for elderly amputees who have long been misjudged, misunderstood, and yes —framed by society. Too often, they are seen as incapable, or invisible. But here, they combat this perception through photography —where their work, too, gets framed, but this time on their terms.

At its core, Framed is a photo exhibition space that transforms into a living archive of resilience, creativity, and change. Elderly amputees are not passive residents, they are the artists. They take weekly photography classes, capturing moments of joy, struggle, beauty, and personal meaning. Their photos are displayed on rotating exhibits, each frame a window into their evolving mental and emotional landscape.

But the impact is deeper than art. Each photograph becomes a quiet reflection of how the elderly are feeling. Caretakers and mental health professionals can observe these photos over time, looking at changes in mood, subject matter, or style as a gentle and non-intrusive way to understand the mental wellbeing of the elderly through their photography.

Architecturally, Framed is designed not as a retirement home but as a sanctuary of self-expression. Light becomes a language of emotion: it enters through narrow slits, casting streaks of light across each room, then gradually opens into warmth through glass and open walls. At the heart, a sunlit atrium draws visitors upward, where photographs continue along the walls of levels 2 and 3, turning movement through the space into a journey of curiosity and exploration.

This project moves beyond conventional thinking by not starting with forms or functions, but with the emotional experiences and personal stories of its users. I let their stories shape the architecture. I design not just for accessibility, but for dignity and narrative.

Framed is about changing how we see, and who gets to be seen.