Ageing in Place: A Design (er) Challenge

Abstract

Home is the shelter of every human being. The challenges presented by contemporaneous society, include new functions and new ways of performing traditional ones; all this is granted by technology and a different characterised by the predominance of elderly and other individuals that, by choice or forced by the circumstances, live alone. The senior citizens represent the most part of such people. Standard dwelling does not have the typological social tissue flexibility necessary to fulfil the requirements of new functions and particularly and users’ needs. New ways of living require rethinking dwelling typology to flexibility. Intelligent environments will appear to elevate the sense of home, where security, autonomy, independence, comfort and interaction will be crucial to promote a more qualified life. The use of Inclusive Design principles as part of a natural solution and not as a trend, can lead to a more humanised built and human environment. This study illustrates an approach to dwelling environs and Inclusive Design, driven to senior individuals; the approach comprehends literature review and the analyses of case studies with different characteristics (ability to adapt to new users requirements, interiors layout, communal facilities, materials applied, technological solutions, etc.); and at the end the design of a set of guidelines and recommendations supported by the information gathered throughout literature review and case studies.