A housing concept for elderly in Rotterdam that prevents loneliness

A housing concept for elderly in Rotterdam that prevents loneliness

van der Straten, N.

Desmet, P.M.A. (mentor)
Kuipers, H. (mentor)

Industrial Design Engineering

Industrial Design

Integrated Product Design

2016-09-05

This graduation project aims to decrease loneliness among elderly in Rotterdam with help of the method Design for Happiness. The analysis phase existed of five different studies. Context mapping with elderly, literature research, interviews with experts, interviews with the target group and home visits with Rotterdam citizens aged 75 and older. Goal of this research was to understand how to effectively design against loneliness. One of the main insights from this research is that loneliness is a subjective feeling that causes a downward spiral of mental and physical implications, which is hard to breach. Despite loneliness being subjective, certain people have a higher risk of becoming lonely. Elderly aged over 75 years old are included in this group, due to multiple reasons: the taboo on loneliness, the higher chance of losing their social network and the societal perception that elderly are vulnerable and incapable. To overcome these risk factors, it is important that the design intervention gives elderly a meaningful place in society in which they become aware that they can do more than they might think. This gives them a feeling of pride and helps them achieve their personal significance. To be able to reach these elderly, they must be addressed positively and personally maintaining a low threshold. Giving them the possibility to enter a new phase of life, rather than entering their last. Solely bringing people together cannot solve loneliness in itself. Especially not if someone has fallen into a downward spiral. However, by facilitating the creation of emotional contacts, the social network can be enhanced which can be used as a safety net that prevents falling into said spiral. These connections can be made with use of a superordinate goal in combination with leisure activities. The target group of baby boomers is not ready to start retirement at the age of 67. They want to stay active, follow their passion, have control over their lives, want to contribute to society and work at flexible hours. Collaborating with the Y-generation can help them fulfill these needs. In contrast to what senior institutions are doing at the moment, it is important to address a specific target group as possible. It is chosen to design a new residential form. Communal living can be effective against emotional loneliness as long as it avoids caring for, includes something for the residents to discuss together and respects everyone’s privacy. Besides, this should answer to the need for a fitting house for elderly, in which they can grow old independently. Furthermore it decreases the risk of an unsafe living area, is experienced as entering a new phase in life and people meet each other on a regular basis as a starting point. The design intervention ‘Thuis &’ is an alternative residential form for elderly based on a collaborative entrepreneurial activity with youngsters which brings the neighbourhood closer in an accessible way. Since there are different variants, it is likely to fit someone’s passion and narrows down the target group. To lower the threshold there are different layers of participation. The higher the level of participation, the more loneliness is prevented effectively. The concept has been evaluated and validated with help of nine elderly, one youngster and two stakeholders. By means of interviews. Finally a last iteration has been made based on the results of the evaluation interviews, concluding with recommendations for further development and implementation of the design.

housing concept
elderly
preventing loneliness

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:a89849e2-41a1-411b-9a88-9208dcf17313

Campus only

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2016 van Straten, N.