The ageing society asks for architectural designs in which people can grow old. However, our living environments are not well-equipped for this. Isolation, loneliness or neglect of the elderly are often seen results. What if we could create living environments for mixed communities, co-housing or other forms of living in which the elderly live among others and can be informally supported and empowered to keep a purpose in life? In 2022, 12 students studied a neighbourhood in The Hague in the Netherlands to find answers to these questions. The integration of ethnographic research methods provided a unique opportunity for the student to meet their target population. Models and design solutions for new concepts of co-habitation were developed, answers on the level of transformation of existing houses, new houses and ideas for a co-neighbourhood with new amenities. The paper will explain the method, the process and show some interesting results. ... Read more

The ageing society asks for architectural designs in which people can grow old. However, our living environments are not well-equipped for this. Isolation, loneliness or neglect of the elderly are often seen results. What if we could create living environments for mixed communities, co-housing or other forms of living in which the elderly live among others and can be informally supported and empowered to keep a purpose in life? In 2022, 12 students studied a neighbourhood in The Hague in the Netherlands to find answers to these questions. The integration of ethnographic research methods provided an unique opportunity for the student to meet their target population. Models and design solutions for new concepts of co-habitation were developed, answers on the level of transformation of existing houses, new houses and ideas for a co-neighbourhood with new amenities. The paper will explain the method, the process and show some interesting results. ... Read more

This study focuses on research about the spatial and social living environment of elderly with care demand. It developed from the urge for new ways of thinking about the design of care for elderly in neighborhoods and houses. In a collaboration between an architectural school of education and a social housing association housing the elderly, an interdisciplinary research method to come to new models for elderly living was developed. The study describes the method and main findings.

In the Netherlands the demographic transition to an aging society runs parallel with transitions in the policy and practice of elderly care. Due to a steep rise in the cost of care and a shortage of staff, care moves away from institutional buildings and organizations towards a more informal support network with professionals in the background. The research questions addressed in this study concern the everyday life of elderly needing care. Within a one-week stay in a nursing- or elderly care home, participating in the daily life, we aim to get answers through anthropological and participatory research to understand, document and visualize the needs and living conditions of elderly today. Finally, these data are translated into architectural design. We claim that the person whom we design for should be the first to meet and talk to. In that way we learn about their wishes, needs and capabilities. This argument was our starting point of collaboration. Our methodology leads to unexpected results. The study will show main findings and topics of discussion. ... Read more

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss Dutch innovative care environments for older people, including those living with dementia, from the perspectives or an architect and a social gerontologist. Design/methodology/approach: The authors visited three care environments for older people, each offering an innovative approach to living housing older people, including people with dementia. The settings are discussed from two disciplinary perspectives, facilitating an understanding of the influence of the built environment on daily life for residents. Findings: The three facilities were all architecturally varied and resembled “real” homes to varying degrees. Additionally, each entrance offered a different welcome to the external community, ranging from full accessibility to a closed and fortified appearance. Within each facility, the built environment afforded residents opportunities to participate in valued activities, including interacting with members of the wider community. Originality/value: The inclusion of two disciplinary perspectives offers a richer discussion of the physical and social aspects of the care environments that would be offered by one perspective alone. ... Read more

The objective of this conference paper is to discuss the problem of loneliness among vulnerable elderly and the question if and how architecture could offer a contribution to a better balance between encounters and retreat of the elderly in daily life. As the activities of vulnerable elderly are often much more dependent on their home and direct environment than those of vital elderly, the research focuses on the scale of the house and the direct neighborhood. Aim of this paper is to elaborate on the phenomenon of loneliness, explain the research method and elaborate on a pilot study done by a master student of architecture under supervision of the author, concluding with first outcomes. Background: We are rapidly moving towards an aging society. This trend is global and needs appropriate design solutions on different scales, from furniture up to the scale of the city. The living conditions of elderly, their homes, houses and neighborhoods need to be reconsidered, especially for vulnerable elderly. In the Netherlands we can see a shift towards staying at home as long as possible. This causes several problems. The elderly lose connection with others and building up new social networks often is difficult. No matter if living in an elderly home or staying at home, the situation in which elderly live often causes loneliness. The main research question is, how architectural design may help to avoid phenomenon of loneliness among elderly. Can architects contribute with their design to an optimal balance between encounters and retreat in daily life of them? Methodologically the research is based on a theoretical study about public and private, crowding and isolation, and architectural elements that support encounters. In a second step public spaces were observed. Interviews were done in which design proposals were discussed with the elderly. The places visited were all in one neighborhood where lots of elderly live, at home or in a and nursing home. The first results show architectural answers that would help to empower the elderly in their choice between contact or withdrawing. One of the most important conclusions of the first sessions was the wish of the elderly to be absolutely free in choice when, where and how they encounter others, or choose for retreat. ... Read more

The objective of this conference paper is to report on the idea of combining visual anthropological research methods with architectural design processes in our masterclasses. We argue that the person whom we design for should be the first to focus on getting in depth information. We aim to show that this methodology may lead to unexpected results and helps the students to design new concepts for elderly living environments. Background is the urge of housing the growing numbers of elderly, especially care dependent elderly. Locally and globally we are moving towards an aging society. This fact has severe implications for the organization of care and residential housing. Existing housing designs as well as public spaces generally are not well-equipped for accommodating growing numbers of elderly. In the Netherlands the demographic transition to an aging society runs parallel with transitions in the policy and practice of elderly care, which moves away from institutional buildings towards a more informal support network. As the chair of architecture & dwelling of the Faculty of Architecture first masterclasses working on this topic were set up 1,5 years ago. After an intensive phase of research the students translate the findings into a design for a new home for elderly with and without care. The research questions that will be addressed in our work concern the everyday life of residents (and professionals and visitors of elderly care centers). How do older people move, use and share spaces? How do (sub)communities work in residential care settings? And how do personal worlds relate to the outside world of the city and the neighborhood? Methodologically, the focus of this paper lies on the everyday life of those in care centers. We introduce three scales as a research frame: the body - the home - and the neighborhood, connected to the activities of the elderly. Aim is to understand, document and visualize the needs and living conditions of elderly today, to collect these data in a pattern language for the design of elderly homes, as well as translate this into architectural design. The results give a first idea of our work with students by showing a selection of the material students came up with. In the conclusion some preliminary findings of a fieldwork study will be shown. ... Read more

De Local Community Area van de Japanse architect Riken Yamamoto verkent de mogelijkheden van het bouwblok als autarkische eenheid, waarbij de historische machiya in een nieuw jasje wordt gestoken.

Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto’s concept Local Community Area explores the possibilities of the building block as an autarkic unit, an updated version of the historical Machiya.
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This conference paper addresses the very topical theme ‘housing the growing numbers of elderly’, especially the ones who need care. It reports on our idea to combine anthropological research methods with architectural design processes and will elaborate on the research method as a new approach in student masterclasses. To understand the needs of the elderly the focus lies on the everyday life of elderly in care centers, independent houses, and in neighborhoods settings. Aim is to understand, document and visualize the needs and living conditions of elderly today, as well as translate fieldwork into architectural design. Locally and globally we are moving towards an aging society. In the Netherlands the demographic transition to an aging society runs parallel with transitions in the policy and practice of elderly care, which moves away from institutional buildings and arrangements towards a more informal support network. However, research on the question of how a more informal support and elderly care might be embedded in neighborhood settings and how more inclusive environments could take part in this care, is scarce. To change paradigms of care and the architecture of home and living environments, we need to know more about the influence of the elderly body and mind and the perception and use of home spaces among older people. With this starting point first masterclasses were set up. The main questions that will be addressed in our work with masterclasses therefore concern the everyday life of residents. How do older people move, use and share spaces? How do (sub)communities work in residential care settings? And how do personal worlds relate to the outside world of the city and the neighborhood? The paper will discuss the current paradigms in the housing policies and architecture of elderly care. The methodology will be elaborated and fieldwork will be shown. ... Read more

An ageing society has severe implications for the organization of care and residential housing. Existing housing designs as well as public spaces generally are not well equipped for accommodating growing numbers of elderly. The demographic transition to an ageing society runs parallel with transitions in the policy and practice of elderly care, which moves away from institutional buildings and arrangements towards informal support networks of friends, neighbours and family. Despite these transitions in elderly care policy, research on the perception and use of home spaces among older people as well as how to incorporate this knowledge in the design and redevelopment of residential space, is still scarce. There is a need to rethink the architecture of home and living environments for elderly people, as, for example, in how elderly care might be embedded in urban settings or how more inclusive environments might take shape.This paper addresses these issues by reporting first findings of an ongoing anthropological and architectural research on the everyday life of elderly in care centres, located in two Dutch cities. It aims to document and visualize the needs and living conditions of elderly today, as well as translate fieldwork into architectural design. The paper contains three sections. The first section discusses current paradigms in the management, housing policies and architecture of elderly care. The second section proposes a method of researching elderly in daily life by combining visual anthropology and architecture. The third section presents preliminary findings of a fieldwork study in one of the two elderly care homes we worked on, organized as part of a design studio with a group of fourteen students in Architecture. ... Read more

The research focusses on the façade of the collective residential building in the Dutch city. The high complexity of functions of the façade makes it a very sensitive element of the house. The façade is the skin of the house, a boundary between outside and inside, between public and private. Here the resident can react between a minimum and a maximum of contact with the world around the dwelling. At the same time it is the representational element, the face of the residence or even the mask. The façade sends signs to the observer, it tells a story. At the beginning of the 20th century, architects had to answer the question of how to present a residential building which consists of a group of dwellings stacked onto each other and how to build up a transition from public to private. The interrelation between the building façade as a representational element and as a social filter between outside and inside is researched on collective housing projects within the urban context. Research aim was to show the development of the representational and the filtering functions of the façade in Dutch residential buildings of the last century in relation to the society and the different attitudes. The development is set in an international perspective. Tendencies in design and ideas about the meaning of the façade are traced as well as the relation between the floor plans of the residential building and the façade. The intention was to obtain more insight into the various meanings of the residential façade, while focusing on aspects of aesthetics and the social aspects of privacy. The research has developed a method to analyze the façade of the collective dwelling in a new way. ... Read more

This paper is about a study of Dutch residential buildings in the 20th century and the architectural means that were used to create an appearance towards the neighbourhood. The study shows how this appearance changed after renovation. More than 80% of the Dutch housing stock was built after World War II. These post-war buildings are, for a large part, renovated or waiting to be renovated. Often this happens without taking care of the once elaborated appearance of the building. The story the building told in its original form disappears during the renovation. First, the paper will elaborate on the visual perception of architecture. Then it will build up a framework of analysis for the chosen cases. Different examples will show the architectural means that originally created the appearance of the building and how it was dealt with during the renovation. The paper derived from the conclusions of a PhD research about the presentation and representation of the Dutch residential buildings towards the public domain. It is meant as a starting point for further research and discussions in the field of the renovation and transformation of the residential housing stock. ... Read more

The architecture of residential buildings has always being related to social conditions and political tendencies, to new techniques, new materials and contemporary popular taste. Dwelling in the urban context makes it very necessary to deal with the aspect of privacy next to the public domain. Dwelling is an activity that takes place in both, the private and the public, the interior and the exterior spaces. The interface of the dwelling is the place where the transition from interior to exterior (and vice versa) takes place. The Netherlands has a long history of collective residential houses - especially social houses. The last century has brought several highlights in residential housing projects which pretended to show a new, a better way of design. Different architectural tendencies can be found at the residential interface, telling more about the inner life of the house or hiding it behind a mask that tells us a different story. Some design attitudes pretend to create a fluently transition from inner life to the public, some pretend to protect the home from it. All these tendencies and ideas show a discussion about how to design residential buildings in the urban context, how to give identity to a building which hosts several families in one building and at the same time how to communicate with the city. In this paper first the highlights of residential housing design in the last century will be shown very briefly. Then a method to analyse the interface with its function as a mediator and a protector between public and private will be elaborated and discussed. The design of the interface will be analysed on two case studies of residential houses from the inspiring idea behind it up to their condition today. ... Read more