Designing for Aging: A Study of Senior Housing Challenge
Addressing Accessibility, Social Isolation, and Housing Shortages through Design and Intergenerational Collaboration
M.J.A.M. Burcksen (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
J.H.A. Macco – Mentor (TU Delft - Teachers of Practice / A)
P.L. Tomesen – Mentor (TU Delft - Teachers of Practice / AE+T)
L.M. Oorschot – Mentor (TU Delft - Teachers of Practice / A)
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Abstract
In response to the challenges of an aging population and growing social isolation among older adults, this research investigates how shared living concepts and the built environment can foster social cohesion and mobility for elderly residents. Through a combination of literature review and spatial analysis, the study examines how architectural and urban strategies can support more inclusive, accessible neighborhoods.
Tarwewijk, a socioeconomically diverse neighborhood in Rotterdam, serves as a case study to explore how spatial conditions, such as housing typologies, public space, and walkability, affect social interaction and independence among elderly people. The research identifies key principles from cohousing models and inclusive design that promote everyday encounters and community engagement. The inquiry is further informed by firsthand experience working in elderly care settings, offering practical insight into the social and spatial needs for older adults. These insights form the foundation for a subsequent architectural de sign project, developed separately, that seeks to apply the research findings in practice. The study concludes that an integrated approach-bridging social, architectural, and urban dimensions, is essential to enable older adults to age in place while remaining active and connected.