CARING
CONNECTEDNESS AND SHARING KEY TO LONGEVITY AS WE AGE Designers are innovating to improve quality of life for older Australians.
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am fortunate to work in an industry that continues to innovate and look to the future. Over the past few years we have seen huge advancements in aged care and retirement living design. But are we doing enough? From where I’m sitting, I’m not sure we are, and that’s the feedback I’m also hearing from the wider built environment industry as well as the community. As designers, builders and operators of aged care and retirement living facilities, we have the opportunity to really listen to what people want from their communities as they age and respond to changing needs with innovation and clever thinking. That is where the concept of the Longevity by Design charrette was born. As building services consulting engineers, typically we’re involved in the concept stages and design of how aged care and retirement facilities are put together. We wanted to provide a platform for the industry as a whole to come together to challenge how we all think about the future of senior living design, and how and if we are meeting the needs of future seniors. Earlier in the year, we brought together more than 120 designers, innovators, planners and seniors at The University of Queensland to do just this. Working with The University of Queensland’s Healthy Ageing Initiative, the charrette came at a time when we all recognise we’re at a crossroads where we can decide whether Australia’s ageing population is a burden or an opportunity. It’s important to recognise this because the ageing population is, in fact, an opportunity—and through the charrette, we challenged assumptions that aren’t necessarily true anymore. Older people are thinking and acting very differently than ever before and we know that future generations of older people will have very high expectations about maintaining engaged lifestyles. The biggest challenge for senior living design is how we think. There are many fundamental structures that need to be changed, but really what’s holding us back is our imagination and our willingness to challenge the assumptions and create a different future. We really need to find ways to break through some of the current barriers and obstacles in our industry, to make a real difference.
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The design charrette challenged designers, planners and seniors to rethink the future of community living.
