Research Method

Author’s own

Fig. 1: Ann pictured in her home in Galleywood, Essex, where she lives on her own.

Fig. 2: Ann’s back garden. Designed without opportunities for social interactions.

0. Abstract

The starting point of this research is the assumption that retrofit is an approach worth careful examination, given that regeneration is fundamental to avoid further land consumption. The existing building stock is not only a problem to be solved but a great resource.1 This study focuses on understanding how an increasingly ageing population will affect Britain, specifically those living in two-thirds of the housing stock: the suburbs. The current characteristics of UK suburbia create a poor environment for healthy ageing. By 2050, one out of four people will be over 65. We should not want to segregate older people in care homes. There is a need to adapt our suburbs to support older people to age for as long as possible independently and with a good quality of life. The design project will be sited in Galleywood, a suburban settlement in Essex. The reason for choosing this location is that one out four people in Galleywood are already over the age of 65, making it a suitable testing ground for understanding the Britain of 2050.

1. Introduction

The aim of this thesis lies in helping an under-represented group, older people, have a more significant influence over suburban British planning policy. To foster a greater sense of community and encourage more active lifestyles. Identifying the barriers preventing older people from engaging among themselves and others, particularly the lack of porosity in the suburban grain and the fear of the street amongst the elderly, this thesis examines the kind of suburban acupuncture that will seed the necessary change. This goal is to establish how Galleywood might become the ‘care