THESIS

lauren wertz

thesis

2019-2020 Multi-Generational Living Revisiting How We House the Elderly

Lauren Wertz | 2019-2020 Thesis

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Auburn University 2015 - 2020

Front Matter | Thesis Paper | Project Proposal | Project Development

lauren wertz

thesis 2019-2020 Multi-Generational Living Revisiting How We House the Elderly

Multi-Generational living R e v i s i t i n g H o w We H o u s e t h e E l d e r l y

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Architecture Degree, Auburn University.

Auburn University Auburn, AL

Thesis Research + Thesis Studio Professor Justin Miller ARCH 5991 ARCH 5020

Lauren Wertz Mobile, AL May 2020

Multi-Generational Living

Revisiting How We House the Elderly

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Lauren Wertz | 2019-2020 Thesis

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Auburn University 2015 - 2020

Front Matter | Thesis Paper | Project Proposal | Project Development

lauren wertz

thesis 2019-2020 Multi-Generational Living Revisiting How We House the Elderly

dedication To Mom and Dad:

Since I began my architecture career, you both constantly asked me to design your retirement home. Well, this book is basically it.

You’re welcome.

Also thank you for the affirmation and encouragement during my time here. Thank you for being the positive voice in my head when it wasn’t there.

To Red Bull:

Without you, I would not have gotten through my second year. Thank you for taking most of my money but giving me a little extra energy to pull those all-nighters.

To Daniel:

You didn’t know me during the majority of my time at Auburn, but I couldn’t have finished these last two years without you.

Thank you beyond words.

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Lauren Wertz | 2019-2020 Thesis

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Auburn University 2015 - 2020

Front Matter | Thesis Paper | Project Proposal | Project Development

lauren wertz

thesis 2019-2020 Multi-Generational Living Revisiting How We House the Elderly

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table of contents

Thesis research 08 10 12 15 23 26 28 30

Introduction Third Age Taxonomy Multi-generational Living Considerations Conclusion Bibliography Appendix

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Project

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Project

proposal

3 2 Design Goals 3 4 Site Selection 3 8 Design Research

d es i g n 42 44 50 52

Project Statement Exterior Intervention Interior Intervention Multi-Generational Home 5 6 Final Presentation

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Thesis research Project Proposal Project Development

crisis 08 o f a g i n g A look into the way we house our elders in response to and preparation for the impending age crisis.

[09] Introduction

[10] The Third Age [12] Taxonomy [15] Multi-Generational Living [23] Considerations [26] Conclusion [28] Bibliography [30] Appendix

01 introduction Housing the Elderly

The patterns of our daily lives make demands upon the spaces we use and shape the way we, as designers and inhabitants, look at a space. The spaces that we occupy provide the means to fulfill our needs and desires and, at the most basic level, sustain our lives. Designed spaces address every aspect of our daily lives: space we need to accommodate necessities of living like food and rest, kinds of spaces that produce productivity, and many more examples. However, as we enter different stages of our lives, those spatial needs change. The daily pattern of our lives in those different ages dictates what we need from a space. How the typical daily life of a person in any given age group has changed and progressed across centuries had also changed how we have responded to these needs. The designed environment adapts to these changes a produces a new language of design that accommodates the resident’s daily life. In the 20th century, the largest challenge that designers face is creating spaces for a recently emerged subgroup of the elderly, the Third Age, that caters to their daily life patterns and fulfill their needs while promoting the best standard of living. What has presently been designed as a solution to this problem is insufficient and requires more in-depth study and design.

Current housing options for an aging population lack social interaction across generations, creating an environment segregated by age. The Third Age demographic are the ones primarily effected by this. The Third Age is categorized as the stage between adulthood and dependency, an area of life focusing on fulfillment, free from typical educational and employment responsibilities. The common housing types for this demographic include three options: remaining in their home, joining retirement communities, or moving into assisted living or a nursing home. The characteristic that all of these have in common is the social isolation of the Third Age. This understudied phenomenon is important because it is an area to develop a new language of architecture and is an opportunity to increase the quality of life in the elderly.

In this paper, the historical legacy of the elderly will be studied to discover their role in society across generations and cultures and how that can be applied to today’s urban environment. This paper will also look at examples of typical housing and community strategies for this demographic and their effect on overall quality of life. Psychological research on the elderly and social isolation will also be evaluated to help provide insight into the best means of living. Lastly, the study of multi-generational architecture and co-housing examples will be a fourth alternative to housing options, providing a way to foster multigeneration interaction and interdependence, ultimately increasing the quality of life for this demographic.

Lauren Wertz | 2019-2020 Thesis

02 THE THIRD AGE demographic study

Percentage of U.S. Population that is 65+ from 1950 to 2050 97 million of 438 million

25%

21.7%

percentage of US population

22%

22.1%

20.6%

20% 16.9%

17.5%

15.6%

15% 12.5%1 12.5%

2.4%

13.1%

11.5% 10% 9%

10% 8% 7.5%

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2017

2020

2030

2040

Figure 1: Percentage of U.S. Population that is 65+ from 1950 to 2050 This graph shows the 65+ population from 1950 to 2020 with data collected for the U.S. census. The population of 2030, 2040, and 2050 are predicted using these same projections.

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The spaces that we inhabit are ultimately determined by which part of our life cycle we are in. Each age group requires specific program and spatial conditions for their daily activities. These age groups can be roughly defined as childhood dependence, independent adulthood, and old-age dependence.1 Within these groups are subgroups with specific needs and ways of life and one subgroup is the Third Age sector of old-age dependence. This age group is important to differentiate from the generalized definition of “old” because they have differences in mental, physical, and life-style patterns than those who are considered old and dependent.

Characteristics that define this age group are based on a new freedom, a release of the typical responsibilities of an adult. The first characteristic of this group that dictates their daily lifestyle is the lack of employment. In contrast, the adult group’s life is determined primarily determined by employment. The Third Age has more variation in the time of day for recreation and activity since this major characteristic no longer affects them. Another characteristic of the Third Age is freedom from education. Education is a major characteristic of the childhood age group and early years of the adult age group. While those of the Third Age do have the opportunity to return to academia, it is not based from necessity, but of choice. Lastly, the Third Age is free from the responsibility of dependent children. By this retirement age, most parents’ children have become independent adults with careers and children of their own. With the relinquish of employment, educational, and parental responsibilities the Third Age must reconstruct their typical model for their lifestyle, which has become the largest issue for this group.

One of the largest problems that the Third Age sociodemographic has is the “crisis of precedent” which results in the “crisis of programming.”2 The crisis of precedent is the lack of “existing scripts and protocols, directing how, where, and with home persons might live in this… unprecedented phase of life.”3 The observation that the increase in life span and physical and social mobility has created a new phase of life with no model to follow. Since this characteristic is vastly different from the “Old-Old” which preceded it, this living style is having to be invented in an environment that has not designed for it. This bring us to the “crisis of programming” the fact that this group of people demands architectural and urban development that are to be “increasingly dominated by the old.”4 Previously the designed environment was developed with the young in mind and the previously dominate older demographic, the Old-Old were traditionally segregated from society. With the emergence of the Third Age, a shift in perspective must occur and recognize that the urban environment should be made for all demographics.

This pressing issue is supported by the growing population of the elderly across the globe. As time has progressed from the 1950’s to present day, birth rates are not high enough to replace the dying population and the elderly population is living longer than ever. After World War Two, the population explosion known as the Baby Boomers dramatically increased the population of the United States, due to the decrease in infant mortality. This generation is in the Third Age cycle of their life currently. Life expectancy has increased drastically since the 1950’s due to an increase is medical technology. In comparison to 1950, the percentage of the population that is sixty and above has increased from approximately eight percent to approximately twenty percent.5 Even looking into the next fifty years in the 21st century, the sixty-five and older age group will increase from 40.3 million in 2010 to 97 million by 2050.6 (see Figure 1) Even more drastically compared, in 1800 typical life expectancy was forty years and in 2000 it is closer to eighty years.7 This shift in population dynamic enforces the unprecedented nature of the life-style of the Third Age and the need for design that is conscious of it.

1 Simpson, Deane. Young-Old: Urban Utopias of van Aging Society. Zürich, Switzerland: Lars Muller Publishing, 2015. 12.

2

Simpson, Deane. Young-Old. 14.

3 Simpson, Deane. Young-Old. 14.

4 Simpson, Deane. Young-Old. 14.

5 Simpson, Deane. Young-Old. 21 A.07.

6 AARP. “Baby Boomer Facts on 50 Livable Communities and Aging in Place.” AARP. Accessed November 4, 2019.

https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/info-2014/liveable-communities-facts-and-figures.html.

7 Friedman, George. The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century. 1st ed. Doubleday, 2009. 56.

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03 TAXONOMY Existing Models

The current housing options that the elderly have are designed with the current life cycle of the typical family in mind. This cycle consists of children living with parents, those children getting older and eventually moving out, then the parents being left alone to choose one of three options to move themselves to. The options are, remaining in their home also known as aging-in-place, moving to an independent living community, or joining a long-term care facility. These three options are based on the idea of isolating the elderly. It is a result of market segmentation as well as the typically understood living patterns of society. Each option is an attempt at creating the ideal space in response to an assumed daily life cycle.

Age-in-Place living is the most common form of housing that those in the Third Age chose to live. Agein-place is defined as living in the home and community that they spent their adult hood in, while making architectural modifications to make it accessible and to fit their new lifestyle more efficiently. Residents that use Age-in-Place living make up 85 percent of the sixty-five plus age group, making it the most widely used option. (see Figure 2) Of adults, ages fifty to sixty-four, 71 percent want to age in place, so this trend will only continue far into the future.8 Of those who are in the Third Age, 35 million of 40.3 million total sixty-five plus population reside in suburban and rural environments, making those who live in a residence labeled “age-in-place” more than likely residing in single family detached homes.9 Most remain in their homes to retain a sense of freedom and independence and typically avoiding spending money on other forms of living. With this kind of living also comes a strong sense of familiarity.

Their social realm is established, and their way of life is more concrete with familiar faces and places.

While they are still free from educational, parental, and career responsibilities, those that live in this setting have established places where they spend most of their time and may have family near, so in addition to the variability of their daily routine, they have responsibilities by choice, whether it be caring for grandchildren or volunteering. In a Pew Poll Research study done in 2016, it was found that 20 percent or 8 million of 40.3 million seniors never retire, voluntarily. 10 So, those continuing to live in their homes, may have a lifestyle that seldom changes, only to accommodate a slight deterioration in physical stamina and other health related issues. Having an already established lives makes the transition to The Third Age more natural and less drastic.

While this option provides the easiest transition into this next stage of life, it does pose various issues.

The first being proximity to recreation and amenities. Since most of these homes are in suburbs, cars are widely implemented to get from home to other places. However, with age comes poorer eye sights and less mobility, so a long-term use of automobiles is not realistic, and is also incredibly dangerous. Another problem with age-in-place living is the isolation from the outside social environment. This isolation may prevent the detection of nuances in physical or mental ability that could indicate illness. Specifically, one of the most significant incidents that can occur it falling. 10 million adults sixty-five years or older fall each year and these falls lead to physical immobility which in turn lead to social isolation, depression, and overall physical decline.11 How detached these homes are attributes to some of their biggest implications

8 AARP. “Baby Boomer Facts on 50 Livable Communities and Aging in Place.”

9

Hermann, Alexander. “More Older Adults Are Living in Lower-Density Neighborhoods.” Blog | Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

Harvard, January 4, 2019. https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/more-older-adults-are-living-in-lower-density-neighborhoods/.

10 “Senior Statistics & Research: Nursing Home & Elder Care Statistics.” SeniorLiving.org. Accessed November 4, 2019.

https://www.seniorliving.org/research 11 “Falls Prevention Facts.” NCOA. National Council on Aging, June 4, 2018.

https://www.ncoa.org/news/resources-for-reporters/get-the-facts/falls-prevention-facts/.

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and points towards possible solutions and areas of study. The Department for Housing and Urban Development has been endorsing research by Habitat for Humanity to develop a system to make aging in place attainable by a more widespread population. One of the most beneficial studies done by Auburn University students has been the development of prototype homes that would be ADA Accessible.

Within these homes, students have implemented ADA regulations and thought about the daily life cycle of individuals that would inhabit these homes, specifically those who are in the Third Age category. One example is the size of a bedroom. Most residential designs incorporate a large ‘master bedroom,’ however, in these prototype homes, the mast bedroom tends to be the size of a medium size of bedroom. The justification for the change is that those Third Age residents would only inhabit their bedrooms to sleep, seldom any other time throughout the day. In turn, this extra square footage can be taken and given to the living area or porch, where residents spend most of their day. This is an example of how daily life patterns change over time and can be retrofitted to better serve a resident in their current state.

Independent Living Communities are a rapidly expanding option that those in the Third Age inhabit.

The communities are typically a grouping of different kinds of housing accommodations, from single family homes to townhomes and apartments. They are typically a certain age range, like sixty-five and up, so the residents live with people their same age. However, the most prominent identifier for this type of living is their expansive inclusion of social activities, amenities, and other necessities. These communities are often equated to seeming like “small hometowns” to establish a strong sense of familiarity and community. Independent Living Communities are typically found in suburban areas, since they resemble a suburban neighborhood sprawl. 5.3 million seniors live in urban settings while the remaining 31.4 million seniors of 40.3 million total seniors live outside of the urban core.12 (see Figure 2) The residents that live here are typically of sound mind and physical ability, wanting to live a life of leisure.

The biggest benefit to living in this type of setting is the community activities that are provided. From fitness classes to hobby clubs to shopping centers. The vast example of different opportunities that residents have throughout their day is the biggest draw to living in an Independent Living Community.

In a period of life that is typically categorized as lonely, boring, and stagnant, these communities provide social opportunities and well as the variation in daily activities in which people can participate. This type of design is an attempt to provide a daily life cycle for their Third Age residents. One of the largest and most successful built examples of this kind of architecture is The Villages in Florida.

The Villages is the largest Independent Living Community in the world, containing a population of 101,600 Third Age residents.13 The Villages is designed to be a “hometown,” something described as accessible, familiar, with all the amenities that a resident would need or desire. Structured like a typical suburban environment, the homes of these residents (primarily single-story detached homes) lie on the periphery of three major “small town” epicenters, accessed primarily by golf cart.14 These epicenters embody the primary design concept of The Villages. The idea is that the ‘urban’ environment is scaled down to provide a sense of familiarity and the amenities are scaled up to create a hyperactive adult lifestyle.15 These amenities include over 1,000 clubs, 91 recreational centers, 69 public swimming pools, over 60 eating establishments, 55 tennis courts, 47 golf courses, 24 movies screens, and 10 religious establishments.

Aside from the consistent need for sleep and nourishment, the time in between can be filled in with any kind of activity, creating a vast area for variability. The Villages supports the Third Age as an age group focused around recreation and freedom of responsibility.

12

Cox, Wendell. “Millions More Seniors in Suburbs and Exurbs.” New Geography. February 7, 2018. https://www.newgeography.com/content/005874-millions-more-seniors-suburbs-andexurbs.

13 Simpson, Deane. Young-Old: Urban Utopias of an Aging Society. Zürich, Switzerland: Lars Muller Publishing, 2015. 158.

14 Simpson, Deane. Young-Old. 197.

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Simpson, Deane. Young-Old. 198-199.

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Long Term Care Facilities focus on providing care to residents that inhabit it. However, in comparison to Age-in-Place and Independent Living Communities, those who live in Long-Term Care Facilities have entered the Fourth Age or Old-Old age of their lives. This Fourth Age is marked by a return to dependency, much like the dependency in their adolescent youth. Their physical and mental abilities have deteriorated to some degree and require a specific level of care, from small responsibilities of the come to total home and self-care. In this instance, the needs of the individual dictate the design and use of a space. Residents’ daily lives are focused around the necessary care they require: medications, meals, therapy or rehabilitation. The daily pattern of the care takers also contributes to the design of a space: centralized resources for administering medicine, efficiency in circulation, tools necessarily to provide care.

This housing option only accounts for 1.2 million of all 40.3 million seniors ages sixty-five or older.16 (see Figure 2) In 2014, there were 15,643 nursing homes in the united states and 1,698,943 licensed beds.17 Most of these assisted living and nursing homes are found in suburbs and have a very inward focus, not needed connection to the outside world. Even though this is a small percentage of the overall population and is primarily for those in the Fourth Age, it is important to look at this example to evaluate its integration into society and well as its design based on the needs of the inhabitant.

Willowtree is a nursing from the 20th century with a centralized, efficient design. The organization of this facility is that of a wheel and spokes. The ‘wheel’ is the central nurse’s station, containing the staff and the tools they need to provide care to their residents. Each wheel has four ‘spokes’ that contain the living quarters of the residents. The living quarters are divides into single, double, and triple occupancy rooms.

Lavish materials are applied to the interiors to “de-institutionalize” the space and make it a “home for its residents” as well as a desirable place to visit by family members.18 Not only was this an attempt to make a pleasing interior, but it also increased it “marketability.”19 The overall design of the facility provides a welloiled, efficient machine to provide health care, but lacked the attention to the resident, disregarding their dignity as a person.

The largest problem that Willowtree posed was the privacy of its residents. The single, double, and triple rooms that residents lived did not address the privacy deserved by the resident. In a triple occupancy room, the room is divided by three hospital beds and a series of removable curtains, providing only slight visual privacy. Not only does this make it an undesirable space to reside in, but it also deters visitors.

As quoted by the author of Nursing Home Design: Consequences of Employing the Medical Model, Benyamin Schwarz, “the paucity of wall and counter space effectively limits residents from make the rooms reflect their families, lives, or interests.20 The fine line to walk between these facilities is the emphasis on design for efficiency and design for dwelling. The elderly, especially the dependent elderly, cannot be treated as beds to fill and numbers to perform chores for, but as individuals who have desires, interested, and rights in all stages of life.

16

“Senior Statistics & Research: Nursing Home & Elder Care Statistics.” SeniorLiving.org. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.seniorliving.org/research.

“Nursing homes, beds, residents, and occupancy, rates by states: United States, selected year 1995-2014. Accessed November 4, 2019.

https://www.cdc.gov./nchs/data/hus/2015/092pdf.

18 Schwarz, Benyamin. Nursing Home Design: Consequences of Employing the Medical Model. New York, New York: Garland Publishing, 1996. 200.

19 Schwarz, Benyamin. Nursing Home Design. 200.

20 Schwarz, Benyamin. Nursing Home Design. 21.

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13%

2%

85% Figure 2: Percentage of 65+ Per Typology This pie chart series shows how many members of the 65+ demographic use each housing typology.

04 MULTI-GENERATIONAL LIVING The fourth Typology

After evaluating each of the three primary housing type, one can conclude that while each typology meets some specific needs of the elderly, they fail to encompass all of the needs that this demographic demands upon the spaces that they use. Multi-generational Living, the fourth housing option tends to fulfill the majority of all the needs that the other three address, combined. Different styles of multigenerational living provide different accommodations for the elderly. However, what makes this housing typology the most effective is that while these characteristics do pertain to the 65+ demographic, they provide an expansive number of resources to all age groups, making it a multifaceted housing typology.

Multi-Generational Housing is based on a plurality of generations. Multi-generational housing is characterized as a building that contains three or more generations of people. The most common type of multi-generational house is the “three-generation” configuration. This dynamic includes “one or more working age adults, one or more of their children (who may also be adults) and either aging parents or grandchildren.”21 Some other arrangements include “grand-families” that consists of grandparents and their grandchildren, “two-generation” that consist of adults of two generations that are typically parent and child, or “four-generation” that span four generations of a family.22 Of the entire population of the United States, 65.4 million out for 327.2 million Americans lives in a multi-generational house.23 Of the Third Age population, only 8 million of 40.3 million adults ages sixty-five and above live in multigenerational homes. 24 Traditionally these homes are located in smaller cities and suburbs, with California and Texas having the largest accumulation of multi-generation housing.25

21 “Multigenerational Households.” Generations United. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.gu.org/explore-our-topics/multigenerational-households/.

22 “Multigenerational Households.” Generations United.

23 “Multigenerational Households.” Generations United.

24 Josephson, Amelia. “The Best Cities for Multi-Generational Households.” SmartAsset, June 8, 2016.

https://smartasset.com/mortgage/the-best-cities-for-multi-generational-households.

25 Josephson, Amelia. “The Best Cities for Multi-Generational Homes.”

https://valuepenguin.com/homes/multigenerational-homes-trend.

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Historically, Multi-Generational Homes were more common in the 19th century with the Industrial Revolution. When industrial factories were being built in cities, families moved in millions to the city center for job opportunities and economic prosperity. In this instant, families would live with multiple generations under one room. Grandparents were available to watch infants and young children, adults left and worked, and once children were old enough, they would go work too. During this time, children were individuals who provided income for the family and were dependent on the older generations for less time than present day. As the 20th century progressed through the World Wars, families moved away from cities into suburbs, which is the inception of the single-family home. From 1940 to 1950, the number of families in the United States living in multi-generational homes decreased from twenty-five percent to twenty-one percent, or 33 million of 132.1 million Americans in 1940 to 32 million of 152.3 million Americans in 1950.26 The transition to single-family homes marked the decline of multi-generational home and brought the implementation of the family structure that we have today, a one primarily based on singularity. Continually, by 1980, only 27.2 million out of 226.5 million total Americans were living in multigenerational home.27 However, Multi-Generational Homes have started to reappear, on socioeconomic need. By 2030, the statistics will rise again, and 61 million of 359 million Americans will live in multigenerational homes.

There are a multitude of reasons why families create multi-generational homes, both social and economic.

Socially, more adults are marring younger, later into their twenties, which makes living with parents in a two-generational household more readily available. Immigration of Asian and Hispanic people have also increased the number of multi-generational housing. Economically, the population of Baby Boomers, individuals born between 1944 and 1964 that account for part of the Third Age population, are economically secure enough to take in their parents in their old age as well as children. This arrangement makes sharing household expenses more manageable when facing unemployment or any major economic loss. Lastly, this configuration provides caregivers to family members that suffer from chronic illness, regardless of age.28 While “multi-generational” is a broad term, there are three subcategories of this model of living: Multi-Generational Homes, Multi-Generational Communities, and Co-Housing.

The Multi-Generation Home functions like a single-family home with more generations than just parents and children. These are homes that have been designed with the need for versatility, to accommodate many different ages as well as designing a space that will adapt as they age. Some characteristic that are common across these homes are private entries for each sector of the house that contains the living quarters of a family member. Accessible design has been applied universally, to make the entire house useable by older members, especially as their physical abilities deteriorate. The flexibility of space is also an important tool for the home. With the changes that come with age, those changes reflect into the spaces we inhabit, so most homes are designed with more bedrooms and less specifically programmed rooms because “its easy to convert a bedroom into another space but not as easy to convert another space into a bedroom.” 29 In addition to these bedrooms, there is dedicated family space and subspaces that foster spaces of interaction or privacy. An important aspect of multi-generational homes is that Third Age residents can continue to age in them. Since the spaces can adapt to an aging adult, these homes can help individuals who enter the Fourth Age adjust and doesn’t require them to move to a more intense care facility, as long as their family is willing to take care of them. These homes provide a strong family bond as well as the privacy each member desires.

26

Lock, Cheryl. “The Growth of Multigenerational Homes.” Value Penguin, September 25, 2019. https://valuepenguin.com/homes/multigenerational-homes-trend.

27 Lock, Cheryl. “The Growth of Multigenerational Homes.”

28 Josephson, Amelia. “The Best Cities for Multi-Generational Homes.”

29

“8 Ways to Design Multigenerational Homes.” Freshome. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://freshome.com/multigenerational-homes/.

“3 Generation House.” BETA. BETA office for architecture and the city. Accessed November 4, 2019.

https://beta-office.com/project/3-generation-house/.

31 “3 Generational House.” BETA.

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Figure 6: Modular Versatility

Figure 5: Shared Internal Stair

Figure 3: 3 Gen House Courtyard View

Figure 4: Livability This highlighted section shows who in the family occupies each floor plate.

One example of this kind of housing is the 3 Generation House by BETA Architects. (see Figure 3) The architect’s main goal of the building was to design a home where “both families could enjoy each other’s company without sacrificing the advantages of private family life.”30 The site is in an urban setting within the city of Amsterdam. The building is comprised of four floors, the first floor being a dwelling and work environment, and the upper three floors being the private living quarters of the families, with the eldest residing on the top floor. (see Figure 4) A central, double-helix yellow staircase connects the four floors provide the primary area of overlap for the families. (see Figure 5) The building is also designed to adapt over time. With the staircase creating a void and separating the building to a “fore” side and an “aft” size, different configurations can be used to create different series of spaces, if they connect to one of the two stairs in the central circulation system.31 (see Figure 6) Accessible accommodations are also in places as well as a lift to anticipate physical limitations that come with age. This building is intended to reflect the daily life patterns of the individuals of the home with the idea of highlighting those intersections across families and generations.

30

31

“3 Generation House.” BETA. BETA office for architecture and the city. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://beta-office.com/project/3-generation-house/.

“3 Generational House.” BETA.

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Figure 7 (far right): Hyper Porch Connection Figure 8: Hyper Porch Types + Configurations Multi-Generational Communities are the second type of multi-generational living type. This kind of multi-generation homes is based upon the idea that you have different generations living in the same building or independently in a community. This option is desirable for individuals who lack a familial support system. It still provides social and economic benefits, promoting community interaction as well as housing for lower-income individuals. These spaces focus primarily on having a community space or design that promote social interaction.

At the University of Arkansas, the Community Design Center has created a taxonomy of “Third Place Ecologies.”32 These ecologies are categorized as that fabric of a community that promotes social interaction and economic entrepreneurship. Their designs take the typical aspects of the single-family home, like porches and garages, and uses them as the platform for social interaction.33 Their focus on social spaces is based on the statistic that people with strong social relationships increased their “survival rate” by 50 percent.34 One particular strategy the team proposes is called the Patio Mat. (see Figure 7) The patio mat takes the traditional single-family porch and makes it the shared space that connects the homes. The Patio Mat treats the patio as a series of outdoor rooms, creating “as many outdoor rooms as there are interior rooms.”35 The patio configuration includes a mixture of smaller townhomes, sing-family homes, and large multifamily homes, to accommodate different residents at very different stages of life.36 Another important aspect that the Patio Mat configuration includes is the idea of independent frontage systems. This system connects the public realm of the patio to the private realm of the home. These frontage systems are intended to be a second layer of social interaction as well as an opportunity for economic and social aggregations.37 (see Figure 8) The final proposition that the Community Design Center makes is the idea that these fabrics can be implemented into the existing context of modern-day suburbia, to further enhance the benefits of aging in place. In one proposal, the suburb of Levittown, New York is revitalized with a porch centered fabric between the existing homes in the community. The porch connects the rear of each site, in an ally way fashion, providing shared outdoor spaces and shared community program, like pools and basketball courts. What makes this idea successful is that it can be retrofitted into the existing context of any given location in a way that disrupts the surrounding area as little as possible. This type of multi-generational strategy is ideal for independent living of any demographic, while still having a crucial connected to the public and to the other residents.

32 Housing for Aging Socially: Developing Third Place Ecologies. 1st ed. ORO Editions, 2017. 4.

33 Housing for Aging Socially: Developing Third Place Ecologies. 4.

34 Housing for Aging Socially: Developing Third Place Ecologies. 7.

35 Housing for Aging Socially: Developing Third Place Ecologies. 79.

36 Housing for Aging Socially: Developing Third Place Ecologies. 91.

37

Housing for Aging Socially: Developing Third Place Ecologies. 96.

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How Nesterly works

Figure 9: Nesterly Use Chart This flow chart shows how seniors can list their home and how others go about finding them. This details the entire process of making a co-housing living situation.

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Co- Housing, the third type of multi-generational living, is a system in which unrelated members live in the same building, for the purpose of interdependency. In this type of housing, residents choose to live there to share responsibilities. Co-Housing is a clear example of how those residents of the Third Age have created their role in society by still holding onto responsibility. Typically, different residents and families will rotate different responsibilities, like cooking meals for the group. Not only does sharing household responsibilities alleviate time for individuals to perform other tasks, but it creates a sense of community among people who are not even related. The scale in which these systems are implemented varies, making it inclusive to a large majority of people.

One example of a Co-Housing is a community called Genesis, run by housing developer Mi Casa in Washington, D.C.. This community was designed to combine multiple generations that are not related to one another. Genesis is a home for young mothers who are aging out of foster care. The home locates them in close proximity to older adults, specifically those of the Third Age, who are in need of low-income housing. The older residents give 100 hours of their time, every three months, to the mothers and their children. They babysit, walk the kids to school, and host coffee and dinners, serving as role models to these young women. By doing this, it allows the mothers to work and attend school to support their children financially. The kids are raised with a strong sense of family and learn a lot from the older residents that help take care of them.38 The physical configuration of Genesis is a collection of twenty-seven apartments, with varying configurations of one to two-bedroom units. The residents share a communal laundry room, a series of meeting spaces, and a community kitchen. It is also located on a major bus route, close to grocery stores and childcare facilities.39 Genesis provide socioeconomic support to both lower-income elders as well as struggling young mothers, creating an environment of support to all three generations.

Another small-scale example of a Co-Housing concept is Nesterly, “an AirBnb for affordable housing.”40 Nesterly is a platform that operates as a match making system for Third Age residents wanting to rent rooms in their home and younger people who need affordable housing. The system provides income to the older homeowner as well as extra help around the house with everyday responsibilities. (see Figure 9) The company that runs this platform also verifies its participants, using a third-party to run background checks and uses references to establish credibility and security. The younger renter pays affordable rent, which also can suffice in the help they provide. Brenda Atchison, a homeowner that is part of the program, rents a room of her house out to Phoebus, a student studying for a PhD in architecture. Atchison charges Phoebus based on the help he does- for every hour he works, she takes a certain amount off his rent.41 This configuration provides solution to two epidemics: the affordable housing crisis as well as the growing numbers of the 65 and above population.

Both crises impact to large demographics in American society, young adults, low wage workers, and the Third Age population. For young adults, especially adults post academia and adults who receive lower income, it is harder to find housing that they can afford and save money. The National Low-Income Housing Coalition found in 2014 that “there was not a single state in which a full-time employee earning minimum wage would be able to afford a two-bedroom rental apartment at fair market rent.”42 As for the Third Age homeowners, this provides many solutions to the problems they face with housing options.

Of the 71 percent of adults ages fifty to sixty-five that want to remain in their homes, this is an option that makes this possible while combatting loneliness and decreased income.43 This solution poses dual benefits, which is what the goal of all multi-generational housing should be.

38

Scott, Paula Spencer. “Multigenerational Housing is the Biggest Homebuying Trend- And More Millennials Are Opting for It.” Parade. AMG/Parade, July 12, 2019. https://www.parade.com/900272/paulaspencer/multigenerational-housing/.

“Apartments” Genesis. Mi Casa Inc, June 9, 2016.

https://genesisdc.org/apartments/.

40 “The AirBNB of Affordable Housing is Here.” Fast Company. Mansuento Ventures, LLC, June 13, 2018.

https://fastdesignco.com/90151804/the-airbnb-of-affordable-housing-is-here/.

41 “The AirBNB of Affordable Housing is Here.” Fast Company.

42 “The AirBNB of Affordable Housing is Here.” Fast Company.

43 Hermann, Alexander. “More Older Adults Are Living in Lower-Density Neighborhoods.” Blog | Joiont Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Harvard,

https://jchs.harvard.edu/blog/more-older-adults-are-living-in-lower-desnsity-neighborhoods/.

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Overall, Multi-Generational Housing is the combination of all the design considerations of the three common types of housing analyzed before. A multi-generational home or co-home is the most efficient way for an adult to age-in-place. It also prevents the debilitating loneliness of living alone after one’s children have moved out and provides a social outlet outside of the home. A social outlet is one of the key elements to healthy life, and in aging adults prolongs their mental and physical wellness. In a study of 7,000 men and women in California that began in 1965, it was found that “people who were disconnected from others were… three times more likely to die during the nine-year study than people with strong social ties.”44 This result was consistent regardless of age, gender, life style, or physical health. The study also found that people who had more unhealthy living habits, but strong social ties still lived longer than those who has healthy habits, but very weak social ties. Social isolation is compared to high blood pressure, obesity, and other health risks that are major factors in illness and early death. The different options create social interaction among family members or members within the community, providing benefits to both. Lastly, living in close proximity to other people of different age demographics also provides health care necessities. Living with other people decreases the risk of death. Other people are more attuned to noticing acute symptoms and can notice slight decreased in health that would be signs of larger problems. By living alone, older individuals lack a network of confidantes to encourage medical intervention.45 Overall, strong social ties promote wellness and quality of life.

The social interactions that older residents foster provide a way to construct a pattern for their daily lives.

When in an interdependent housing option, they ways that everyone provides for others shapes their daily lives. Specifically, for individuals that fall into the Third Age category, their role in the home and society is that of a mentor. Elderly residents become the caretaker of children when their parents are working or have other responsibilities to tend to. To the parents, they become sources of support and advice, as well as aiding with household responsibilities. These responsibilities keep the older individuals contained primarily in the home, but since they are not full time, the responsibilities they still have are flexible, allowing them more time for leisure. Much like the Independent Living Communities, this provides a pattern for daily life, one with responsibility and flexibility.

While the multi-generational home combines many important aspects of the other three housing options for the elderly, today’s housing stock does not adequately support the market for its widespread implementation. Most multi-generational homes are retrofitted single-family homes with expensive additions to accommodate added individuals. By looking at the more common housing options as well as examples of multi-generational homes, products, and the concept of universal design, a formulated method could be created for this understudied area of architecture. These design considerations provide the means to a truly multi-generational home designed with all generations in mind.

44 Robbins, John. Healthy at 100. Bath: Paragon, 2007.

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Stevenson, Sarah. “20 Facts about Senior Isolation That Will Stun You,” A Place for Mom. A Place for Mom Inc, August 21, 2019. https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/10-17-14-facts-about-senior-isolation/.

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05considerations Beyond the Building

In addition to the many strategies that the previous examples have implemented, there is not an archetypal model for a multi-generational home. However, since there are many ways to configure multigenerational living, the focus should be on smaller scale design decisions. Theses design decisions should promote rigorous design of the interior to create versatile spaces and configuration, emphasize accessibility, and promote universal design for a barrier free living for all residents. By creating a set of principles to design by, this creates an inclusive space that all members of a family or community can thrive in.

Accessibility is the largest design principal that characterizes housing for the elderly. This provides the means for elderly residents to utilize the spaces they live in, minding to their physical and sometimes mental limitations. When thinking of accessibility, most think of ramps instead of stairs, grab handles in bathrooms, and wide hallways to accommodate wheelchairs. However, accessibility goes far beyond that. One example is the width of hallways. By ADA standards, hallways must be at least 36 inches wide to accommodate an individual in a wheelchair. While feasible, this standard does not allow for the storage of these physical aids. If you add in the space a folded-up wheelchair or a walker takes up, it cuts that hallway width down by a third. Accommodations for these items in the form of storage closets and cabinets would provide a space for these items to live and could be used as other storage when they are not needed. Transitions between spaces are also an important aspect of accessible design. With a change in flooring material that measures to be a quarter of an inch is hazardous for elderly residents.

This seemly harmless change in height can result in falls and wheelchairs and walkers having difficulty moving.46 These examples are small considerations to take when designing a space, not disturbing the space as a whole.

The Configuration of Program is another way small adjustments create a more realistic usable space for the inhabitants of a home. For example, The Dongsimwon House by SOSU Architects manipulated and readjusts the standard sizes of the communal living spaces to create spaces that promote interactions between generations. Each floor of the building is designed for each different generation. However, communal living spaces like the kitchen and living room are on the parents’ generations floor but are intended to be used by all family members. The house also lacks storage spaces and other undedicated rooms, so they all must rely on aspects of each generation’s floor of the house.47 Another small design consideration to fostering spaces of interaction is manipulating the size of bedrooms. Elderly residents are in their bedrooms for a much smaller period of the day than residents of other age groups. So lavishly large bedrooms are not feasible for them. By adjusting the square footage allocated to that space, the extra space can be added to communal living spaces. These kinds of design considerations are the reflections of the daily lives of each of the residents and are attentive to how they live, creating a building that is tailored to their needs.

Product Design for household appliances are also an important aspect of universal design. With technology that is constantly evolving, the complexity of products is a benefit to most but and hindrance

46 Agin Arch Dudley Talk?

47

“Dongsimwon Multi-Household House / SOSU ARCHITECTS.” Arch Daily, September 1, 2017. https://www.archdaily.com/878698/dongsimwon-multi-household-house-sosu-architects.

48 Morby, Alice. “Concept Apartment by Future Facility Gives Older Residents Domestic Independence.” Dezeen, January 25, 2017. https://www.dezeen.com/2017/01/25/future-facility-amazin-apartment-older-residents-revolutionary-domestic-independence-design-museum/.

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to older generations. In an installation at London’s Design Museum, Future Facility created the Amazin Apartment, which strips household appliances of their complexity, to make operating them easier for an aging population. The concept presents the idea that “digital technology intended to make our lives simpler doesn’t necessarily aid older generations.”48 In their installation they took a washing machine, refrigerator, and a water dispenser, with a service space to manage them behind they wall which they are located. The washing machine is designed with one button with one setting and is located at standing height to prevent the need for an older person to bend down to reach it. The company that would ideally carry out the services behind these appliances would install the detergent so the resident would not have to make a trip to restock it. The refrigerator is accessible from the front and the back and is split down the middle to differentiate between old and new food. Those who restock the refrigerator would place new food on the new side and move the older food to the other side of the refrigerator. The water fountain runs off water tanks allowing for the choice of filtered or branded water to be purchased. The ease of design as well a streamlined service makes these three everyday activities easier for an elderly individual.49 The manipulation of the design of products is one way designers are attuned the daily life cycles of the people that they are designing for, which can in some instance make these activities easier for an individual.

Visual Communication is another aspect of design that can benefit older residents as well as residents of other ages. Colors and images are important way finding tools for elderly individuals, because with age comes deteriorating eye site. Words are harder to reading far away and close-up, making wayfinding a difficult task. In the public realm as well as the private, different strategies can be used to help these individuals. The implementation of bright colors that contrast with the surround environment, emphasize important aspects of a space that make its purpose more recognizable, like a brightly colored couch would signify a place of rest or a brightly color table could signify a place to eat. The use of pictures to way find is also easier to understand than words and numbers. Many times, icons and graphics are used for way finding, using universally understood imagery to signify different spaces. Personal images are also used to signify an individual’s home, so these images use familiarity as a wayfinding tool. Especially with dementia patients, art is a way to combat some of the symptoms. In their rooms, they have murals painted on doors so that when they start to wander, the painting distracts them, disassociated with the idea of it being a door. This keeps individuals from wandering off.50 The idea of using art and imagery and a way to communicate not only provides a practical benefit but art, in general, increases the quality of a space.

In addition to the building environment, it is important to Create Communities that provide elderly individuals with the means to create social ties, with people of their own generation and others. One initiative that is based on an important aspect of elderly Polish women’s everyday life is Social Cooking.

Social Cooking creates a community of elderly women that want to make and sell their food. The company gives these women a carefully designed kit that allows them to easily sell their good and create social events, like community meals.51 The elderly women that participate are linked together on a social platform and create ties into the community that they sell and provide food for. In addition to these social benefits, it takes an aspect of their daily life and creates a lively hood from it, adding to their daily life pattern and provided a source of extra income.

While a multi-generational style works in theory, one must also consider the Cultural Feasability of the intervention. Specifically, the structure of the American family, both historically and presently must be

49 Morby, Alice. “Concept Apartment by Future Facility Gives Older Residents Domestic Independence.” Dezeen, January 25, 2017.

https://www.dezeen.com/2017/01/25/future-facility-amazin-apartment-older-residents-revolutionary-domestic-independence-designmuseum/.

50 Dudley aging talk 51 Morris, Ali. “Subscription Cookery Kit Is Designed to Help Elderly Women Socialize.” Dezeen, July 22, 2019.

https://www.dezeen.com/2018/07/18/social-oven-magda-sabatowska-central-saint-martins-design/.

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evaluated to determine if it can support this living typology. Two major events in the last 150 years have impacted the way that people live, the first being the industrialization of America in the 1890s. With the Industrial Revolution, families urbanized, moving to cities to participate in capitalist mass production. This transition from producers, like those of a farming structure, to s family of consumers. With this shift into cities, the role of each member of the family changed. Mothers of children were responsible for raising young children and taking care of family members who could not work. Once children were old enough, they were expected to begin working in factories, becoming a source of income for the entire family. This era promoted great interdependence on all members of the family. However, as the transition out of the cities into newly emerging suburbs occurred after World War Two, the family structure in America also changed. However, this period is marked as the “decline of the family:” a decline in the interdependent structure of a family for the “pursuit of individual over collective goals and the availability of alternate social groups for the satisfaction of basic human needs.”.52 Suburbs emerged as the result of a push for individualism in the ‘American Dream.’ Another cause of the shift is family structure is the increase of divorce rates in the 1960s and the frequency of a bi-nuclear or single parent household. The family became less of an economic necessity and a source of companionship and affirmation. .53 Present day, the change in demographic distribution of age and increase in health care technology as mentioned previously, is the primary catalyst of the shift in family structure. The longevity of family members both poses a problem and an opportunity. The increased years of “shared lives” across generations provides a “latent network” that provides support across generations.54 To make up for increased divorce rates and single parent household, children and adults have a larger number of kin to draw from for social, emotional, and financial support. However, familial relations are too complex to allow of a generalization of society. Many biological families are more estranged due to conflicts, ideology, and other matters. This leads to the decline in the importance of biological families but in present day, the term family is more extensive to include diverse family structures, those without biological relations. So, the multi-generational question is more complex than a single solution answer, but diverse opportunity in many different settings contributes many opportunities for improvement in the designed environment.

Overall, multiple factors go into designing space, especially a space that has sociodemographic goals.

Whether its smaller design aspects in a space, design of products, design of services, or the design of a culture, all aspects play into creating a successful multi-generational environment. Dependent upon the resident, a space demands a variety of considerations to meet the need of its residents.

52

Bengtson, Vern L. “The Burgess Award Lecture: Beyond the Nuclear Family: The Increasing Importance of Multigenerational Bonds.” Journal of Marriage and Family 63, no. 1 (2001): 3. Accessed April 27, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/3599955.

53 Benston, Vern L. “The Burgess Award Lecture: Beyond the Nuclear Family: The Increasing Importance of Multigenerational Bonds.” 4.

54 Benston, Vern L. “The Burgess Award Lecture: Beyond the Nuclear Family: The Increasing Importance of Multigenerational Bonds.” 6.

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06 implementation conclusion

With an ever-changing society, architecture is expected to change with it, to adapt to the current needs of the people. In this case, the emergence of the Third Age population has created a need for a new language of architecture, one that caters to the needs and lifestyle of this demographic. The projected trends for this rapidly increasing demographic create an urgency for response. The response is a reaction to the current architectural solutions and how their intentions and design is inadequate for this age group. However, the solution points towards a societal change, rather than just a specific change for this demographic.

A single proposition cannot solve the overarching problem of changing demographics in society.

However, it points towards many characteristics that all forms of living share. The idea of universal design for exclusivity is a characteristic of multi-generational that touches all aspects of the built environment, especially outside of the residential sphere. Versatile design is another large component in facilitating multi-generational living, especially in the residential sector of the architecture industry. Individuals and entire families cannot be fit into one specific mold. The implementation of community wide design and residential design contribute to the overarching idea of a multi-generational styles of living. In conclusion, a multi-generational approach to design is not only the best option for the sixty-five plus demographic, but social as a whole, with its versatility of design, economic, social, and emotional benefits, and diversity of application into the built environment.

Figure 10: Creating Community Hartford Townhouses by UTILE Design

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07 Bibliography citations

“3 Generation House.” BETA. BETA office for architecture and the city. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://beta-office.com/project/3-generation-house/.

“8 Ways to Design Multigenerational Homes.” Freshome. Accessed Septempber 25, 2019. https://freshome.com/multigenerational-homes/.

“Apartments.” Genesis. Mi Casa Inc., June 9, 2016. https:/genesisdc.org/apartments/.

“Baby Boomer Facts on 50 Livable Communities and Aging in Place.” AARP. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/info-2014/livable-communities-facts-and-figures.html.

Bengtson, Vern L. “The Burgess Award Lecture: Beyond the Nuclear Family: The Increasing Importance

of Multigenerational Bonds.” Journal of Marriage and Family 63, no. 1 (2001): 1-16. Accessed

April 27, 2020.

Cox, Wendell. “Millions More Seniors in Suburbs and Exurbs.” New Geography. New Geography,

February 7, 2018. https://www.newgeography.com/content/005874-millions-more-seniors-suburbs-and-exurbs.

“Dongsimwon Multi-Household House / SOSU ARCHITECTS.” Arch Daily, September 1, 2017. https://www.archdaily.com/878698/dongsimwon-multi-household-house-sosu-architects.

“Falls Prevention Facts.” NCOA. National Council on Aging, June 4, 2018. https://www.ncoa.org/news/resources-for-reporters/get-the-facts/falls-prevention-facts/.

Friedman, George. The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century. 1st ed. Doubleday, 2019.

Hermann, Alexander. “More Older Adults Are Living in Lower-Density Neighborhoods.” Blog | Joint

Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Harvard, January 4, 2019. https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/more-older-adults-are-living-in-lower-desnity-neighborhoods/.

Housing for Aging Socially: Developing Third Place Ecologies. 1st ed. ORO Editions, 2017.

Josephson, Amelia. “The Best Cities for Multi-Generational Households.” SmartAsset, June 9, 2016. https://smartasset.com/mortgage/the-best-cities-for-multi-generational-households.

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Lock, Cheryl. “The Growth of Multigenerational Homes.” Value Penguin, September 25, 2019. https://valuepenguin.com/homes/multigenerational-homes-trend.

Morby, Alice. “Concept Apartment by Future Facility Gives Older Residents Domestic Independence.”

Dezeen, January 25, 2017.

https://www.dezeen.com/2017/01/25/future-facility-amazin-apartment-older-residents- revolutionary-domestic-independence-design-museum/.

Morris, Ali. “Subscription Cookery Kit Is Designed to Help Elderly Women Socialize.” Dezeen, July 22, 2019. https://www.dezeen.com/2018/07/18/social-oven-madga-sabatowska-central-saint- martins-design/.

“Multigenerational Households.” Generations United. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.gu.org/explore-our-topics/multigenerational-households/.

“Nursing homes, beds, residents, and occupancy rates, by state: United States, selected years 199502914.”

CDC. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2015/092.pdf.

Robbins, John. Healthy at 100. Bath: Paragon, 2007.

Schwarz, Benyamin. Nursing Home Design: Consequences of Employing the Medical Model. New York,

New York: Garland Publishing, 1996.

Scott, Paula Spencer. “Multigenerational Housing Is the Biggest Homebuying Trend¬-- And More

Millennials Are Opting for It.” Parade. AMG/Parade, July 12, 2019. https://www.parade.com/900272/paulaspencer/multigenerational-housing/.

“Senior Statistics & Research: Nursing Home & Elder Care Statistics.” Senior Living. Senior Living.

Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.seniorliving.org.research/.

Simpson, Deane. Young-Old: Urban Utopias of an Aging Society. Zurich, Switzerland: Lards Muller

Publishing, 2015.

Stevenson, Sarah. “20 Facts about Senior Isolation That Will Stun You.” A Place for Mom. A Place for Mom

Inc., August 21, 2019. https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/10-17-14-facts-about-senior-isolation/.

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08 appendix images

[Figure 1] Ortman, Jennifer M., Victoria A. Velkhoff, and Howard Hogan. “An Aging Nation: The Older

Population in the United States.” Census.gov, May 2014. https://www.census.gov/prod/2014pubs/p25-1140.pdf.

[Figure 3-6] “3-Generation House.” BETA . BETA Office for Architecture and the City. Accessed May 21, 2020. https://beta-office.com/project/3-generation-house/.

[Figure 7-8] “Third Place Ecologies: Pocket Housing Fabrics for Aging in Community.” University of

Arkansas Community Design Center. University of Arkansas. Accessed May 21, 2020. http://uacdc.uark.edu/work/thirdplaceecologies.

[Figure 9] “How It Works.” Nesterly. Nesterly. Accessed May 21, 2020. https://www.nesterly.io/how-it-works.

[Figure 10] “Hartford Townhouses.” Utile. Utile. Accessed May 21, 2020. https://www.utiledesign.com/work/hartford-housing/.

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Thesis research Project Proposal Project Development

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project proposal

A look into the way we house our elders in response to and preparation for the impending age crisis.

[ 1 ] Design Goals [2] Site Selection [3] Design Research

01 abstract design goals

The elderly population of America lacks sufficient housing options to accommodate their everyday needs as well as provide a place to inhabit that is designed for their stage of life known as the Third Age. This Third Age, is categorized by being free of educational, familial, and career responsibilities, but having more physical and social constraint. By evaluating the four most typical housing options for this demographic, (age-in-place, retirement communities, and long term care facilities), it was discovered that all of these options isolate this group of people and do not provide all of the solutions to their needs. This problem is known as the “crisis of precedent” and the “crisis of programming:” that a model of living for this demographic does not exist so designs have not been programmed accordingly. A proposed solution for this issue not only effects the elderly, but also has benefits on society as a whole, providing a means of living that provides a economically sound, supportive, and interdependent environment for all generations.

Lauren Wertz | 2019-2020 Thesis

02 site selection eastlake, Birmingham

Eastlake Out of the 5 locations in the greater Birmingham area,

East Lake shows the most promise for revitalization. With the highest density of available, affordable lots, and existing efforts in the area, East Lake is the canvas in which a new language of architecture can be designed.

Tax Delinquent + Land Bank Properties Tax delinquent and

land bank lots are the primary vehicles for community improvement in Birmingham. Tax delinquent properties are properties that are unmaintained that eventually accrue various government imposed liens, such as tax, weed, and demolition leins.7 As these properties are accumulated communities are imposed with overwhelming blight.

Land Bank properties are lots that have been tax delinquent for at least five years that the government has acquired to remove titles and leins.8 As a result, tax breaks and financial aid are given to groups that purchase these lots to improve a neighborhood. These lots are desirable to develop affordable housing for their low cost and ability to improve an area. The East Lake and Woodlawn areas contain the largest grouping of tax delinquent and land bank lots in the area of Birmingham with the largest grouping of 65+ elderly in poverty, while also falling within the opportunity zones.

65+ Poverty Demographic Within the 24 Opportunity zones

of Birmingham, 17 of these zones contain the highest percentage of residents ages 65+ who are classified as living in poverty. As a result of these impoverished communities, elderly residents struggle to attain the funds to receive the various kinds of help and support that they need. These neighborhoods lack proximity to fundamental amenities and the homes are struck with blight on a larger scale.

Opportunity Zones The state of Alabama and the city of

Birmingham have taken an initiative to establish Opportunity Zones.

Opportunity zones are defined as “areas [of] low income census tracts with a poverty rate of at least 20 percent and a median family income of less than 80 percent of the statewide of area median income.�2 There are 158 Opportunity Zones in Alabama and 24 in the Birmingham area alone.3 These areas benefit from a focus on investment in small businesses, neighborhood revitalization, and many more initiatives.

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KE A L t Eas

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Selected Site This site was chosen because it

provides the biggest opportunity for development of a multi-generational community and community of East Lake at large. It has a high concentration of land bank and tax delinquent lots to use for development. These lots are grouped together and fall between established homes that provide opportunity for community development and infill strategies. This block is also only two streets over from the major transit line in East Lake and the major ‘down town’ thoroughfare that creates a strong link for the development of Eastlake.

eastlake, Birmingham 0

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120

240

480

960

Tax Delinquent + Land Bank Properties Within East Lake, there are 12 “hot spots” for development of the neighborhood. These hot spots are categorized by having a high density of land bank and tax delinquent properties in one block as well as having existing lots so practice infill strategies.

Thesis Paper | Project Proposal | Project Design

Urban Adjacencies Out of the 5 locations

in the greater Birmingham area, East Lake shows the most promise for revitalization. With the highest density of available, affordable lots, and existing efforts in the area, East Lake is the canvas in which a new language of architecture can be designed.

Transit Connection

East Lake’s primary transit route is the connection between this area and the majority of Downtown Birmingham. Close proximity to a transit gives residents mobility, especially in areas that lack specific amenities.

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03 design research Preliminary work

Preliminary Design The first steps in the design process were taking typically

development prototypes, like cottage housing or duplexes or ADUs, and arranging them on the site. Each configuration aims to maximize the common space on the site and different strategies for connecting them. One way of evaluating these was a corresponding public versus private diagram. The black shading being public, grey as semi-public, light grey as private exterior, and red is unusable space. The strategy that proved the most efficient was the townhouse street edge (bottom right.) It prevents the housing from having a “front” or a “back” and gives the most opportunity for ways to connect inhabitants.

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Tax Delinquent + Land Bank all lots: 519

The circulation approaching the site from the surrounding context is versatile, allowing different configurations of interactions between residents and the community. Residents are also provided with various ways of approaching individual units.

Since all residents share all circulation paths, it encourages daily social interaction in spaces not typically shared by an entire community.

Zoning Allowance Townhouses The circulation

approaching the site from the surrounding context is versatile, allowing different configurations of interactions between residents and the community.

Residents are also provided with various ways of approaching individual units. Since all residents share all circulation paths, it encourages daily social interaction in spaces not typically shared by an entire community.

Tax Delinquent + Land Bank Zoned lots: 11

The circulation approaching the site from the surrounding context is versatile, allowing different configurations of interactions between residents and the community. Residents are also provided with various ways of approaching individual units.

Since all residents share all circulation paths, it encourages daily social interaction in spaces not typically shared by an entire community.

Opportunity Developments 277 The circulation

approaching the site from the surrounding context is versatile, allowing different configurations of interactions between residents and the community.

Residents are also provided with various ways of approaching individual units. Since all residents share all circulation paths, it encourages daily social interaction in spaces not typically shared by an entire community.

Multi-Generational Living

Revisiting How We House the Elderly

39

Thesis research Project Proposal Project Development

40

mult-gen living Revisiting How We House the Elderly

[ 1 ] Exterior Inter vention [2] Interior Inter vention [3] Multi-Gen Home

Lauren Wertz | 2019-2020 Thesis

ABSTRACT: The elderly population of

America lacks sufficient housing option to accommodate their everyday needs as well as provide a place to inhabit that is designed for stage of life known as the Third Age. This Third Age, is categorized by being free of education, familial, and career responsibilities, but hacing more physical and social constraint. By evaluating the four most typical housing options for this demographic, (age-in-place, retirement communities, long term care facilities, and multi-generational communities), it was discovered that all of these option isolate this group of people and do not provide all of the solutions to their needs. This problem is known as the “crisis of precedent” and the “crisis of programming:” that a model of living for this demographic does not exist, so designs have not been programmed accordingly.1 A proposed solution for this issue not only effects the elderly, but also has benefits on society as a whole, providing a means of living that provides a economically sound, supportive, and interdependent environment for all generations.

street edge aproach to site

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Auburn University 2015 - 2020

Thesis Paper | Project Proposal | Project Design

Multi-Generational Living

Revisiting How We House the Elderly

43

Lauren Wertz | 2019-2020 Thesis

Areas of Intervention

01 exterior Multi-Generational Living

In a multigenerational community, the primary function of the exterior is to create spaces that facilitate interaction between residents.

1. Programming Space While there should be programming of exterior space, it should still be versatile and be able to adjust with change and time.

2. Utilizing the Everyday By using the amenities that residents use on a daily basis, allocating them to shared area provides social interaction to conduct daily activities, like mail boxes, parking, or porches.

3. Universal Design By providing a variety of spaces to interact in, it allows for different events and different groups of people to meet.

4. Relating to Context Creating a development that fits into the fabric of the surrounding context extends the community past those who live in the site to the community around it.

A dense development fits better into a suburban context when it is within scale of the surrounding homes and contains layers that break up the large massing.

CONNECTIVITY + versatility Community porch

Each unity of the multi-generational community is connected by one continuous porch. Not only does this provide connectivity but it also provides accessibility. The spaces can be used for community gatherings, family events, or individualized rest, providing longevity to a community intended to be versatile to allow aging-in-place.

circulation shared stair-well

Using shared stair wells as a mean to access multiple units creating spaces for residents to interact on a daily basis.

The stairwells not only provide the approach and egress of some units, but also facilitate interaction and become a microcosm of community space.

dual access front to back corridor

Until the surround context, the multi-generational town-homes do not have a designated “front” or “back” both the street front and inner site can be access from either direction with the use of corridors in between units. They facilitate versatile circulation and community interaction.

shared amenities mail boxes

At the street edge, residents share the location of individual mailboxes. This configuration allows for interaction between residents and members of the surrounding area.

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Auburn University 2015 - 2020

Thesis Paper | Project Proposal | Project Design

street edge n 1

0

Multi-Generational Living

2

Revisiting How We House the Elderly

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24

Lauren Wertz | 2019-2020 Thesis

CONNECTIVITY + versatility green space

Each unity of the multi-generational community is connected by one continuous porch. Not only does this provide connectivity but it also provides accessibility. The spaces can be used for community gatherings, family events, or individualized rest, providing longevity to a community intended to be versatile to allow aging-in-place.

circulation alley

Using shared stair wells as a mean to access multiple units creating spaces for residents to interact on a daily basis.

The stairwells not only provide the approach and egress of some units, but also facilitate interaction and become a microcosm of community space.

dual access Car Park

Until the surround context, the multi-generational town-homes do not have a designated “front” or “back” both the street front and inner site can be access from either direction with the use of corridors in between units. They facilitate versatile circulation and community interaction.

shared amenities Balcony

At the street edge, residents share the location of individual mailboxes. This configuration allows for interaction between residents and members of the surrounding area.

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Auburn University 2015 - 2020

Thesis Paper | Project Proposal | Project Design

inner site n

01

22

44

8

Multi-Generational Living

Revisiting How We House the Elderly

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Lauren Wertz | 2019-2020 Thesis

wn nto

dow

oute us r

ke/b

la east

ore y st cer

Urban Adjacencies How a development

gro

situates itself into the surround context is what projects its multi-generational atmosphere into the extended community. By relating it to adjacent structures and creating axes that promote circulation through the site and the surrounding community.

uma

o wah

k par

Private vs public

The primary goal of the exterior space was to create a completely public space for residents and members of the community to share. No single unit has a private yard, or private stair well. The porches and green spaces are shared with the community as a whole.

The stairs wells are the only semi private areas on the site. While they would be primary used for residents to get to and from then units, they are open air and have visual and audio connection to the public realm of the site.

West Elevation 1

48

Auburn University 2015 - 2020

0

2

24

48

Thesis Paper | Project Proposal | Project Design

Site Circulation | Front The circulation

approaching the site from the surrounding context is versatile, allowing different configurations of interactions between residents and the community. Residents are also provided with various ways of approaching individual units.

Since all residents share all circulation paths, it encourages daily social interaction in spaces not typically shared by an entire community.

Site Circulation | back The circulation at

the rear of the site utilized connectivity to the community in the context with a direct relationship to the alley and providing communal parking. Whether accessing from the parking lot or the alley, an individual approaches the complex through the connecting porch which then directs to individual units, the street edge of the site, or the circulation stair wells.

South Elevation 0

12

24

Multi-Generational Living

Revisiting How We House the Elderly

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3'-6"

3'-6"

5'-7"

42"

18"

30"

42"

5'-7"

48"

5'-7"

5'-7"

02 interior

5'-7"

5'-7"

Areas of Intervention

48"

3'-6"

3'-6"

18"

60"

30"

5'-7"

12"

36"

24"

24"

18"

36"

48"

18"

60"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

1. Programming Space While there should be programming of exterior space, it should still be versatile and be able to adjust with change and time.

n1 bed room unit

2. Utilizing the Everyday By using the amenities that residents use on a daily basis, allocating them to shared area provides social interaction to conduct daily activities, like mail boxes, parking, or porches.

1

3'-6"

3'-6"

5'-7"

2 5'-7"

48" 30" 18"

48"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7" 3'-6"

3'-6" 36"

48" 5'-7"

5'-7"

12"

42"

5'-7"

42"

24"

18"

36"

48"

18"

2

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

0

24 5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

18"

30"

42"

5'-7"

48"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7" 5'-7"

2

3'-6"

5'-7"

5'-7"

0

48"

18"

36"

48"

1

2n bed room unit 1

5'-7"

24"

5'-7"

5'-7"

42"

12"

18"

60"

3'-6" 5'-7"

36"

48"

5'-7"

5'-7"

18"

5'-7"

42"

West Section

30"

24"

5'-7"

12"

12"

36"

24"

60"

36"

30"

5'-7"

36"

48"

5'-7"

42"

30"

36"

42"

5'-7"

18"

5'-7"

48"

12"

24"

60" 48"

18"

48"

36"

48" 3'-6"

3'-6"

30"

36"

42"

5'-7"

30"

24

48

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

2

5'-7"

0

West Elevation

Auburn University 2015 - 2020

60" 36"

48" 12"

30"

36"

24"

5'-7" 5'-7" 36"

12"

42"

5'-7"

48"

30"

30"

Studio units

5'-7"

12"

24"

60"

60"

50

18"

1 36"

5'-7"

48"

42"

n

36"

48"

5'-7" 30"

42"

30"

42"

60"

3'-6"

5'-7"

3'-6"

4. Relating to Context Creating a development that fits into the fabric of the surrounding context extends the community past those who live in the site to the community around it.

A dense development fits better into a suburban context when it is within scale of the surrounding homes and contains layers that break up the large massing.

24

5'-7"

0

5'-7"

3. Universal Design By providing a variety of spaces to interact in, it allows for different events and different groups of people to meet.

48"

5'-7"

12"

48"

42"

5'-7"

42"

36"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

In a multigenerational community, the primary function of the exterior is to create spaces that facilitate interaction between residents.

18"

30"

42"

36"

48"

30"

Multi-Generational Living 48"

5'-7"

5'-7"

48" 30" 18"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

Lauren Wertz | 2019-2020 Thesis

24" 36"

48"

18"

60"

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Thesis Paper | Project Proposal | Project Design

Unit Types

Resident Diversity

South Section 0

12

24

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Multi-Generational Living

Revisiting How We House the Elderly

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Lauren Wertz | 2019-2020 Thesis

Areas of Intervention

03 Multi-gen home Multi-Generational Home The creation

of the multi-generation home is the most direct method of enforcing a multi-generational style of living. Less common than multi-gen communities, the largest challenge for this kind of design is retaining privacy and individual ownership of each resident while fostering interdependency through space.

Visual Unity

This sort of connection provides a crucial outlet for children, adults, and the elderly, especially the elderly that are home bound: while they physically may not always be able to participate directly in the social realm, they can still be part of it from a distance.

1. Common Spaces Each floor is connected by a stair-well that serves as a secondary community space. The first floor living space also has the potential to function as a communal space for the entire home.

2. Connection to the Exterior The first floor has a porch on both sides that spill into the common space. Each additional floor has exterior balconies providing visual connection to the greater community.

3. Versatile Living Each floor has the opportunity for combinations of occupants and well as living styles. The second and third floors can be ectioned to accommodate different needs.

4. ADA Accessibility Every floor is ADA accessible, allowing for older and handicapped individuals to visit and live in every space.

5. Privacy While the home can function as three floors of continuous space, the stairwell also allows each floor to function as their own unit.

Programming From the first floor, the exit

on to the porch spills directly into the heart of the development. The living room and kitchen areas of each unit, not just the multigenerational home, are directly adjacent to the exterior community space.

Line of Sight

0 .25

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Auburn University 2015 - 2020

.

2

The primary goal of the exterior space was to create a completely public space for residents and members of the community to share. The porches and green spaces are shared with the community as a whole. The stairs wells are the only semi private areas on the site. While they would be primary used for residents to get to and from then units, they are open air and have visual 5 9 and 4audio connection to the public realm.

Community Space Each floor of the Multi-

Generational Home has direct connection to the circulation stair well. This stair well provides a micro-community for the residents of the home, especially if tenants on different floors are not related. Even though the MultiGen residents are the only ones that can use this stair well, it is still in close proximity, visually connected to the community of the exterior

Thesis Paper | Project Proposal | Project Design

Multi-Generational Living

Revisiting How We House the Elderly

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5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7" 5'-7"

5'-7"

48"

5'-7"

30" 18"

42"

18"

30"

42"

5'-7"

48"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

Lauren Wertz | 2019-2020 Thesis

5'-7" 48"

3'-6"

3'-6"

18"

60" 36"

48"

36"

PRIVATE VS PUBLIC 5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

18"

48"

18"

48"

18"

60"

5'-7"

42"

12"

24"

MULTI-GENERATIONAL PLANS 42"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

42"

36"

30"

30"

5'-7"

12"

30"

36"

48"

30"

42"

24"

48" 5'-7" 5'-7"

3'-6"

3'-6"

5'-7"

5'-7" 5'-7"

Third Floor 30"

42"

30"

18"

42"

18"

48"

5'-7"

48"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

3'-6"

3'-6"

3'-6"

3'-6"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7"

Second Floor 30"

42"

18"

60" 36"

48" 24"

5'-7"

5'-7" 5'-7" 36"

12"

42"

5'-7"

48"

5'-7"

48"

12"

30"

36"

3'-6"

36"

48"

18"

3'-6"

24"

60"

5'-7"

5'-7"

5'-7" 5'-7"

First Floor

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Auburn University 2015 - 2020

PUBLIC SEMI-PUBLIC PRIVATE

The primary goal of the exterior space was to create a completely public space for residents and members of the community to share. No single unit has a private yard, or private stair well. The porches and green spaces are shared with the community as a whole. The stairs wells are the only semi private areas on the site. While they would be primary used for residents to get to and from then units, they are open air and have visual and audio connection to the public realm of the site.

Thesis Paper | Project Proposal | Project Design

UNIVERSAL Accessibility

Full Mobility

Limited Mobility

No Mobility The primary goal of the exterior space was to create a completely public space for residents and members of the community to share. No single unit has a private yard, or private stair well. The porches and green spaces are shared with the community as a whole. The stairs wells are the only semi private areas on the site. While they would be primary used for residents to get to and from then units, they are open air and have visual and audio connection to the public realm of the site.

Inhabitant diversyty

Versitile Floor Design

3 Rooms

Studio Flat

3 Rooms

2 Rooms

Room Partitiond

Studio Flat

The primary goal of the exterior space was to create a completely public space for residents and members of the community to share. No single unit has a private yard, or private stair well. The porches and green spaces are shared with

4 Generation Home

$

$ $

3 Generation Home Another important aspect of Multi-Generational Living is the ability for the house to conform to its residents.

Serving as a new take on the Boston Flat, the versitile design of the home allows many different confiruations for a whole family or allows for an outlet of income.

2 Rentable Floors

3 Generation Home With One Rentable Floor

Multi-Generational Living

Revisiting How We House the Elderly

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Lauren Wertz | 2019-2020 Thesis

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Auburn University 2015 - 2020

Thesis Paper | Project Proposal | Project Design

FINAL REVIEW

Multi-Generational Living

Revisiting How We House the Elderly

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