Architecture in Senior Living

The population is aging worldwide. According to data from World Population Prospects: the 2017 Revision, the number of older people, those aged 60 years or over, is expected to double by 2050 and to more than triple by 2100, rising from 962 million globally in 2017 to 2.1 billion in 2050 and 3.1 billion in 2100. Globally, population aged 60 or over is growing faster than all younger age groups. Due to their unique situations, it is difficult for architects to design adequate spaces for this population. This books proposes a distinct way of considering and designing this population’s needs.

Winston Churchill once said, “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us”. The built environment forms the way we behave and carry ourselves. The design of structures has been proven to affect our well-being, as well as have long-term implications for quality of life. Buildings affect our health in a physical and emotional way, as well as trigger our cognitions and social interactions. Therefore, cognitive neuroscience and perception plays an important role in architecture.

Possibilities for senior care alternatives are vast and designed according to the private entity in charge, but they can be summed up to five options: active adult programs, independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing facilities, and continuing care retirement communities. To have a successful facility, the architect has to design thinking about the neuroscience behind their project, and how this impacts a person positively or negatively.