The future of age-friendly living. Wow!
April 11, 2012 | By Kim Walker
Some stunning examples of age-friendly design, this time in the form of living spaces.
According to the authors of a new book “Unassisted Living: Ageless Homes For Later Life” by architects Wid Chapman and Jeffrey Rosenfeld, no generation has ever placed such contradictory demands on later-life housing, They identified the main priorities:
- Stay connected to children, grandchildren and friends
- Stay fit and healthy
- Be involved in a combination of work and leisure pursuits
- A balance of privacy and connection — the cozy master suite as well as flexible, separate quarters to host adult children, ageing parents or visiting friends
- Sustainability
Counter-intuitively, the director of a geriatric program at a major hospital specifically asked for stairs in his retirement home stating: ‘How will I get exercise if I have no stairs in my home?’”
The author admits there’s a “healthy element of denial” at work with some not fully addressing the issues of future frailty. Some homeowners included shafts for future elevators and space for bathroom grab bars; one designed a pool cabana that could be converted into a caretaker’s cottage.
Check out the slideshow for seven unique homes from “Unassisted Living.” in the original article from the Huffington Post.
