Getting it right : Housing design for an ageing society in a changing world

Abstract

As the numbers and proportion of elderly people in the world increase, changes in housing provision must take into account the importance of designing for improved standards of accessibility and safety. Many of those involved in the creation of future habitats lack understanding of the real needs of users and they do not sufficiently appreciate the value of Universal Design principles. In practice, environments which are usable, safe and efficient for everyone can be achieved with appropriate design considerations. Recent and ongoing research work at the National University of Singapore concerns the matching of perceived needs, as interpreted by designers, with real needs of end users. The paper makes comparisons between developing European standards and the potential of evolving Asian initiatives. The needs for increased standards of housing for the elderly and a range of alternatives by which elderly-friendly housing might be realised in the future are discussed. Once the inertia to change is overcome, and the urgency and scale of the need is appreciated by those responsible for housing design and development, the resulting built environment will better match changing demographic trends.