AN ACTIVITY CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY

Abstract

It is the intent of the thesis to examine aging in the context of the Singapore society, taking into consideration the combination of demographic, social , economical and political forces. It attempts to address the fact that there will be a substantial increase in the elderly population in Singapore, whose values and needs have changed, and also to address the prevalent negative stereotyping of the elderly. The vehicle employed to address the issues is an Activity Centre for the Elderly, which will be one among a network of activity centres to be situated at strategic locations in selected HDB towns. The objective of the Activity Centre is to provide a venue to cater to the social and recreational needs of the elderly, as well as to help them engage with the community life of the neighbourhood, in order to foster a better understanding between the elderly and the resident community and hence dispel with some of the misconceptions about the elderly. The design approach emphasizes a balance between providing a supportive environment against a challenging one, and adopts a simple layout to facilitate easy orientation. It also defines transitional spaces, and provides a variety of spaces to match different competent levels. Underlying such considerations are the provision of prosthetic aids, detailing and selection of materials to facilitate the functioning of the elderly within the building.