ACTIVE AGING: HOUSING INTEGRATING COMMUNITY BONDING AND FARMING

Abstract

The issue that this thesis aims to explore is active aging for the elderly and residents living in mature Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates. This thesis aims to introduce farming into the existing estate as a medium for active aging, providing various platforms for the elderly to engage in activities actively. It encourages the elderly to be socially connected, mentally alert, cultivate a sense of identity, and enable them to be financially secure through the selling of the produce that thay farmed. Although initially designed with the elderly in mind, the various amenities will eventually benefit the other residents living in the estate as well. The site that is chosen is located in Telok Blangah Rise, a mature estate with a high percentage of elderly. A main spine is proposed to link the different farming nodes and the two overhead pedestrain bridges at both ends of the site. Studio apartments are also integrated along the linkage. As the site is located over an undulating terrain, the linkage provides a better connection between the nodes and provide universal accessibility for the residents. This thesis also explores on how to merge the new studio units and housing blocks into the existing fabric so as to intensify the land use and to allow the elderly to downsize their larger houses without the need to move out of the estate, thus allowing them to continue to age actively in an area that they are familiar with and preserve the relationships that had been built up over decades.