Architectures of Ageing in Place

Anuradha Chatterjee is an Australian feminist academic practitioner in architecture and design currently based in Bengaluru, India, as Pro Vice Chancellor at RV University and Dean in the School of Design and Innovation. As a transnational academic, she has taught in and held leadership roles across universities in Australia, China, and India. Her research spans across 19th century Western architectural history and theory; scholarship of learning and teaching; feminist pedagogies in design; gender and architectural practice in Asia; and textile and textual practices. She is the author of: John Ruskin and the Fabric of Architecture (Routledge).

"Architectures of Ageing in Place is an excellent critical look into how the design and refurbishment of buildings may meet the diverse needs of older people bringing in interesting case study examples from across the Globe. It cleverly places architecture, buildings and design within important contemporary debates on healthy ageing, and also wider gerontological issues of intergenerational practice and social citizenship. It is a perfect match between fields of architecture, built environment and design along with gerontology and ageing and would be useful to scholars, policymakers and practitioners working in these fields."Charles Musselwhite, Professor and Head of Psychology, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK“This book creates a new chapter for what we need to know when designing age-friendly homes and communities. As a member of the government’s Older People’s Housing Task Force, it’s publication is timely as we build our understanding on the physical architecture for accessible and adaptable homes and age-friendly places and recognise the importance of forging the right social architecture where people of all ages can connect, live and thrive.”Jeremy Porteus, Chief Executive, Housing Learning and Improvement Network"Ageing is not a problem to be solved,’ writes one of the contributors to this thought-provoking collection of essays on designing spaces and places for older people. Rejecting both the medicalisation and institutionalisation of the ageing population, we are offered a series of bespoke design solutions based on ethnographic research in India, Singapore, Sweden, Portugal, New Zealand, the UK and the US, all of which suggest the many different and imaginative ways of providing care and shelter to enable the ideal of ’ageing in place’ to become both realisable and meaningful."Ken Worpole, Social historian and author of ‘Modern Hospice Design: the architecture of palliative and social care.“Architectures of Ageing in Place is an important and timely contribution to the way we think about people, place and community. Rather than seeing ageing as a condition to be separated from everyday life, this work reminds us that our homes, neighbourhoods and civic spaces should enable people to remain connected, valued and engaged throughout all stages of life.The most resilient communities are intergenerational communities — places where learning, wisdom, care and experience are shared across generations through everyday interaction. Architecture has a profound role to play in creating the conditions for these exchanges to occur naturally and meaningfully. In doing so, we not only support dignity and independence for ageing populations, but also address growing challenges of loneliness and social isolation through environments that foster belonging, participation and lifelong learning.This publication makes a valuable contribution to that conversation and challenges us to think more deeply about how design can strengthen the social fabric of our communities.”Philip Idle, Director, EIW Architects

• Introduction: Plural Practices in Architectures of Ageing in Place Part 1: Present Ecosystems 1. Retrofitting Modern Architecture to Age in Place: Lisbon, Portugal 2. Co-Creating Spatial Justice in High-Rise Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) in Manchester, UK 3. Innovation by Use: Spatial Agency and Interpretative Flexibility in Housing for Older Adults Ebba Högström and Catharina Nord Part 2: Novel Structures 4. Housing Senior Citizens in Singapore: Ageing -in-Place in the Community 5. Post Occupancy Evaluation of Elderly/ Senior Housing Projects in India 6. A Tale of Two Apartments: Older Adults Ageing in High-Rise in New Zealand 7. Getting in Place: Ethnographic Observations of Homemaking in New-Build Almshousing in Central London Part 3: Futures Reimagined 8. Moving and/or Adapting the Home to Age Well in Place: Focus on Residential Experiences of (Future) Older People 9. Aging Against the Machine