A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Home in Later Life
With the growing number of people moving into old age, architects face the challenge of designing appropriate residential environments for current and future generations of older people. Too often they live in houses that are not adapted to their needs and desires, with few spatial and social qualities of a real home. Among architects and professional care givers awareness is growing of the importance of “feeling at home” in residential care environments, rather than just having basic needs like food, shelter, and medical care met. This article builds on this tendency. Based on literature from different disciplines, we first identify a set of concepts that form a framework to understand: (1) what is important in order to create a feeling of homeliness, particularly for older people, and (2) how the physical house and its environment can contribute to that. We then articulate how these concepts can be reflected in the architecture of the home by drawing on empirical material from case studies in the homes of older people living in different contexts. The feeling of homeliness is based on a dynamic balance between autonomy and security. This balance is an ongoing process, called appropriation; it is the process by which a person makes a house into a home. For five spatial aspects we describe and document how they may contribute to enhancing the autonomy/security balance.
Home in Later Life
With the growing number of people moving into old age, architects face the challenge of designing appropriate residential environments for current and future generations of older people. Too often they live in houses that are not adapted to their needs and desires, with few spatial and social qualities of a real home. Among architects and professional care givers awareness is growing of the importance of “feeling at home” in residential care environments, rather than just having basic needs like food, shelter, and medical care met. This article builds on this tendency. Based on literature from different disciplines, we first identify a set of concepts that form a framework to understand: (1) what is important in order to create a feeling of homeliness, particularly for older people, and (2) how the physical house and its environment can contribute to that. We then articulate how these concepts can be reflected in the architecture of the home by drawing on empirical material from case studies in the homes of older people living in different contexts. The feeling of homeliness is based on a dynamic balance between autonomy and security. This balance is an ongoing process, called appropriation; it is the process by which a person makes a house into a home. For five spatial aspects we describe and document how they may contribute to enhancing the autonomy/security balance.
Home in Later Life
Van Steenwinkel, Iris (author) / Baumers, Stijn (author) / Heylighen, Ann (author)
Home Cultures ; 9 ; 195-217
2012-07-01
23 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
appropriation , autonomy , home , meaning , older people , security
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