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An Inclusive Community: Architecture for Age Integration

Our elderly population is increasing and people are living longer. Healthcare advancements mean that illnesses are more controlled and people do not die as young.   Due to our age-segregated society, the issue of elderly social isolation is at an all time high. Retirement villages are, for the most part, gated communities, isolated away from the rest of the younger population and wider community. The generation gap between young and older continues to broaden and issues such as elderly neglect, loneliness, financial abuse and other mental-health related problems are becoming more common.  This research finds that many suburban community facilities often neglect the needs of this growing senior demographic. The site at 245 Karori Road, Karori, is used to test and challenge the norms of current suburban community architecture typologies for social inclusiveness.  The site is tested in three iterative stages led by an interdisciplinary literature review to address this overarching problem of age-segregation in suburban communities. A major focus in this research is to target the suburb’s youngest and oldest members to shift negative ageist attitudes through providing spaces for intergenerational interaction.  This research portfolio is a critique of current community architecture typologies such as the community centre and public space, to investigate ways these typologies could be redefined and altered to play a key role in countering the negative effects of age-segregation.