Baoky King Yang Huang
Architecture & Dwelling, Designing for Care – towards an inclusive living environment
The Place to Celebrate Individuality: A study of personalization in secondary territory space in elderly residence
In current designs for the elderly, accessibility and safety draw all the focus and their other needs are often neglected. The space is usually organized in the most efficient way, which creates an institutionalized setting that reminds the elderly: ‘you are defined by your age’. In this society, the elderly are not respected as individuals.
In this research-based project, I aim to celebrate the individuality of the elderly. I designed architectural groups with secondary territory spaces of different characteristics. The elderly are encouraged to personalize the space, the process of which enhances the interaction between the residents and their neighbours and strengthens the relationship between the resident and the space.
As a result, a place is created where you could proudly say ‘this is me’. To those who don’t see the person behind the wrinkles and grey hair, ‘This is Me!’ is a loud shout back.