Built Environments for an Ageing and Sustainable Society

Research on the silver economy shows that products and services, which enhance personal autonomy and social cohesion, are common to successful enterprises that serve the needs of both older adults and their carers. Policymaking focuses on such interventions, mainly from medical-pharmacological and hi-tech perspectives, such as advancements in pharmaceuticals, wearable technologies and e-health applications or robotics. Aspects of the built environment—that is, human-made surroundings—are rarely considered worth exploring. Yet, the fact that we have created buildings, as opposed to many advanced technologies that we are yet to invent, does not necessarily make them fit for purpose for the needs of an ageing population. This is the case in all forms and scales of the built environment, from houses to transportation networks.

This lecture argues that policies and interventions for active and healthy ageing could benefit from a broader integration framework that would allow our built surroundings, of all scales and complexities, to become part of the solution. This could be achieved through new architectural and design paradigms that, contrary to prevailing architectural education and practice, operate in harmony with human perceptions and physiology, especially for vulnerable and older adults. By better understanding the consequences of the built environment on the well-being of the older population and acting on this we could, first, prevent the environment being disabling for vulnerable people and, second, hopefully enable increased autonomy through interventions.

The lecture is a sample lecture from the MSc Healthcare Facilities curriculum and can be attended by anybody interested in the healthcare environment research and practice.