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Fourth International and Interdisciplinary Conference on Emotional Geographies
1-3 July 2013 at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands
The social quality of spaces in care
Keywords:
Social quality of space, active older adults, small scale communities, care facilities, care technology
Chair:
Professor Masi Mohammadi PhD,
Eindhoven University of Technology – HAN University of Applied Sciences
Co-organisers:
Senior researcher Dort Spierings MSc, PhD candidate Radboud University
HAN University of Applied Sciences
Senior lecturer Matthew Barac PhD
Southbank University London, Medical Architecture Research Unit (MARU)
Researcher Martin Bouwman MSc
HAN University of Applied Sciences
Transitions in the world of active older adults
The world of housing and care for the older adults in European states has been in transition (Sobotka, 2008; Surkyn & Lesthaeghe, 2004). In the last decades, care homes have been substituted by concepts of home care (HAPPI, 2009; Mohammadi, 2010). Nursing homes have partly been replaced by small-scale housing facilities (te Boekhorst et al., 2008). Since the eighties, active older adults have been accommodated in assisted living facilities, and more and more in integrated service areas (Regnier, 2002). The goals of these changes are to support self-reliant aging in place with higher social quality of housing and to reduce costs. Since aging comes with frailty (Lawton, 1986; Lawton & Simon, 1968; van Campen, 2011),
in this time of transition more than ever our concerns should be with older adults and the quality of their collective and individual spaces in care.
Social quality of place
Social quality of place is related to existing definitions of quality in general and quality of place in particular. Van der Voordt (2009) refers to a widely used definition of quality as the extent to which a product fulfils the requirements set. In architectural theory Alexander (1979) defines a ‘central quality’ in each city or building. The social quality relates to the social interaction, the level of activity and the experienced liveliness, wholeness, comfort and safety (Spierings, van der Voordt, & van Biene, 2012).
Focus of this session
In this session we want to put focus on the social quality of spaces in care in relation to three topics: small-scale communities, care buildings and care technologies. We would like to focus on these topics on three different levels of scale: 1: the scale of a neighborhood; 2: the scale of a building; 3: the scale of a room.
Small-scale communities
Demographic declining is a major transition issue in Europe. It affects cities, but small-scale communities in particular are affected (Hospers, 2010; Pearce, 2010; Slack, Bourne, & Gertler, 2003), as maintaining a minimum level of self-reliance and independent living is even more problematic in small-scale communities. Informal care is under pressure because of the migration of young people to the cities. The existence of emotional bonding and social cohesion is crucial to these communities (de Graaf, 2009; Jacobs, 1993). Several concepts for community care are in the experimental phase (Bortel, 2009; Holt-Jensen, 2001).
Care Facilities
The transitions in housing for active older adults have an impact on the level of facilities, again especially in small-scale communities. Combined concepts of housing, care and welfare facilities could be an answer to the small scale (Anderzon, Hughes, Judd, Kiyota, & Wijnties, 2012; Feddersen, 2009; Regnier, 2002). The social quality of space in care demands special attention for the social interaction and sense of safety of active but frail users.
Role of technology
The history of architecture is evidence for the manner new technological developments have influenced the present allocation of space and building concepts. Nowadays the (smart) technological features to support and reinforce the residential functions are being implemented more often (Barlow, Gann, & Venables, 1999; Harper, 2003). These (smart) technologies for active aging provide a new and promising spatial concept to tackle the challenges of aging and to transform them into opportunities (Mohammadi, 2010). Accordingly, in this session, smart technologies will be considered to be part of the architectural domain. We want to put focus on the influence of technological developments on the (social) quality of space.
Integrality and interdisciplinarity
Looking at aging and demographic declining, the proposed session could contribute to a interdisciplinary academic discourse on the research in a integral way with a focus on the social quality of spaces in care for this important group of active older adults.
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About the organizers
Masi Mohammadi is professor of Architecture in Health at HAN University of Applied Sciences and assistant professor at Eindhoven University of Technology, in the Netherlands. The focus of her research is on Smart and Healthy Living Environment, a research into new architectural and technological means and methods for enabling aging-in-place and the acceptance of smart (care) applications, as well as applying need-based technology in the homes. She performs (empirical) studies on the breakthrough of smart care technologies and the residential needs and the attitude of users in regards to advanced technological innovations. She has been operating as a senior researcher and project manager in different nationwide projects based in this field.
Dort Spierings is senior researcher at Architecture in Health at HAN University of Applied Sciences and PhD candidate at Radboud University of Nijmegen, in the Netherlands.
The focus of his social geographic PhD research is on the impact of scale on the social quality of housing in assisted living facilities in the Netherlands. Being an urban planner and architect, he studies the influences of the urban scale as well as the scale of a building. His main focus in care is the active older adults and the impact of the built environment on the social quality of housing.
Matthew Barac is senior lecturer in the history and theory of architecture at London South Bank University, where he is a member of the Medical Architecture Research Unit (MARU), and an internationally registered architect. Professional activities include practice-led research as co-author of the UK government report Housing our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation (2009). He writes for academic as well as mainstream publications, including a monthly column as pedagogy correspondent for the Architectural Review. His PhD won the RIBA President's Award for Research: best doctoral dissertation (2007) and the International Bauhaus Prize (2004). He chairs the board of UK charity Architecture Sans Frontières.
Martin Bouwman is researcher at Architecture in Health at HAN University of Applied Sciences. He studied architecture at Eindhoven University of Technology and graduated on research by design on the spatial organization of the typology of nursing homes in relation to the domestic function of the typology. His research with AiH focuses on the manner social encounters between residents of care facilities can be influenced by the design of interior space. Furthermore, Martin is involved in research on the topic of housing desires of people with care demands, especially active older adults.
References
Alexander, C. (1979). A timeless way of building. New York: Oxford University Press.
Harper, R. (2003). Inside the Smart Home. London: Springer.
Hospers, G. (2010). Krimp! Amsterdam: SUN.
Lawton, M. P. (1986). Environment and aging. Albany, NY: Center for the Study of Aging.
Pearce, F. (2010). Peopleguake. London: Transworld Publishers.