How smart design can benefit senior living

I like to say what people are like, what do you do for work? I'm like, oh, I keep key with old keys. That's what we do. And some paperwork here and there. Welcome to the Pride, an affordable senior housing community in Boston, a place for LGBTQ seniors and allies to age safely and in community. Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, hello. Hello. Hi. Picture me with Ellen DeGeneres. And you can see a window in every room. It's wonderful. By 2040, the US Census Bureau projects that for the first time in the United States, adults over the age of 65 will outnumber children under 18. This left me wondering, where will we all live? And who is designing those spaces? There's the stigma on senior living as a place where you go to die. But the places that we design are not that at all. The design decisions that architects make, dictate what a space can be.

我喜欢告诉别人我做什么工作的，他们会问你是做什么的呢？我就会说，我负责维护旧钥匙，就是我们做的工作，偶尔还要处理一些文件。欢迎来到Pride，这是位于波士顿的一处经济实惠的老年人居住社区，专为LGBTQ老年人和他们的支持者提供一个安全而有社区感的生活空间。呃，呃，呃，呃，呃，呃，呃，呃，呃，呃，嗨，嗨。想象一下我和艾伦·德杰尼勒斯在一起的样子，每个房间都有一扇窗户，这真是美妙极了。到2040年，美国人口普查局预测，美国65岁以上的老年人数量将首次超过18岁以下的未成年人。这让我开始思考，我们将来会住在哪里？又是谁在设计这些空间呢？人们普遍认为老年人居住地是一个去等待死亡的地方，但我们设计的地方完全不是这样。建筑师所做的设计决定了一个空间的功能和特点。

Here are five qualities that make the Pride a cozy, accessible place for aging. First up, location. The Pride is in Hyde Park, which is one of the several neighborhoods of Boston. It is a building that houses 74 units of independent affordable housing, and at the same time, a 10,000 square feet of community center. That is open to our residents, but also to the city and the community at large. As principal architect of the Pride, Philippe Saad made use of an existing campus. The building was school. It was built over three decades from 1902 to 1933. You have the Hyde Park Library right there. The last building on the left-hand side is the Menino Arts Center. There's also a bowling alley over there and a very historic old ice cream shop. So residents really have everything within a block walking distance from their homes.

以下是使Pride成为一个舒适且适合养老的五个特点。首先是地理位置。Pride位于波士顿的海德公园，这是该市的几个社区之一。Pride是一栋提供74个独立、实惠的住房单元的建筑，同时还有一处面积达10,000平方英尺的社区中心。这不仅对居民开放，也对整个城市和社区开放。作为Pride的主要建筑师，Philippe Saad利用了一处已有的校园。这栋建筑曾是一所学校，建造于1902年至1933年的三十多年间。海德公园图书馆就在附近。左手边的最后一栋建筑是Menino艺术中心。附近还有一个保龄球馆和一个非常有历史的冰淇淋店。因此，居民可以在离家一个街区的范围内找到所需的一切。

It's location. We couldn't find a site like this that is empty sitting to build a new building. Also, historic schools have a lot of amenity spaces. People have access to more amenities than regular affordable housing. And usually they have very large windows. Having the natural daylight helps people live better. Enter what Philippe calls everybody's living room, where the aim is to bring the outdoors inside. My wife and I moved in a little over a year ago. I'm the wife in question and moved in with her. In the Northeast, we live the majority of our days indoors. We wanted a space that connects people to the outside. So we're in the sunroom. It is so incredibly built for just this feeling of comfort with the windows, the fireplace. People really have the capability to sit inside and the cold weather, but also feel that they're part of the exterior.

它的地理位置非常特殊。我们找不到另一个像这样空置的地方来建造新楼房。此外，历史悠久的学校通常有很多便利设施空间。人们可以享受到比普通经济适用房更多的设施。而且通常这些建筑都有非常大的窗户，自然光的照射帮助人们更好地生活。我们走进菲利普口中的"大家的客厅"，目的是将户外的感觉带入室内。一年多以前，我和妻子搬了进来。我就是那位妻子，和她一起搬进来的。在东北地区，我们大部分时间都在室内度过。我们希望有一个连接室内外的空间。所以我们来到了日光房。这里的窗户和壁炉完美地营造了一种舒适的感觉。人们可以舒适地坐在室内，即使在寒冷的天气里，也能感受到自己是自然的一部分。

And this can be helpful as people age in their mental faculties diminish. A 2018 study found that being in a space with a lot of natural light, specifically within three meters of a window from 8 to 10 am, can reduce symptoms of depression in people living with dementia. When it's nicer out, we look out to a garden. There's residents getting exercise out here. And I've noticed a lot of people in the studio or one bedroom apartments come down here and hang out. They bring a book to read, they bring a newspaper, and they stay for hours. The idea is to really have units that if you come in at 62 and you are a fully able body person, you can live till either you pass on or you decide you want to move out of the building. We worked to embed dementia-friendly principles throughout the building.

这对随着年龄增长而智力减退的人来说是有帮助的。一项2018年的研究发现，早上8点到10点间处于距离窗户三米以内、自然光充足的空间中，可以减轻患痴呆症的人的抑郁症状。天气好的时候，我们可以看到花园外的景色。住户们在这里锻炼身体。我注意到很多住在单间或一居室公寓中的人会下来这里闲坐。他们会带一本书或一份报纸，经常一坐就是好几个小时。我们的理念是，让那些62岁时身体健康的人可以一直住到去世或者选择搬离这里为止。我们努力在整栋楼里融入友好对待痴呆症患者的原则。

Our eye sees color and contrast. But as the eye ages and our capability to recognize objects in the space starts to fade away, creating a contrast between two objects become an important cue. It should always be contrasting between a toilet and its wall and a toilet and its floor. For stairs, we design the landing, different color than the steps, because we want people to be notified that there is a change in level. There's always a contrast between a countertop and a cabinet underneath. So people could see where the counter ends and the cabinet stop. That's a fine line between creating a home, but also fill it in with elements of longevity without falling into the trap of making it look like an institution or a hospital. Because no one wants to live in an institution. If I park you guys, I should come over here. I can handle that.

我们的眼睛能看到颜色和对比。但是随着年龄的增长，我们识别空间中物体的能力会逐渐减弱，因此在两个物体之间创造对比就变得很重要。厕所和墙壁之间，以及厕所和地板之间应该总是保持对比。对于楼梯，我们通常会把平台设计成与台阶不同的颜色，因为我们希望人们意识到这里有高度的变化。厨房的台面和下面的橱柜之间也总是有对比，这样人们就能看到台面的结束位置和橱柜的起始位置。这是在打造一个温馨的家的同时，保持长久性元素与避免让家看起来像一个机构或医院之间的微妙平衡。因为没有人想住在机构里。如果我把你们放在一起，我应该过来。我可以解决这个问题。

Community space for LGBTQ people is very important. We don't feel that conventional spaces are safe for us. You need a hammer. So the community center has become the beating heart of the community at large.

LGBTQ群体的社交空间非常重要。我们觉得传统的场所对我们来说并不安全。就像需要一把锤子那样，这个社区中心已经成为整个社区的核心。

And intergenerational space. Researchers found a positive association between intergenerational interaction and many factors for older adults, including physical health, psychosocial health, cognitive function, social relationships, and quality of life. And I dream one day when senior living is intergenerational without even forcing it. I'm hoping that we can really bring multiple generations together in a place that is meaningful and intentional.

跨代交流空间。研究人员发现，跨代互动与老年人的许多因素之间存在积极关联，包括身体健康、心理健康、认知功能、社会关系和生活质量。我梦想有一天，老年生活能够在不经意间实现代际融合。我希望我们能真正把多代人聚集在一个有意义且有目的的地方。

We have to shoot this community. It is so important. Imagine a building for older adults and a building for families and they share amenities. What's wrong with that? So as we create new neighborhoods and new cities and new environments, thinking about that connectivity into a generational relationship, when you design a space for everyone, then everybody can use it.

我们必须拍摄这个社区。这非常重要。想象一下，有一栋专为老年人打造的建筑，还有一栋为家庭准备的建筑，而它们共享设施。这有什么不好的吗？当我们在创建新的社区、新的城市和新的环境时，要考虑到这种代际关系的连结。当你为每个人设计一个空间时，每个人都可以使用它。