While more people are living longer, not everybody is living longer. One of the biggest problems that the aging population faces is loneliness.
For septuagenarians and older, spouses, friends, and family members die, and the elderly are faced with the lack of support from peers. No one is there to help do household chores, no one is there to check on well-being. No one is there to even just have a conversation.
Witherford Watson Mann Architects has one solution, though. The firm designed a community residence located on a busy street in South London, where elderly people share space with neighbors at the center of an urban district.
HuffPost UK reports that permission has just been granted for a building in the Bermondsey district that will be home to 90 people over 70 years old. It will be completed in 2018.
The building is a modern take on an almshouse, a centuries-old British residence for the poor and old. But unlike the almshouses that were tucked away and set at a distance from the streets, the new facility will be front-and-center, with large glass panels that let visitors and passersby see its interior.
The five-story, 6,152-sm building will have courtyards, walkways, and lounges, and instead of kitchens, the residence will have a cookery school. The 200 sm of communal features are meant to foster interaction.
"There’s a lot of discussion around this issue of loneliness, particularly in cities, ironically,” Stephen Witherford, a Director of Witherford Watson Mann, told HuffPost UK. “You’ve got very dispersed families, some people are abroad, so the family structure we knew has obviously transformed geographically.
"A lot of older people don’t want to be seen as a burden. They lose a partner and they get very lonely, and their well-being deteriorates significantly through that, health and appearance."
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Apr 27, 2023
Watch: Specifying materials in multifamily housing projects
A trio of multifamily housing experts discusses trends in materials in their latest developments. Topics include the need to balance aesthetics and durability, the advantages of textured materials, and the benefits of biophilia.
Contractors | Apr 10, 2023
What makes prefabrication work? Factors every construction project should consider
There are many factors requiring careful consideration when determining whether a project is a good fit for prefabrication. JE Dunn’s Brian Burkett breaks down the most important considerations.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 24, 2023
Multifamily developers offering new car-free projects in car-centric cities
Cities in the South and Southwest have eased zoning rules with parking space mandates in recent years to allow developers to build new housing with less parking.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 24, 2023
Coastal multifamily developers, owners expect huge jump in insurance costs
In Texas and Florida, where Hurricane Ian caused $50 billion in damage last year, insurance costs are nearly 50% higher than in 2022.
Building Tech | Mar 14, 2023
Reaping the benefits of offsite construction, with ICC's Ryan Colker
Ryan Colker, VP of Innovation at the International Code Council, discusses how municipal regulations and inspections are keeping up with the expansion of off-site manufacturing for commercial construction. Colker speaks with BD+C's John Caulfield.
Green Renovation | Mar 5, 2023
Dept. of Energy offers $22 million for energy efficiency and building electrification upgrades
The Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy is offering more than $22 million in cash prizes and technical assistance to teams across America. Prize recipients will be selected based on their ideas to accelerate widespread, equitable energy efficiency and building electrification upgrades.
Affordable Housing | Mar 2, 2023
These 9 novel housing communities offer support beyond affordability
Here are nine specialized multifamily developments designed to assist their tenants’ needs.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 1, 2023
Multifamily construction startup Cassette takes a different approach to modular building
Prefabricated modular design and construction have made notable inroads into such sectors as industrial, residential, hospitality and, more recently, office and healthcare. But Dafna Kaplan thinks that what’s held back the modular building industry from even greater market penetration has been suppliers’ insistence that they do everything: design, manufacture, logistics, land prep, assembly, even onsite construction. Kaplan is CEO and Founder of Cassette, a Los Angeles-based modular building startup.
Senior Living Design | Feb 15, 2023
Passive House affordable senior housing project opens in Boston
Work on Phase Three C of The Anne M. Lynch Homes at Old Colony, a 55-apartment midrise building in Boston that stands out for its use of Passive House design principles, was recently completed. Designed by The Architectural Team (TAT), the four-story structure was informed throughout by Passive House principles and standards.
Giants 400 | Feb 9, 2023
New Giants 400 download: Get the complete at-a-glance 2022 Giants 400 rankings in Excel
See how your architecture, engineering, or construction firm stacks up against the nation's AEC Giants. For more than 45 years, the editors of Building Design+Construction have surveyed the largest AEC firms in the U.S./Canada to create the annual Giants 400 report. This year, a record 519 firms participated in the Giants 400 report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.