Promoting Ageing-in-Place: Design of residential buildings for older people in China

Tulika Suchit Gadakari; Jingjing Wang; Karim Hadjri; Junjie Huang

doi:10.21834/e-bpj.v2i6.965

Authors

Tulika Suchit Gadakari Coventry University
Jingjing Wang School of Architecture, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Karim Hadjri School of Architecture, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Junjie Huang School of Architecture, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v2i6.965

Keywords:

Ageing, Age-friendly Design, Residential Building, Spatial Design

Abstract

Ageing-in-place is the most common ageing model in China. Therefore, design of age-friendly residential buildings and neighbourhoods becomes an important factor leading to improvement in older peopleâ€™s health and quality of life. This paper presents the current situation of the ageing population in Chinese cities by qualitatively analysing existing literature, design standards and conducting stakeholder interviews to understand older peopleâ€™s housing choices as well as establish physical design factors, challenges and potentials of residential design for older people. The findings will fill the knowledge gap of age-friendly residential models in China and guide better design to meet older peopleâ€™s needs.

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Author Biography

Tulika Suchit Gadakari, Coventry University

Dr Tulika Gadakari PhD, MArch, BArch Lecturer in Architecture, School of Art and Design, Coventry University

Dr. Tulika Gadakari is a Lecturer in Architecture at Coventry University. Until recently, she has been a Research Associate at the University of Sheffield, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council of UK (ESRC) working on a Euro-China collaborative project that finds innovative ways of helping older people to age in their own homes to aid independence, care delivery and better communities. As an architect, Tulika specialises in age-friendly design, intelligent building technologies and sustainable architecture. She is particularly passionate about using intelligent building environments as a means of promoting ageing-in-place and achieving energy-efficient, cost-effective and socially sustainable architecture. Her research focuses on the relationship between building intelligence and sustainability; impact of technology on occupant behaviour; and the implication of using technology to design age-friendly environments in different cultural contexts across varying socio-economic backgrounds. Having completed her PhD in 2014, she has held teaching, research and bid development positions at the University of Sheffield, University of Central Lancashire and University of Wolverhampton, with over 10 years of added architectural practice experience.

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