Design for Aging

On November 3, the AIANY Design for Aging Committee was pleased to host Paris-based Aurélia Martin, Designer of Villa Albertine, and Mathilde Van Steenkiste, Architect of Villa Albertine, for an engaging and informative talk focused on their three-month research journey across the United States exploring the diverse living environments of American seniors.

Aurélia and Mathilde visited 23 projects from Florida to Arizona, passing through Illinois and New York to explore how seniors organize themselves to improve their living conditions and how architecture and design can support this change. From communal living experiments to age-restricted villages, from LGBT senior centers to the aging populations housed within the utopian architectures of the 1960s, this journey explored diverse initiatives and models of living in later life.

The presentation traced each project through its macro-planning, landscape design, building layouts, and interviews with residents about their daily routines, offering a vivid, immersive tour of each site and its unique strengths and shortcomings. Ultimately, these studies invite us to reflect on the kind of life we envision for ourselves as we age. They also provide valuable insights for planners and designers striving to create environments that support aging with dignity and vitality.

This exploration was made possible thanks to the 2024 Delano/Aldrich & Emerson Fellowship supported by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The event was also recorded and will be available on our website in about 2-3 weeks.

On October 15, the AIANY Design for Aging committee was pleased to host Margot Kleinman, AIA, Adjunct Assistant Professor at Pratt Institute and her students Soohyun Ahn and Elizabeth Hammett from Pratt Institute School of Design‘s Summer 2025 class “Public Toilets.” This class is a combination of research and design thinking to investigate the public toilet experience, recognizing the opportunity presented by the recently passed Bathroom Bill, which calls for the creation of 2,100 public restrooms in NYC by 2035.

The presentation began with an introduction to public restrooms in New York City, focusing on three key themes: access, equity, and wayfinding. It also featured case studies of modular restroom designs, including the APT, Greeley Square, Throne, and Green Flush. Finally, students presented their design proposals for new restrooms in Central Park incorporating features for rainwater preservation. During the Q&A session, both the speakers and audience emphasized that maintenance is a critical factor to consider.

The event was also recorded and will be available on our website in about 2-3 weeks.

The AIANY Design for Aging Committee May meeting was delighted to have Barbara Baer, Director of the NYFSC Home Sharing and Respite Care Program, to present their Home Sharing Program, followed by a stimulating discussion. As one of the first programs of its kind, the Home Sharing Program has significantly supported the seniors in aging in place while offering an affordable housing solution for New Yorkers. To date, the program has successfully matched 50 hosts and guests this year. Learn more about this impactful initiative here.

On June 5, Committee members enjoyed a guided tour of Stonewall House in Brooklyn, led by the site director Odi Chigewe. Located in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood, Stonewall House is the largest LGBTQ+ friendly elder housing development in the country and New York City’s first LGBTQ+ Friendly Elder Housing. In addition to exploring the public spaces within the Sage Center, the group had the opportunity to visit two residential units and speak with residents. The thoughtfully designed spaces promote ease of maintenance and contribute to residents’ happiness, while well-curated programs help cultivate a vibrant, supportive community. Dylan Goodman from SAGE and architect Ted Porter of Ted Porter Architecture joined the tour, offering insights into the design intent and the operational strategies that sustain the building’s success, and the ongoing challenge of securing sustainable funding for programs. As Kate Henenberg remarked, “It was an inspiring day!”

The Design for Aging Committee March meeting was delighted to have Paula Span from the New York Times. We had a wonderful time hearing Paula’s insights on aging in a place like NYC. Many ideas, concepts and projects came up during the discussion:

• Village to Village Network: “Villages are community-based, nonprofit, grassroots organizations formed through a cadre of caring neighbors who want to change the paradigm of aging. …The Village Movement originated in Boston with Beacon Hill Village, leading the way for a more economically efficient model for aging.” 
• The Green House Project: “A Green House home is a small-scale, self-contained, and self-sufficient community providing nursing home and assisted living care – with elders at the center of every decision.”
• Gotham Point and The Suffolk: Examples of projects that have recently been built which provide affordable senior housing within multi generational housing complexes.
• New York Foundation for Senior Citizens: NYFSC will be joining our May 22 meeting to talk about their programs including a Home Sharing Program which Paula referenced in “We Need Each Other”:  Seniors Are Drawn to New Housing Arrangements.”

Here is the recording of the meeting. Check out more Paula’s great articles such as “Senior Housing That Seniors Actually Like“, “When the Neighbors Are All Older, Too“, and “‘Aging in Place, or Stuck in Place?’“.

Coming up:

• May 19: Pratt Students will be presenting their work from their “Design for Aging and Beyond” course (taught by our very own Yutaka). Watch out for the AIA announcement.
• May 22: Barbara Baer from the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens would be presenting the Home Sharing and Respite Care Program.

Good reads and more:

• Helping Communities Meet the Needs of Older Residents — and Their Caregivers: Interesting background info of age-friendly ADU.
• Creating Age-Friendly Developments: A practical guide for ensuring homes and communities support ageing in place, put together for developers, planners, etc. in Greater Manchester, UK which has been a beacon of light for considering what it is like to be older in this area and how to improve lives of older residents.

On February 27, the AIANY Design for Aging Committee joined an interactive tour and discussion about “What About Age?“, an exhibition on the impact of ageism in contemporary society. Dr. Stacey Gordon, the exhibition director and Program Director of Next Phase Adult Caregiving and Retirement at Work Life, provided an insightful overview of the product’s creation, the message behind each panel, and how we can see reflections of ourselves within the exhibit. In the post-tour discussion, she encouraged attendees to reflect on their feelings about their current age. Committee members had the chance to reassess their own views on aging, hear perspectives from peers of different ages, and reconsider how aging-focused design can support both physical and mental well-being.

Coming-up:

• March 27: Paula Span (journalist from the New York Times who focuses her writing on aging) will join our meeting.
• May 22: Barbara Baer from the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens would be presenting the Home Sharing and Respite Care Program.

Good reads and more:

• Rightsizing in Place (AVA Housing): a key insights video exploring an Irish NGO with an innovative scheme—helping older homeowners to renovate their single family home so they can age in place, while creating and managing a new affordable rental unit.
• Reimagining Senior Housing: a webinar exploring key questions as how do investors and developers identify solid opportunities? Which deals are most attractive to lenders? And which types of properties offer the greatest ROI potential? Register here.
• The New Senior Health Care Consumer: Optum Healthcare, the consulting division of United Healthcare, recently released a white paper on the growing healthcare needs of seniors. Item 1 could greatly benefit from input and participation from professionals in the AEC field.
• In memory of Jerry: it is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Nathan Jerry Maltz, one of the founding co-chairs of the Design for Aging Committee. We are considering dedicating one of our upcoming programs in his honor. As Christine so beautifully put it, “Jerry was a unique and endlessly curious New Yorker who embodied the best of the city.” He will be greatly missed.