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November 9, 2025Forever Young: An Exploration of Senior Living in the US
![Image Courtesy of Rick Bell]()
Image Courtesy of Rick Bell![Image Courtesy of Rick Bell]()
Image Courtesy of Rick Bell![Image Courtesy of Chia-Yi Huang]()
Image Courtesy of Chia-Yi Huang![Image Courtesy of Chia-Yi Huang]()
Image Courtesy of Chia-Yi Huang![Image Courtesy of Chia-Yi Huang]()
Image Courtesy of Chia-Yi HuangOn 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.
Design for Aging
The AIA New York Design for Aging Committee is dedicated to the needs of the aging population in an urban environment. We explore design issues, develop universal design recommendations, increase public awareness, and educate professionals in various fields, to create a more age-friendly city. We are committed to diversity in all issues, ensuring a profession capable of reaching into constituencies previously underserved and giving agency to issues of inclusion and representation. Please join us as we explore a wider range of options that promote diversity, and have a stronger influence on projects and programs in NYC and beyond.
