Looking over the Fence: A Critical Rethinking of Senior Dwellings
Authors
Westphalen, Elisabeth Stadsholt ; Sørensen, Maria Juul ; Nielsen, Louise Storgaard
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2022
Submitted on
2022-05-31
Pages
168
Abstract
This cross-disciplinary master's thesis, 'Looking over the fence,' from Architecture and Urban Design at Aalborg University explores alternative forms of housing for older adults. It asks whether more can be shared—such as spaces, functions, and everyday facilities—to add social value to senior living while using material, social, and contextual resources more efficiently. The case study is Naturbydelen, an ongoing urban development in Ringkøbing, which is analyzed together with seniors to identify challenges and opportunities. Emphasizing integrated collaboration between architecture and urban design, the thesis examines 'transitions'—the in-between zones between landscape and building, public and private, and indoors and outdoors—and how designing these thresholds can foster a sharing culture and better use of resources. The outcome is an experimental design proposal for senior community living. It introduces a new dwelling type that supports sharing at multiple community scales and provides a framework that strengthens social life and optimizes the use of social, contextual, and material resources.
Den tværfaglige kandidatafhandling 'Looking over the fence' fra Arkitektur og Urban Design ved Aalborg Universitet undersøger alternative boformer for seniorer. Afhandlingen spørger, om mere kan deles—fx rum, funktioner og hverdagsfaciliteter—for at skabe social værdi i seniorboliger og samtidig udnytte materielle, sociale og kontekstuelle ressourcer bedre. Caseområdet er Naturbydelen, en igangværende byudvikling i Ringkøbing, som analyseres sammen med seniorer for at afdække udfordringer og potentialer. Med fokus på et integreret samarbejde mellem arkitektur og urban design undersøges 'overgange'—mellemrum mellem landskab og bygning, offentligt og privat samt inde og ude—og hvordan udformningen af disse tærskler kan understøtte en dele-kultur og mere effektiv ressourceanvendelse. Resultatet er et eksperimenterende designforslag til et seniorfællesskab. Det introducerer en ny boligtype, der understøtter deling på flere fællesskabsniveauer og skaber rammer, der styrker det sociale liv og optimerer brugen af sociale, kontekstuelle og materielle ressourcer.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
Keywords