Social living project for Chinese elderly people without family support
Date
2018Citation:
Zhang, S. (2018). Social living project for Chinese elderly people without family support. (Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture (Professional)). Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland, N.Z. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10652/4593Permanent link to Research Bank record:
https://hdl.handle.net/10652/4593Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
1. How can an architecturally designed project for the elderly in China provide mental and physical health support but also keep them connected to society?
2. With fewer opportunities for companionship with their children, how can the filial piety tradition provide a fulfilling life for the elderly in these modern times?
Chinese is an elderly society. Traditionally Chinese people believe that filial piety is the main method for elderly care support. Chinese elderly people are usually supported by their children for elderly life. However, due to the one-child policy which has affected the generation born between 1980 and 2000, the structure of the families becomes so-called “4-2-1”, which means that in a family there are four old people with two young children and one grandchild. Thus, elderly people will lack family support and facing a challenge for their elderly care, which will be a severe social problem in the next decades of years.
Will these elderly people live a happy elderly life with little or no children support and less opportunities of companionship? How can an architecturally designed project provide mental and physical health support for the elderly people and also keep them connected to local society? The purpose of this project is to focus on architectural design with social engagement to deal with these problems.
I believe that an architectural design with social engagement is a good solution to the above-mentioned problems, as it is an effective way to improve mental and physical health of elderly people. I also believe that mutual relationship with friends and neighbours will make elderly people happy, and thus is good for their brain and body health. Based on the above analysis, an architectural design with social engagement for elderly people has been created, which is a community-like residential building incorporating childcare facility, pool with public bath, canteen, roof garden and community centre. This project explores spatial arrangement to create connections between these programmes in order to enhance social engagement between elderly residents and community.