Happy senior living: elderly preferences and architectural design

This project is a collaboration with architects from Delft University of Technology

In various countries, the demand for senior dwellings is expected to rise. We combine the insights from social sciences and architecture to design best living concepts for elderly home owners.

This project shows how to use econometric and social science research techniques to support architectural design. We exploit a stated choice experiment and econometric analysis to derive monetary valuations the elderly have for diferent attributes of a dwelling, building and location. These results are translated in a toolbox that allows construction of multiple best living concepts that optimally meet the elderly preferences. The best living concepts are then transformed into architectural design. The above figure shows two of such designs: an urban and a suburban one. The two differ in various characteristics (construction density, location of the parking spot, availability of amenities, etc.), but yield approximately the same living utility to the elderly.

November 2022

Activities finished:

- 2022: ARTICLE Ossokina IV and Arentze TA, Reference-dependent housing choice behaviour: Why are elderly reluctant to move?, Housing studies

- 2022: INTERVIEW to BPD Magazine (Dutch) Seniors are willing to move if you know their trade-offs.

- 2021: KEYNOTE INTERVIEW (in Dutch, from 2:45') "Seniors in the spotlight" (in Dutch), at Real Estate Symposium Futureproof, with architects bureau Blauwhoed.

- 2021: TALK at the webinar Data about Living and Care (organised by Platform Zorgsaam Wonen).

- 2020: POLICY PAPER (in Dutch) Ossokina IV and Arentze TA. Using big data to understand living preferences and wishes of the elderly, Netspar.

- 2019: ARTICLE Ossokina IV, Arentze TA, Van Gameren D, Van den Heuvel, D. Best living concepts for elderly homeowners, Journal of Housing and the Built Environment

- 2018: SYMPOSIUM Happy Senior Living: housing with care for the elderly featuring a key-note of the Chief Government Architect Floris Alkemade, as well as contributions of scientists and practitioners.

Activities ongoing:

- Do modern cities encourage walking of health-impaired seniors? (paper expected shortly)

- What are main stimuli and obstactles for the seniors to move house? (paper expected shortly)