Legendas (149)
0:01I like to say when people like, "What do
0:02you do for work?" I'm like, "Oh, I key
0:03with old gays." That's what we do and
0:06some paperwork here and there.
0:08Welcome to the Pride, an affordable
0:10senior housing community in Boston, a
0:13place for LGBTQ seniors and allies to
0:16age safely and in community.
0:29>> Picture of me with Ellen Degenerous.
0:32>> And you can see a window in every room.
0:36>> By 2040, the US Census Bureau projects
0:39that for the first time in the United
0:41States, adults over the age of 65 will
0:44outnumber children under 18.
0:47This left me wondering, where will we
0:49all live? And who is designing those
1:02There's the stigma on senior living as a
1:04place where you go to die. But the
1:06places that we design are not that at
1:10>> The design decisions that architects
1:12make dictate what a space can be. Here
1:15are five qualities that make the Pride a
1:17cozy, accessible place for aging. First
1:22>> The Pride is in Height Park, which is
1:25one of the several neighborhoods of
1:26Boston. It is a building that houses 74
1:30units of independent affordable housing
1:32and at the same time a 10,000 ft of
1:34community center that is open to our
1:36residents, but also to the city and the
1:39community at large. As principal
1:41architect of the pride, Philipe sad made
1:43use of an existing campus.
1:47>> The building was a school. It was built
1:51over three decades from 1902 to 1933.
1:57You have the height park library right
1:59there. Last building on the left hand
2:01side is the Manino art center. There's
2:03also a bowling alley over there and a
2:06very historic old ice cream shop. So
2:08resident really have everything within u
2:11a block walking distance from their
2:14>> Its location. We couldn't find a site
2:16like this that is empty sitting to build
2:18a new building. Also historic schools
2:20have a lot of amenity spaces. People
2:23have access to more amenities than
2:25regular affordable housing and usually
2:27they have very large windows. Having the
2:30natural daylight helps people live
2:33Enter what Phipe calls everybody's
2:36living room, where the aim is to bring
2:37the outdoors inside. My wife and I moved
2:41in a little over a year ago.
2:42>> I'm the wife in question, and I moved in
2:46>> In the Northeast, we live the majority
2:48of our days indoors. We wanted a space
2:52that connects people to the outside.
2:54>> So, we're in the sun room. It is so
2:57incredibly built for just this feeling
3:00of comfort with the windows, the
3:05>> People really have the capability to sit
3:07inside in the cold weather, but also
3:10feel that they're part of the exterior.
3:12>> And this can be helpful as people age
3:14and their mental faculties diminish. A
3:172018 study found that being in a space
3:19with a lot of natural light,
3:21specifically within 3 m of a window from
3:238:00 to 10:00 a.m. can reduce symptoms
3:25of depression in people living with
3:29When it's nicer out, we look out to a
3:32garden. There's residents getting
3:34exercise out here. And I've noticed a
3:37lot of people in the studio or
3:39one-bedroom apartments come down here
3:41and hang out. They bring a book to read.
3:43They bring a newspaper. and they stay
3:47>> The ideal is to really have units that
3:50if you come in at 62 and you are a fully
3:54abledbodied person, you can live till
3:57either you pass on or you decide you
4:00want to move out of the building. We
4:03worked to embed dementia friendly
4:05principles throughout the building. Our
4:07eye sees color and contrast. But as the
4:10eye ages and our capability to recognize
4:13objects in the space starts to fade
4:15away, creating a contrast between two
4:18objects become an important cue.
4:21There should always be contrasting
4:23between a toilet and its wall and a
4:25toilet and its floor or stairs. We
4:28design the landing different color than
4:30the steps because we want people to be
4:32notified that there's a change in level.
4:35There's always a contrast between a
4:37countertop and a cabinet underneath so
4:39people could see where the counter ends
4:41and the cabinet stop. That's a fine line
4:44between creating a home but also fill it
4:47in with elements of longevity without
4:50falling into the trap of making it look
4:52like an institution or a hospital cuz no
4:54one wants to live in an institution.
4:56>> Care if I part you guys or should I come
5:00>> Community space for LGBTQ people is very
5:03important. Sometimes we don't feel that
5:07conventional spaces are safe for us.
5:09>> You need a hammer on you, Dad.
5:12>> So, the community center has become the
5:14beating heart of the community at large
5:17and intergenerational space.
5:21Researchers found a positive association
5:23between intergenerational interaction
5:25and many factors for older adults,
5:28including physical health, psychosocial
5:30health, cognitive function, social
5:32relationships, and quality of life.
5:39>> And I dream one day when senior living
5:41is intergenerational without even
5:42forcing it. I'm hoping that we can
5:45really bring multiple generations
5:47together in a place that is meaningful
5:51>> We have to choose community. It is so
5:55>> Imagine a building for older adults and
5:57a building for families and they share
5:59amenities. What's wrong with that?
6:02So as we create new neighborhoods and
6:05new cities and new environments,
6:07thinking about that connectivity,
6:09intergenerational relationship, when you
6:11design a space for everyone, then
6:13everybody can use it.
