Architecture Commons^™

Senior Cohousing: The Social Architecture Of Cohousing, Community Design & Well Being, Michael Mandelman

Theses and Dissertations

The world is facing a situation without precedent, due to the anticipated growth in and increasing longevity of elderly people. Where and how people live is and can be a determinant of health. There is substantial research on inadequate housing for older people and its adverse effects on health. However, less is known about how senior cohousing affects the health of its residents. Further research is needed to improve strategies for senior living environments that promote social interaction and facilitate well-being. This study aims to bolster design and policy strategies by investigating how senior cohousing residents perceive how their living …

The Influence Of Light In The Built Environment To Improve Mental Health Outcomes, Nathanael T. Kohl

Theses and Dissertations

Current mental health statistics for US active duty and Veteran members justify research into the causes and remedies for those plagued with negative mental health outcomes. Recent research has suggested that the built environment is connected to our mental health. This study investigated this connection with active duty and Veteran populations across the US. A literature review was completed on what factors of light in the built environment affects mental health outcomes. An analysis of active duty and Veteran mental health symptoms and the natural light rating in their residence was completed to understand the design changes that can be …

Housing Adjustment Behaviors Of Korean Elderly Immigrants Residing In Affordable Housing: The Cultural Aspects Of Residential Experiences, Myounghee Jorn

Theses and Dissertations

The present study is an explorative study that employs mixed methods for examining the daily life patterns and housing adjustment behaviors of low-income elderly Korean immigrants residing in public housing in the Chicago metropolitan area. It particularly focuses on identifying the cultural practices of research participants and the influence of those cultural practices on using residential features, evaluating them, and developing coping responses to satisfy dwelling needs.

The study develops upon Canter’s theories of place (1977; 1991; 1997) and Weisman’s model of place (2001), and integrates Rapoport’s concepts of culture (1980; 2008) for exploring the residential experiences of elderly Korean …

Exploring The Costs And Values Of The Household Model In Long Term Care, Mark Alan Proffitt

Theses and Dissertations

As part of the culture change movement in long term care, nursing homes are transforming into person centered living settings that reject the previous medical emphasis that dominated the industry. The household model is one approach to achieve this goal by systemically altering the traditional nursing home’s organization, routines and physical setting with an emphasis on recreating familiar, domestic places for its residents. The household model is hallmarked by three key characteristics: 1) the creation of a smaller functional group of residents within the nursing home that is delineated by the environment (24 residents or less) with the 2) intent …

Nest - Caring For The Caregiver, Ashley Whitehead

Theses and Dissertations

Today, more than ever, there exists an overlap between hospitality and healthcare industries; with the impact being felt in the way hospital interiors are designed. This influence impacts the patient’s experience but focuses very little on the experience of the caregiver. Caring for a sick child takes an emotional, mental, and physical toll on a family. It is especially challenging to care for a sick family member when away from the comfort and security of the family’s private home. This project explores that challenge through the interior design of a space that, for both patient and family, is restorative, healing, …

Place Experience Of Nursing Home Courtyards: A Holistic Approach To Understanding Institutional Outdoor Environments, Chia Jung Shih

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research investigates place experience of three nursing home courtyards. Based on systemic place theories, each nursing home courtyard is conceptualized as place or a system consisting of three major subsystems: physical settings, people and rules of place uses. Place experience as the center of conceptualization is the result of interactions between them. Place experience is thus characterized by objective, subjective and consensual qualities of people-environment relationships. The research design follows the premises of pragmatic case study methodology; a mixed research method is employed that includes archival research of floor plans, photo documentation, a physical setting checklist and instrumented …

Crisis 2030: Aging At Risk, Guadalupe Aguilera Corona

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes critical issues affecting the older adult population of the United States in the year 2030 and recommends policies needed to remedy them. In the first chapter, the thesis addresses the upcoming aging crisis of the baby boomer population, both in numbers and affordability. The second chapter further describes and analyzes the major problems affecting the baby boomer population. The third chapter examines how technology can provide a universal and friendly design for older adult users. Chapters four through seven illustrate four distinctive case studies of Baby Boomers living in the

year 2030. The case studies provide resolutions …