icgw 2025 Session 3

Session 3: Designing for Wellness: Building Age-Friendly Housing, Communities, and Environments

Creating environments that support the physical and mental well-being of older adults is essential for promoting healthy ageing. Age-friendly housing and communities can significantly impact the quality of life by providing accessible, safe, and supportive spaces that cater to the needs of the elderly. This session will explore the principles of designing age-friendly housing, communities, and environments. We will discuss the challenges in implementing these designs, such as cost, regulatory barriers, and ensuring inclusivity. Additionally, we will examine best practices and innovative solutions in creating spaces that foster independence, safety, healthiness and social engagement for older adults.Read More!

Moderator:

Ms. Thitikan Pohpoach,
Pharmacist at the Division of Innovative Health Product and Services at the Thai FDA

Speakers:

Main idea: Age-friendly neighborhoods must be designed with sensitivity to older adults’ physical, psychological, and social needs, guided by participatory, evidence-based, and inclusive urban and architectural practices.
Important points:

Older adults experience environments differently:
○ Sensory sensitivities (e.g., to noise, heat, mobility barriers) differ significantly by age. What works for the average adult may be unsafe or uncomfortable for seniors.
The 4W Framework for Age-Friendly Design:
○ Welcoming (addresses mental/psychological well-being),
○ Warm (fosters social interaction),
○ Walkable (prioritizes mobility and access),
○ Wonderful (inclusive for all ages and aesthetically pleasing).
Participatory design is essential:
○ Older residents must be consulted. Designs based solely on assumptions or clinical needs risk alienating users or creating more problems.
Design must address everyday functionality:
○ Flexible seating, adequate shade, step-free paths, and accessible public spaces are small but critical design choices.
Aging-in-place requires retrofitting existing neighborhoods:
○ Instead of relocating seniors to new developments, enhancing current neighborhoods allows them to stay in familiar social environments.
Design must integrate urban planning and architectural scales:
○ Large-scale planning must ensure amenities, green spaces, and transport; small-scale design must address safety, beauty, and daily usability.
Health outcomes link to design:
○ Physical, psychological, and social health improve in well-designed environments. Examples include redesigning parks or providing rest points on walkways.
Data and mapping support targeted upgrades:
○ Identifying where age-related challenges concentrate within neighborhoods can guide efficient policy and design responses.

1. Assoc. Prof. Md. Rashed Bhuyan, PhD Arch.,
Associate Professor of Department of Architecture, Brac University, Bangladesh

Main idea: An integrated "aging-in-place" housing design must address economic sustainability, environmental adaptation, and health needs across all stages of elderly decline, from active aging to bedridden care.
Important points:

Thailand faces shrinking family sizes and rising aging alone:
○ With births halved over 20 years and fewer children per household, many elderly will need to live independently in the future.
Conventional houses are not aging-ready:
○ Most Thai homes are built without long-term accessibility planning. Seniors often become confined to lower floors or risk injury on stairs.
Aging-in-place should combine economy, environment, and care:
○ Homes should generate income (e.g., solar power), reduce climate impact, and adapt to physical decline.
Key design considerations for safety and independence:
○ Fall prevention, wide corridors, wheelchair-friendly toilets, two-sided bed access, and preparation for caregivers are crucial.
Contrast and color cues improve navigation:
○ Visual contrasts (e.g., on stairs, door frames) help seniors with declining vision avoid accidents and improve orientation.
Multi-level homes with smart stair design:
○ Encouraging stair use (with rest landings and safe risers) supports physical activity and muscle retention.
Plan now for future needs like elevators:
○ Designing homes with reserved elevator space helps future-proof them without immediate cost.
Outdoor areas for gardening promote mental and cognitive health:
○ Sunlight, sensory stimulation, and hand use support both physical and brain function.
Thailand needs universal design certification:
○ A formal certification and knowledge center would raise design standards and guide architects and the public in accessible design.

2. Prof. Dr. Pantuda Puthipiroj, Arch.D,
Professor of Faculty of Architecture at Silpakorn University, Advisor of Consultant of Technology

Main idea: Thailand is advancing toward becoming a regional hub for long-term elder care and medical wellness, integrating international standards, local innovation, and workforce development to address aging-related challenges.
Important points:

Thailand faces rising demand for long-term care:
○ With aging accelerating, especially in urban areas, post-hospitalization care, rehabilitation, and dementia care are urgently needed.
Four key elderly care groups require specialized services:
○ Dependent (bedridden), post-operation, neurological disorders (e.g., stroke, Parkinson’s), and palliative care patients all require 24-hour professional support.
The association sets national care standards:
○ In collaboration with public health and labor ministries, they aim to formalize guidelines for nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and eldercare businesses.
Integration of international practices and local expertise:
○ Japan, Europe, Taiwan, and Finland provide models for care structures, robotic rehabilitation, and dementia tech.
Aging workforce and labor shortages are major concerns:
○ Young generations in Thailand are reluctant to enter care professions. Legal pathways to recruit skilled workers from neighboring countries are being explored.
Technology supports care quality and safety:
○ Innovations like fall-risk monitors, rehab robotics, and cognitive games are being adapted and increasingly developed by Thai institutions.
Thailand as a global retirement destination:
○ The “Thailand Second Home” policy positions the country as a wellness and longevity hub for international retirees, supported by affordable, high-quality care.
Workforce development is a national priority:
○ Collaboration with universities (e.g., Chulalongkorn, Mahidol) is helping to train caregivers, engineers, and therapists to meet the sector's growing needs.

3. Dr. Gengpong Tangaroonsanti, MD,
President of Senior Health Service and Trade Association (SHSTA), CEO at Chersery Home International, Thailand

Main idea: Architectural design can be a powerful tool in managing depression among older adults by optimizing light, color, natural elements, and spatial flow to promote emotional stability and security.
Important points:

Depression is a growing global health concern:
○ It affects older adults uniquely, often combining physical withdrawal with aggression or suicidal tendencies.
Light therapy can reduce depressive symptoms:
○ Natural light and artificial light boxes (5,000 lux or more) have been shown to elevate mood, especially in regions with limited sunlight.
Natural elements have measurable therapeutic effects:
○ Exposure to greenery, water features, and natural materials like wood improves emotional well-being.
Color psychology matters in design:
○ Bright, soft colors like greens and blues reduce stress and depression. Dark or red tones may worsen symptoms and should be avoided.
Secure, calming environments are essential:
○ Design for depression must avoid sharp corners, sockets, or accessible dangerous objects like mirrors or hollow grab bars (which could be used for self-harm).
Green spaces and central gardens support recovery:
○ These areas provide safe outdoor exposure, encourage movement, and improve sensory stimulation, critical for emotional regulation.
“Hope Boxes” support emotional memory:
○ Patients benefit from viewing familiar, positive images (e.g., from childhood or family), reinforcing a sense of identity and hope.
Design for visibility and monitoring:
○ Small openings allow observation by caregivers while maintaining privacy. Nurse stations should be centrally placed with visibility for nighttime safety.
Spaces should be free of emotional “triggers”:
○ Certain smells, shadows, or textures can provoke distress in depressed individuals. Simplicity and calmness are vital.

4. Assoc. Prof. Nuanwan Tuaycharoen, Ph.D.,
Professor of Department of Building Innovation, Faculty of Architecture, Kasetsart University