Comment: Designing for care, with care

According to the ONS[1], over 11 million people, comprising 18.6 per cent of the UK's population, are aged 65 years or older. With this number projected to increase significantly over the coming decades, safeguarding our ageing population is becoming not only a social responsibility but a national priority too.

An important consideration will be the way that homes and the wider built environment are designed to be age-friendly, futureproofing new and existing assets to accommodate the requirements of pension-age residents.

We’re already seeing a growth in care homes and dedicated retirement village construction which have been built for such purpose, as well as a rise in the creation of inclusive spaces to improve the living experience for residents.

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Here, from the specifier and asset owner perspective, the ultimate objective is to achieve a safe, secure and comfortable "home for life". This can only be achieved through meticulous planning, not only of facilities but also layouts and landscaping. Here, structural, civil and M&E engineers play a pivotal role, encompassing residents’ social, medical, and infrastructure needs.

So, let me take this opportunity to offer my perspective on how integrating thoughtful design and tailored solutions directly improves the overall well-being of those living in these communities.

Back to basics

Getting the fundamentals right is crucial, particularly the structural elements, and how they are planned across the intended site.

You need to take everything into account from foot weight and drainage to acoustic and thermal mass. The finished article, above all else, needs to be fit for purpose. All the essentials need to be in place, creating a robust canvas on which the details can be added.

A good knowledge of the site chosen for the build is essential, and an understanding of the potential restrictions, especially if the site is a brownfield one. This includes administrative considerations, such as planning permission and the quality/make-up of the land. 

The development also has to be suitable for a broad range of ages, after all, a fit 55 is very different from a frail 85-year-old. This means practical structural considerations, ranging from wider doorways for wheelchair access and floors that can bear greater loads to smaller details like adding grab rails by the bath or bed and making accommodations for the installation of ramps, wheelchair lifts and stairlifts.

This extends to the site’s landscaping too, limiting inclines across the site and terracing slopes where possible. For example, we recently worked on a challenging build for Retirement Villages’, Bury Water Lane in Saffron Walden, Essex, where the location had a direct influence on the final designs. Set on a relatively steep hill, provisions needed to be made from the start for the project’s buildings to be split-level divided (at the changes in level) with retaining walls. 

Obvious considerations, you might think. However, as with any structure, it’s tempting to become distracted by the finer details before the rudimentary elements have been considered. This can lead to time-consuming and costly rectifications down the line.

Know your audience

Establishing the basic principles allows you to take a more focused look at the audience, in this case, older people. Designing infrastructure for pensioners is highly specific, and there are criteria that need to be considered.

For example, in many cases older generations look to retirement communities to downsize, not just their homes, but to also concentrate their lives around a reassuring, relaxing and recognisable hub, tailored to their needs.

One of the greatest deterrents to people opting for the retirement village model is the fear of isolation and losing their social life within the new community. This needs to be considered within the design and engineering of the site, ensuring that there are plenty of communal spaces and public areas where residents can congregate and socialise. 

Furthermore, a number of those who will occupy the finished building(s) will have highly specific needs such as dementia, physical disabilities and frailty. These need to be accounted for within the planning stages. 

For example, when working on Retirement Villages’ award-winning Charters Village in East Grinstead, we were acutely aware of the audience.  In this instance, the site needed to be 100 per cent wheelchair-friendly so that all residents could move around freely with minimal constraints. As such, the site needed to be levelled out and appropriate drainage incorporated to ensure accessibility at all times, whatever the weather. 

Designing for dementia

Engineers also need to adopt an empathetic approach, maximising independence and enhancing self-esteem and confidence. Maintaining the personal dignity of residents is crucial. The scale of the developments must be thought about carefully, too large a site can form isolated pockets, undermining the sense of community these developments are built to achieve.

Therefore the development needs to be of a size that can integrate with, and be part of the wider community, which can be achieved if the site forms part of the long-term planning strategy by the local authority. So getting them on board and on-side at the earliest possible opportunity is advisable.

Here's where civil engineers can play a vital role, designing and providing good transport links, which connect to existing road, rail and urban infrastructure. This will enable a sense of independence allowing older residents to easily get to town centres, shops, hospitals, community facilities and so on. Taking this a step further, homes for elder residents could form part of a larger residential development, strengthening a sense of community and allowing these projects to piggyback on already planned sites with ‘ready-made’ infrastructure.  

Ultimately, engineers play a crucial role across the entire development, from the big picture to the finer detail. They provide design advice and assist with planning, all whilst keeping a holistic view of the audience they are catering to. Their contributions are the building blocks that pave the way for better-quality, considerately-built retirement homes.

Ewa Ambrosius is an Associate at Perega

[1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/ageing/articles/voicesofourageingpopulation/livinglongerlives