The London-based architecture practice ColladoCollins commissioned me to co-author and create Just Living, a book about designing homes and communities that genuinely consider what older people want and need. This thought piece, supported by research and insights from older people and leaders in the industry, describes how our age does not represent our stage of life. We all need places that offer appropriate accessibility, community, engagement, and care, filled with people that support us to enable us to live our fullest lives irrespective of our age. Our homes should empower us so we can focus on just living the highest quality of life for our entire life.
A series of talks and lectures curated per audience that encourage us to consider the life we want for our future selves. How we shape our environment impacts how well we are able to live as we age — these talks unpack how small considerations can make a big difference. Here is a recent talk on Designing for HAPPIness from the Housing LIN Summit 2020
The Museum of Modern Art in New York City held a salon on New Aging, where I presented an overview of my position on "age-friendly" cities and how designing with older adults in mind benefits people of all ages and abilities.
As an older woman was about to carry two big grocery bags from the street up her steep front steps, I stopped to ask if she would like a hand. She replied, “No dear, this is my challenge for the day” — what is your challenge today? From “nudge theory” to the power of play, this project looks at how our everyday environments can build in fun, engaging challenges that keep us active and healthier for longer.
RAWE design reviews range from public realm to private housing and can focus on physical, cognitive and sensory, and social accessibility as well as intergenerational potential and active aging opportunities. Previous design reviews include design for the mind for Transport for London while working for the accessible design company Motionspot and an inclusive transport design review in Boston while working for the MIT AgeLab.
RAWE project hosts design workshops across a variety of topics that can be curated to your context. Previous workshops have included the Hackney based Senior BEE’s creating an intergenerational neighbourhood and the Islington EYE’s contemplating what makes an intergenerational community prosper. Ideally these workshops spark ideas that inform future design and development decisions.
RAWE project has experience leading post occupancy evaluations from the scale of a one on one interview to small group sessions and is interested in how developers, operators, and architects can embrace POE strategies across all scales - let’s learn from our past and present to understand how to create a better future.
On behalf of the Housing LIN, I created a report advocating for closer consideration of inclusive design, HAPPI, and Lifetime Home standards not only for new builds but also for adaptations to existing housing stock. This response was submitted to the APPG on Housing for Older People in February 2019. RAWE project continues to seek ways to influence positive change to policy.
All-Ways Adley explores how 100 year old terraced houses can be sustainable and inclusive homes for the next 100 years. I am transforming our decaying Victorian home to be more accessible and adaptable, exploring both age-friendly and eco-friendly design. This involves designing a flexible space for our non-nuclear family that provides a great experience for guests of different ages and abilities, while considering future scenarios. Our small but mighty team of engineers, architects, and consultants are analyzing what design decisions offer the most choice, the least constraints, at what cost. The project tests RAWE interventions to showcase diverse, desirable inclusive design choices.
