Halifax, Canada 2009. The Atlantic Seniors Housing Research Alliance held an affordable seniors housing ideas design competition. Burka Architects in Toronto was the winner. Attila Burka is principal of the firm. If you want to see one of the Burka visions first hand, drive up Hurontario Street in Mississauga, Ontario and you’ll find that Absolute “curvy condo concept” pulling your eyes from far and near.
Back to the houses that seniors built. Maybe Attila Burka doesn’t call himself a senior yet, but reading his firm’s design book Generations Living on the ASHRA web site, you will get the full sense of the multiple issues to be considered regarding community living and housing design. This is a real “business of aging” opportunity come to life on the design board. Well at least it gives me some facilities food for thought.
One of the Burka concept bullet points that grabbed my attention called for “a mix of demographics to allow for an interactive relationship between different generations”. Maybe not the sound of a Baba Yaga or a Suite Living 360, but an alternative I personally would prefer. Generations Living also considers – “ a mix of very flexible independent and assisted living units”.
All this to say that there is room for all of us to keep talking out ideas for the possible models of future housing as we think about the promise of longevity – a time that is already here. As Theodore Roszak once proposed “the Senior Follies” has begun.