"Better Housing for the aged population in Northern Ireland"

Researcher: Dr Karim Hadjri, School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering, QUB. k.hadjri@qub.ac.uk

This study’s emphasis is on sheltered housing built and run by housing associations in the Belfast area. This type of accommodation, which is available in different categories, aims to allow people live independently and are known to be more flexible. A sample of buildings was selected that best represents the social, economic, and typological differences. This was undertaken after visiting over 100 buildings. A random sample consisting of 50 developments of different ages and categories were selected for further study, and later 26 buildings were investigated in detail by conducting interviews with tenants and undertaking an environmental evaluation of the building.

This research recommends that housing for older people should be designed to (a) enable easy way-finding, (b) should be safer and healthier, (c) should allow for personalization and community building, and (d) should be more comfortable.

In particular designers should:

a) Use efficient colour schemes to denote change of areas and storeys, and to enhance mood and well-being; use more efficient signage; and provide obvious location of toilets, lifts, staircases and other facilities.

b) Propose buildings that are:
    • secure by design, i.e. protected open spaces with adequate lighting at night;
    • have easy-to-use emergency doors; and
    • have sufficient natural lighting and are well ventilated.

c) Allow for personalisation by providing sufficient storage and space for own furniture and decorations; and plan and locate new housing within neighbourhoods and close to public amenities such as post-office, community halls and religious buildings.

d) Improve user comfort by allowing for more space in private rooms, and better ergonomics of fixtures and fittings such as water taps, windows and doors.

The full report can be found here.