Topic:

In the Thesis Studio “simply gettinG OLD”, we want to deal with the process of ageing on different levels of content and scale.

Research:

The research question will be: How do things and people age in our society? We will look at the ageing process of materials and the question of how “honestly” materials are allowed to age. We will look at objects and the design of objects that will help us in old age (e.g. walking aids) and we will ask ourselves how the design of these objects determines our perception of ageing. We will look at the different forms of housing for older people (e.g. retirement homes, assisted living, homes for special needs such as homes for people with dementia). And we will look at the process of ageing in different cultures and the question of how this affects architecture - or vice versa? The hypothesis is that there is a relational connection between objects or architecture and our social approach to ageing - in other words, that they influence each other. Based on this assumption, we can also use design to influence the way we deal with the topic of ageing.

Design:

The aim is to develop an architectural design for age-appropriate living and to think it through from the urban integration to the furnishings (e.g. a step out of the bathtub). The choice of plot will be influenced by the individual thematic focus. The thematic focus will result from the program and will be worked out together. For example, an in-depth topic could be to design a home for dementia patients or to mix a retirement home with a kindergarten.