De-Mistifying Ageing in an age-less future

The issue at hand is our present approach to becoming older in our modern-day urban neighbourhoods. Our current infrastructure in Malta promotes moving quickly through prioritising the commercial and the working population. However, when this population can no longer keep up with this environment, it feels helpless. As we grow older we face the decision of staying in our own homes, isolated from the rest of society or to enter an elderly care home [institution]. We feel as though we have contributed to our societies and yet society is letting us down, making us feel redundant and helpless.

The project aims to re-define the way we age, providing opportunities for an active older generation by giving opportunities for people to age freely through an approach parallel to that of the Montessori school system. This system gives children freedom to control their own learning experiences. This methodology can be applied to our own ageing journeys, where the infrastructure we design in our neighbourhoods can be a guide to our own ageing journeys, providing opportunities to age actively and the way we choose. People age differently and the process of slowing down should not be one size fits all. This project aims to give opportunities for our ageing journeys, providing an environment of inter-dependence rather than dependence. This is done by providing land uses that enable people to live independently within reach from their living environment fostering ageing in place. Residential typologies are proposed to be diverse, through having a co-housing typology and a smaller scale private typology in the studio apartments. These are set in a landscape composed of shared spaces that offer potential interaction with other residents in different stages of their ageing journey and different levels of independence. These residences are set in a public garden, with a small elementary school also being proposed, where residents can also help in its upkeep and education of children, fulfilling a role of grandparent and mentor which also increases their confidence and engagement with modern day society through inter-generational interaction.