The mission of the AIA Design for Aging Knowledge Community (DFA) is to foster design innovation and disseminate knowledge necessary to enhance the built environment and quality of life for an aging society. This includes relevant research on characteristics, planning, and costs associated with innovative design for aging. In addition, DFA provides outcome data on the value of these design solutions and environments.
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Highlights
Design for Aging Review 10: Now Accepting Online Submissions
Submissions are due July 27, 2009 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time
This overview of the submission process includes details on eligibility, submission criteria, schedule and deadlines, entry fees, frequently asked questions, tips for using the online submission site, and contacts for questions. The link to submitting online is at the end of the page.
Call for Presentations for the EFA10 conference due July 10, 2009
Environments for Aging is a comprehensive three-day experience, bringing together developers, owners, facilities managers, design professionals, product manufacturers, and government officials to explore new ideas for creating appealing and supportive places for people as they age.
Blueprints for Living
The AIA Design for Aging Knowledge Community official electronic newsletter. Read a letter from the 2009 chair: DFA Update: What Your Knowledge Community is Doing for You.
Design for Aging Review 9 – Data Mining Report
This data mining project offers an opportunity to glimpse best practices and emerging ideas in senior living design. It is a close look at a special set of recently designed or built projects that include the 36 DFAR9 award winners. Unlike conventional research, data mining does not impose the structure of pre-determined questions, but rather elicits questions from the data that may offer insights into underlying patterns and evolving trends.
Resources
Design for Aging Review Home page
The Design for Aging Review, a biannual competition, showcases facilities that improve quality of life for the aging while exhibiting innovation in their design and execution. A joint effort of the AIA and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), it includes a juried exhibition, a companion book, and education programs. The program encompasses a broad view of facilities designed for senior citizens, including nursing homes, dementia care, assisted living, and continuing care retirement communities.
Design for Aging Post-Occupancy Evaluations: Lessons Learned from Senior Living Environments Featured in the AIA’s Design for Aging Review
This book answers the question, “Did the design fulfill its promise?” Authored by The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Design for Aging Knowledge Community, it features the results of post-occupancy evaluations for more than twenty senior living facilities. For architects, interior designers, landscape architects and elder care providers, these evaluations are invaluable in distinguishing between what sounds good and what actually works.
Audio: An Interview with Leslie G. Moldow, AIA, LEED, on Design Trends for Senior Living
Podcast: "The Evidence-Based Truth about Private Rooms for the Aging"