The Influence of Building Design on the Quality of Life of Older People

Abstract

Design in Caring Environments is a study of residential care buildings for older people carried out by architects and psychologists from the Universities of Sheffield and Loughborough. The study is a search for evidence that building design influences the quality of life of residents and the quality of care given by staff. Thirty eight care homes were observed and analysed in terms of their physical and environmental provision in parallel with an assessment of the quality of life of a sample of the residents in each home. The research finds that building design does appear to have an impact on quality of life both positively and negatively. There are indications that a risk-averse culture leads to a diminished lifestyle, and that physically supportive environments are life enhancing. The implications for the design of residential buildings are the subject of this paper.