Adaptive Refurbishment for Aging in Place: Design Scenarios of Case Studies in Turin, Italy.

Abstract

The "aging" world implies a rethinking of housing models, to meet the needs of the elderly for physical and mental well-being, independence, social interaction, safety, and accessibility. "Aging in place" is recognized by experts and international literature as a fundamental strategy for maintaining conditions of well-being and reducing public spending on health care. However, often the houses do not have the requirements to easily adapt to the needs that change with aging and possible downsizing of the family unit. For the elderly, maintaining their own home can become unsustainable due to problems of costs, oversizing, physical and perceptual accessibility, and safety. The contribution, taking as a case study the residential building heritage of Turin (Italy), illustrates and critically compares scenarios of adaptive recovery of homes to make them suitable for the needs of the elderly, intending to promote "aging in place" and housing adaptive refurbishment as a sustainable strategy.