The unprecedented shift in the age composition of the world, which the JPA has often highlighted, will impact upon all aspects of society—how we live, how we work, how we play and consume, and importantly the environments within which we do this. For the world of design this brings not only the growing necessity of engaging with this demographic trend, but also the opportunities and advantages of doing so. There are, however, many myths surrounding this “grey burden”. The first misconception is that ageing populations herald a world of disabled frail elderly people requiring purpose-built geriatric care centres. Rather, we are heading for a future with fit, active, older adults, who will need to adapt their living and working environments to cope with their slow reduction in physical, sensory, and sometimes mental, capacity. Nowhere will this occur more than in the arena of domestic architecture and design—for it is here, in our homes, that most of us will spend the last decades of our lives. Current design interest, however, is still focusing on the “care” environment” with purpose built accommodation—sheltered housing and assisted living—comprising floor drainage suitable for a roll-in shower, wide staircases with handrails, and features which prevent falls, such as non-slip bathroom and kitchen floors. Driven by the growing need for long term eldercare in the community, both the UK and US, for example, will face a 30% increase in those over 80 during the next two decades, this has promoted the development of so-called hybrid homes—a combination of private living and community space. Retirement villages, like De Paul Manor Estate on Australia’s Gold Coast, the UK’s Westbury Fields in Bristol, and Wexford Creek Campus of Care, in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, all combine housing, apartments and care facilities within the one complex. While good design within caring environments is important, it ignores the opportunity for innovative creative design for the growing segment of the population who will remain active and independent well into their 80’s, but will benefit from some Population Ageing (2013) 6:157–159 DOI 10.1007/s12062-013-9087-y