Architectural Alchemy | Longevity Through Movement

The elderly population in the U.S. is to double in the next twenty-five years. Our environments are ill-suited for aging. Additionally, negative perceptions of aging dominate popular culture, which is fixated on youthfulness. My thesis confronts this by proposing a neighborhood wellness hub model, initially funded as part of the 2028 Olympics architecture. The design of this hub intends to reverse the historical neglect of our aging population and embraces aging as a positive, socially inclusive experience. It does this by providing neighborhood services that help the elderly population to age in place, while helping the younger population to age well. Most specifically, my design leverages the idea of choreography to better accommodate the human body. It is my intent to use this thesis project to demonstrate how prioritizing health and longevity can yield tangible benefits for communities, mitigating the detrimental effects of neglecting these essential aspects of design.