Authors

Yepimakhova Tatyana Ye.
"THIRD AGE” ARCHITECTURE. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RUSSIAN AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES

Architecton: Proceedings of Higher Education №2 (34) June, 2011

The article raises the issue of insensitivity of national architecture to global demographic changes and modern-day lifestyles of elderly people. Comparative analysis of the opposing positions of national and international "third age” architecture is performed. Currently, this is one of the most popular design themes around the world whereas Russian architectural practice rarely deals with it, if at all. Russian architecture for the elderly demonstrates an outdated point of view that “the third age” is just a short end-of-life period.

International design practice is based on the perception that "the third age” is a historically new, complex and self-sufficient phenomenon. The author considers the evolution in the typology of residential facilities of this type abroad and notes the continual search for new models of housing caused by the variety and complex character of elderly people’s lifestyles. National and international models are described against two criteria: the degree of spatial autonomy of the elderly, and economic affordability.

The author arrives at a conclusion of comparative backwardness of the national “third age” housing typology. A hypothesis of two most promising housing models is put forward, i.e. "municipal" and “multigenerational”, which, owing to a number of circumstances, may be adapted to domestic contexts. Based on an observation study of housing in Vologda and a review of literature and Internet sources, the author evaluates two buildings «after occupation» in Vologda and two in Switzerland, which allows the qualities of the existing residential environments to be compared.