Retrofitting for touchless fixtures and


appliances is another feature that was important before the pandemic. But in the coming decade, touchless will be more the rule than the exception, showing up for faucets, doors, lights, curtains, thermostats, and more. With all the cleanliness, there’s a caveat:


High ceilings, big windows, and tile sur- faces can combine to make spaces echo and sounds sharper. It’s this “museum eff ect” as much as the look of a residence that can prevent people from feeling at home. De- signers can soften the acoustics with features such as perforated boards (cleanable) and by mixing materials.


Windows and barriers “There's going to be an inclination to permanently design for social distancing, and we have to resist that reaction while still fi nding new ways to make senior living communities safer,” writes Myles R. Brown, AIA, LEED AP, principal at Amenta Emma Architects. “It's already happening—within a week


of the pandemic beginning, we had a request from a senior living project we are in the middle of designing to add negative pressure rooms, which hospitals use to prevent the spread of airborne pathogens.” While understandable, this might not be the most future-facing approach. One solu- tion is design that ensures fl exibility. Many communities are right now using areas in diff erent ways than they were intended—for instance, an outdoor dining patio becomes a visiting area, with social-distancing spaces chalked in. Other communities are using thick, clear plastic to make barriers and booths for visiting. In the future, clear, germ-stopping


retractable walls or curtains could divide rooms when needed. A great room with conversation groupings can welcome visitors when that’s possible, but also serve as an ad hoc gathering or staging area in trouble or emergency situations, or space to prepare items to go to residents’ rooms during isolation. Larger and more comfortable break


rooms (also easy-to-clean and disinfect), as well as places staff can dine, clean them- selves up, change, and occasionally sleep over may become essential components of future senior living communities.


computer vision


CV involves getting computers to see the way we do—to not only identify images, but also understand them in context. For instance, if a sensor detects fast, erratic motion in a resident’s room, it would be able to tell there’s no cause for alarm—it’s the cat.


The move toward more choice in dining could coincide with healthier design as well. Future communities may want to plan or renovate a space for a popup grocery store, or a staging area to pick up delivered groceries or restaurant meals safely. That means less need to leave the community.


Open the drawbridge Just before the pandemic disrupted life, the Pratt’s Manhattan Gallery opened the ex- hibit “New Old: Designing for Our Future Selves.” An apartment concept commis- sioned for the exhibition included a sort of cabinet door in the back wall of the apart- ment. Behind that back wall was a hallway lined with shelves. The idea was that when a resident needed something, they would order, and a robot would deliver through the door. Robots also did cleaning. It was a no-touch system designed for independence, but it was criticized for being


“a gilded cage.” Anyone in senior living could see the fl aws


immediately—it’s a model for social isola- tion. A resident might not get a virus, but their health would suff er greatly, nonetheless. That tendency is one path that Amenta


Emma architect Myles Brown could see future senior living design going down—and now is the time to guard against it. “This crisis will accelerate the process of senior living communities becoming one of the more tech-driven spaces in our society,” he writes. “How well senior living designers are


able to execute this sped-up technological transition is the question. Social connection is such a key component of senior living for mental health and overall health. “In my view, the balance is struck by implementing technology as invisibly as possible. Senior living communities still need to look and feel like home.”


Outdoor-rated upholstery and furnishings have made huge strides in looks and comfort— and they stand up to cleaning protocols.


MAY/JUNE 2020 ARGENTUM.ORG 11


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