“The great advancements in technology and medicine have resulted in the UK population living longer. The unfortunate aspect is that we are stretching the NHS and have not built enough suitable accommodation for us to comfortably age into. However, through better quality housing with integrated care services, our massively expanding senior population can have an attractive variety of options enabling them to thrive during their later years.”
Vanessa Hale, Chair of ULI
UK
How We Can Help You
The UK’s Later Living market is currently in a period of growth and substantial change. We are, therefore, facing an urgent demand for sustainable and diverse solutions, whilst also now beginning to address the significant challenges that the worldwide pandemic has brought about.
The main driver for this sector is, perhaps, demographics, with projections estimating that by 2032 there will be 2 million more over 80s living in the UK, with a 40% increase in the number of households headed up by someone aged over 65. Combined with above-average levels of housing equity, this means more demand for housing with care provision and the potential to offer more choice for those who are ageing.
Alternative and progressive housing and care models for older generations will not only help alleviate the pressure on local authority care budgets but will also free up homes for sale or rent in the housing market previously occupied by older occupants.
Our GSS teams have an in-depth, inherent understanding of all aspects of the Later Living sector to help ensure that your developments are at the cutting edge.
Through our experience of working with progressive providers and leading charities, we have a clear understanding of what is required from designers to help you connect with potential funding streams and to harness the real benefits for those in their later years, offering more innovative and forward-looking models of accommodation.
To date, there has been a real lack of proactive planning from both the public and private sectors to meet the challenges ahead, which has been highlighted over recent months. Current provision is largely directed towards the 2.9 million over 65s in the most affluent sectors of society groups, with property wealth of over £300k.
GSS has many years’ experience of supporting stakeholders in the residential sector. We understand the different needs and drivers of private developers, landowners, Private Rented Sector (PRS) operators, local authorities and Registered Social Landlords (RSL), and we are proud of the value that we add to our projects, having worked on a wide range of developments in the Later Living sector.
Research & Current Trends
Our teams are continually looking into current trends and developments in the sector to make sure that we can offer the broadest possible understanding to support our clients in developing high-quality designs and operational models. Some of the themes that we are currently researching with our partners are outlined as follows:
• Innovation – progressive designs prioritising space and incorporating assistive technology within both new build developments and existing buildings.
• Progressive Models of Accommodation – the merits of adopting new residential models, including an increased focus on intergenerational living.
• Coronavirus Response – improving flexibility and increasing the availability of outdoor shared spaces to help reduce the spread of disease.
• Staff and Resident Wellbeing – the benefits of high-quality environments and the importance of community that boosts morale, encourages independence, and promotes support.
• Unlocking Investment – the key messages to unlock potential hesitation from investors to engage as fully with the Later Living offer compared to Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) and Build-To-Rent (BTR).
What Can Designers Do?
At a basic level, designers must challenge negative preconceptions around dedicated housing for those in later life. High-quality design is a prerequisite for aspirational and innovative living models and helps to shape what happens inside. Good design should maximise independent living and increase the opportunities for social interaction, all of which can improve the wellbeing and health of older people, enhancing their overall quality of life.
As designers, well planned Later Living developments could help breathe new life into local communities. The inclusion of dualpurpose ground floors, consisting of a communal space shared between the residents and the wider community, can help foster a sense of community, identity, and inclusion; also helping to address social issues such as loneliness.
Understanding and guiding the implementation of progressive living concepts is also an important role for designers. There is growing interest in intergenerational housing, for example, with several factors influencing this. Factors include the number of over 25s who live with their parents, the number of families with grandparents living with them, and other home sharing/co-living arrangements.
In commercial funding terms, Later Living models are somewhat unique as they are both a real estate asset but also a complex operational proposition, meaning that investors can be hesitant to engage as fully with Later Living opportunities compared to PBSA or BTR, for example. To address this perception, we recognise the importance of educating investors and securing their buy-in as Britain’s population continues to age.
At GSS we can draw on our experience to ease this apprehension by presenting clear plans for the development and the operational model, including high-quality staffing and retention as part of the initial planning. This starts with a well-considered design brief and development appraisal.
Benefits of Good Design
The issue of quality homes for older people, as well as quality care, is personal. We all know of examples where older people have been marginalised through a lack of options available to them as they grow frailer. We recognise the positive outcomes that can be seen in residents that have access to more progressive models of accommodation, that result in independence and an improved quality of life in later years. Residents benefit from being able to live as they please, picking and choosing according to their tastes.
Housing with care is another important consideration, providing the support that is so often needed to retain an individual’s independence. But progressive Later Living models are about so much more than just bricks and mortar – it is what happens inside that is most critically important. It is well documented that older people, often widowed, suffer from loneliness and lack of social contact, which can lead to a decline in both physical and mental health. The quality of the building is, of course, important, but so too is the support available to older people. Retirement communities provide a safety net to those who, aware of their physical decline or social isolation, acknowledge that it is time to move before it is too late, and that, at some point in the future, they may need help with personal care.
There are many studies that have been undertaken to demonstrate the benefits of high-quality accommodation, some of which are shown here. It is also well documented that retirement communities deliver more effective and cost-efficient heath and care, helping to ease the strain on the NHS, which can often be an attractive proposition to local authorities.
Statistics taken from:
About the Practice
GSSArchitecture is a national, award-winning architectural practice with a dynamic and forward-thinking approach. We operate across the whole of the UK, with offices located in Kettering, Leeds, London, Newcastle, Harrogate and Milton Keynes. Founded in 1879, we are one of the longest established architectural practices in the UK.
In addition to our architectural teams, clients are also able to utilise our other in-house resources in the form of:
• Net Zero Carbon
• Sustainability
• Modern Methods of Construction
• Health & Wellbeing
• Heritage & Conservation
• 3DLABS Graphic Studio
Current Sector Involvement
Our teams are currently involved in a wide range of schemes across the country, many of which are specifically focused on delivering progressive models of accommodation aimed at living longer, healthier, happier lives.
Specifically we enjoy a continued, strong working relationship with Newcastle University and the National Innovation Centre for Ageing, and are actively involved in research and stakeholder engagement programmes. Newcastle University is a world-leading organisation driving innovation and creative research in this field, with an enviable reputation for their expertise in ageing, nutrition, digital science and technology, particularly around the challenges of supporting an ageing population.
The UK’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing is a world-leading organisation, created with a £40 million investment from the UK Government and Newcastle University, and has a vision to create a world in which we all live better, for longer. Their key areas of focus include:
• Living better for longer - helping us all stay as healthy and well as possible as we age.
• Future mobility - developing innovative solutions for transport and travel.
• Consumer products and financial products and services - providing choices to older consumers.
• Age-friendly places – adapting our built and social environments and creating homes we can live in for longer, so that we can maximise the quality of our later years.
• Ageing and Data - harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and data to improve lives.
• Inclusive design - ensuring that products and services meet our needs, whatever our age or ability.
Our established working relationships with organisations such as these has enabled us to produce a summary of current and future trends in the sector, along with details of how this can help inform plans for the future and the role that designers have to play in securing a better future for an ageing population.
A Selection of our Recent Project Experience
• Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle City Centre
• Bradfield Way Extra Care Facility, Somerset
• Northampton Town Centre Care Community
• Residential Care Home, Dundee
• The Yews Residential Home for the Elderly, Northamptonshire
• Sheltered Flats and Hospice, Northamptonshire
• Care Home Rehabilitation Centre, Hamilton
• New 600 Place Care Community, Bedfordshire
Jonathan Hunter
Senior Partner & Later Living Lead
jdh@gssarchitecture.com
01423 878504
For further information on our experience in the research and delivery of projects in the Later Living sector, please get in touch with Jonathan Hunter, Senior Partner & Later Living Lead at GSSArchitecture, who will be happy to discuss this with you.
