Happy Ageing Lab

Funded by CUHK-SKPF, Happy Ageing Lab is founded in 2021 at School of Architecture, CUHK.

We advocate revamping the design and management of our built environment for healthy ageing by providing participatory R&D services, bridging users and professionals, and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations.

Our interdisciplinary team at happy.ageing.lab consists of architects, urban planners, social workers, and healthcare professionals who are passionate about working towards creating inclusive, supportive, and attractive communities for all ages. At the lab we take a participatory, user-centered approach to develop innovative housing and neighbourhood solutions to address the challenges brought about by a rapidly ageing population.

By adopting a participatory approach, we propose Three-in-One Services to help built environment professionals, real estate corporates, property management, service providers, and the public sector to achieve the followings

UNDERSTAND

Through the user- and community engagements (interview, workshops, and focus groups), our Lab helps clients to understand the Silver Market by analyzing the needs, aspirations, and challenges of their prospective customers, emerging target groups, and communities in large.

ASSESS

Older adults will be trained as assessors to conduct user-oriented design audit, which areas of improvement will be identified. Findings will form the baseline to inform solution development. After the intervention, post-occupancy evaluation/monitoring will be conducted to analyze the costs and benefits of the changes.

DEVELOP

The Lab will co-create integrated solutions with our docents to address the shortcomings identified, improve the existing provision, and develop strategies, plans and design principles for clients.

Our Impacts

Elders

One of the critical factors in achieving positive ageing is to remain active. The Lab helps to encourage elders’ further contribution and social participation by diversifying the range of volunteers works and employments (part-time), and providing empowerment/training activities, respectively. In addition, their involvement in the research process will positively influence their social and psychological well-being and improve their life satisfaction.

Professionals, Business, and Public Sectors

The Lab attempts to induce changes in practice and promote design innovation by advocating the empathetic design approach. The R&D process will derive valuable research findings that help improve professional practice. In addition, their investment will positively impact the value of corporate social responsibility and the services/products/places of a business. Functioning as a platform, the Lab will lobby interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaborations, which will help develops new areas of services/practice and influence policymaking for the emerging silver market.

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