Last October 25th, 2019, CASA SOLO presented his solutions for the elderly during the “II Professional conference about diet for a healthy aging” organized by Alicia Foundation, a non-profit organization which purpose is promoting healthy food through technological innovation in the kitchen, together with improving eating habits and the assessment of food and gastronomic heritage.
Accompanied by distinguished personalities from active aging field, Bernat Gato, co-founder of CASA SOLO and Dr Paulina Ballbé, Director of the Postgraduate in Management and Dynamization of Active and Healthy Aging Projects BSM – Pompeu Fabra University, and collaborator of the architectural firm, addressed the concept of friendly environments, and the challenge of adapting the spaces with elderly people.
Simple actions but of great practicality such as creating spaces so that on one hand they take full advantage of natural lighting in order not to alter biological rhythms, and on the other hand they reinforce artificial lighting to increase the amount of light; minimize glare or increase the contrast to warn of a change of functions within the space; decorate with warm and contrasting colours; use simple and large signage; arrange easy to clean soft surface solid colour floors; corridors with rest areas and uninterrupted handrails; take into account acoustic and thermal insulation to minimize environmental discomfort. All of these are part of the “Age-Friendly” design, an innovative concept that CASA SOLO applies in its projects, with which they manage to adapt the spaces of socio-sanitary centers and hospitals to the elderly, caregivers and companions. Maximizing their safety, independence, support and comfort, offering a gerontologically sensitive design for all, is the challenge that the architectural firm, led by Bernat Gato and Roger Pernas, creates in its projects.
Photos © Fundació Alicia
