Altering the aging

Mobile, modular and co-created streetscape are creating a toolbox for enabling aging-in-place
Navn
Mikkel Harboe Wolff
Uddannelsesgrad
Kandidat
Fagfelt
Arkitektur
Institut
Bygningskunst, By og Landskab
Program
Urbanism and Societal Change
År
2023

This project explores the potential of a demographic inclusive and un-choreographed public streetscape, that serves as a response to an increasingly isolated and rapidly growing elderly population of Germany. By investigating potential released spaces of car-infrastructure, this project proposes a typology of movable, modular, and static elements, allowing aging in the space in private homes

Societal theme 

The aging society

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Demographis structure of Germany
Acces and inhibition of public space for elderly
Cities within cities: visual connection to public space from retirement homes and apartments
Despearte need for care: hiring foregin carers without regulation
Mental and physical effects of lack of care

Since 1991, the number of people in need of Long Term Care has risen from 2.016.091 to 3.414,378 in 2017 (a rise of 69.4%) and to 4.960.000 in 2021 (a rise of 45 % in a span of 4 years). The current situation allows for 3 different kinds of care, but all are facing either social or economic difficulties.  
A strategy is therefore needed, that will serve as an economic relief as well as minimize loneliness in old age.  

Occupied spaces
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Occupied space: Sebastianstrasse (1961)
Occupied space: Sebastianstrasse (2022)
Released space from the Berlin Wall: Beach Mitte (2022)
Released space from the Berlin Wall: Mauerpark (2022)

In order to adress the problem of loneliness and seclusion of elderly, an appropriation of public space is needed, in order to allow elderly to age in place. This space needs to be close to home, and existing in all parts of the city. 
What space can be irrigated with potential, in order to accomodate sustainable aging in place for elderly?

 

 

 

Permability of cars in the urban fabric

Our society is in constant change, and our societal change demands physical change. Richard Sennett stresses the concept of “closure” of programming, specifically that of “Over-determined forms”, structures unable to adapt to change.  

“On paper it could be claimed that the visual order of cities has gained clarity and purity in form and use, but this claim, too is suspect. In practice, building standardization and the proliferation of bureaucratic regulations have disabled local innovation and growth, frozen the city in time” (Sennett, 2012) 

Car infrastructure is one of these over-determined forms. The road as an over-determined form possesses a huge potential for creating social infrastructure, as seen with the Berlin wall

Written thesis - The auto-city

PROJECT PROGRAM

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Chosen site - Charlottenburg Berlin
Civic infrastructure in Charlottenburg
Scale of localities: Kiez. The Kiez is a scale between district and building block
Methods of altering aging

Places of appropriation - Gasoline stations

A typology more suitable for appropriation is the gasoline station. Berlin is planning an out-phasing of cars powered by fossil fuels by 2035. This will create less demand for gasoline stations, to the point where approximately 80 % of all gasoline stations will be un-profitable in 2035. At some point, gas stations will be obsolete altogether. When the car fleet at some point consists of electric cars, many will have fast chargers at their private addresses or parking, removing the need for an urban, drive-through energy station. 

Gasoline-stations are a typology existing in most inner Kiez in Berlin, making it ideal for a Kiez center. Spatially, these stations are usually placed at the border of neighborhoods, facing a traffical vein, where the spatial design revolves around an in-out motion. 

Throughout the development, I wanted to appropriate the gasoline station in a way, that it still echoes its former function of a car-service station, but in the meaning uses that transformation to create a space of attention for passers-by. 

 

Appropriating a gasoline station

The notion of a junk playground is not restricted to an infantilization of the elderly, but used in an unchoreographed and unprogrammed way, in which people activate a space to create social activities.

 

The site will be excavating the remnants of a car-based society.  The hole this creates will mirror an archeological approach to understanding the past, but also the intimate space of activating a pit. The former Kiosk will be housing a senior club, possibly still while operating the kiosk.

Moving up some implemented stairs to the roof of the gasoline station is an urban farm. This urban farm is inspired by the fact, that allotment gardens serve as the most diverse landscape of demographics

Model Photo: The social space on the edge of the neighborhood
Model Photo: new structures
Model Photo: new service space
Map: The route of the movable structures (left) and the implementation of the new streetscapes minimum 500 m from home (right)

Social and public amenities are today driven by a constant replacement of places-to-be and things-to-do. This requires structures that can replace abundant functions and relocate to suitable locations

 

From the gasoline station, the movable objects will emerge in a parade, following a variety of routes to tie the social fabric of different neighborhoods together. The more secluded neighborhoods, like Paul Hertz Settlement isolated by 2 highways will have a social infrastructural connection to the rest of the city this way.  A board of representatives from each Kiez will mediate wishes and dialogue regarding the configuration of movable structures after each parade. These configurations will still allow for the street to perform vital functions. Ambulances need at least 2,5 m space and a 5,2 m turn radius, while fire trucks need 5 m to implement hoses.  

 

These requirements have guided the possible constellations of the streetscape. Twice a year, the movable objects are in motion. Through the release of car-space, I have explored how a set of objects can activate the streetscape. The following will be an example, of how this transformation could look.

 

 

 

Twice a year, the movable objects are in motion. Through the release of car-space, I have explored how a set of objects can activate the streetscape. The following will be an example, of how this transformation could look.  

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01 For some movable structures, the parade starts when movable structures enter the road from gasoline stations
02 In this scenario, street space is restricted for cars and elderly are isolated
03 The movable structures will then enter the streetscape in one of many configurations.
04 Structures will be folded out, and enable urban, modular furniture to be placed on the street through resident-participation
05 Space-frames are placed on facades, allowing for gazing the street and creating social lounges
06 Scissor lifts are implemented, allowing acces to streetlevel for elderly. Asphalt is removed to condition the streetscape
061 Program1 - Common dinners for all residents. This will ensure the framing of the streetscape as an urban living room
062 Program2 - Senior activation center. Through part time activation, elderly will find social bonds, meaning, hobbies etc.
063 Program3 - Functions of physical wellbeing. Improvement of motor skills will ensure a safer enviromnet at home
064 Program4 - The movable structures can also be attached to existing functions on ground level, here a kindergarten
07 A static element is placed on the streetscape. can have movable structures attached in order to create a larger institution
08 A plastic bubble can be inflated using heat from the static structure, and will be hold in place by spaceframes
09 When necessary, or minimum twice a year the movable structures can be reconfigured
10 … And create a new constellation
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Section, streetscape - South
Section, streetscape - West
Section, streetscape - West
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Streetscape, summer
Streetscape, winter
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Streetscape, summer
Streetscape, winter
Model photo: Social lounge created by scaffolding
Model photo: Creating an urban living room
Model photo: allowing acces to the streetscape by scissor lifts
Model photo: Static element (blue), Movable elements (red) and modular elements (yellow)
Model photo: New views
Model photo: full model
Saturated vision of a new streetscape

Det Kongelige Akademi understøtter FN’s verdensmål

Siden 2017 har Det Kongelige Akademi arbejdet med FN’s verdensmål. Det afspejler sig i forskning, undervisning og afgangsprojekter. Dette projekt har forholdt sig til følgende FN-mål