Theapplication Of Interaction Design Concept To The Environmental Design Of Apartments For The Elderly

With the continuous development of society and the impact of fast-paced modern life, the way of traditional Chinese pension is severely challenged with the growing life and work pressure upon the younger generation. They are getting unable to take care of the elderly themselves. Actually, apartments for the elderly has become the best alternative nowadays. At this time when the demand for"a social old-age home"is tremendous, this paper is meant to research into the improvement of apartment design for the elderly through a careful study upon interactive activities and requirements of the old people. Therefore the use of environment can be maximized; the elderly may adapt the apartment life more easily and enjoy a family-like joy and pleasure. The innovation of this paper is the application of"interaction design"concept to the environmental design of apartments for the elderly. This application also works as an example for other fields. So that environmental design can be improved both theoretically and pragmatically.This paper begins with the reasons for choosing the present topic, a brief research background its significance. It is continued with a clarification of the social value of a research into the improvement of apartment design for the old people with a careful examination of current problems with apartments for the elderly in the context of China's aging population. The third part of the paper, then, is an elaboration upon how to create a more interactive environment in the old people's apartments. This discussion is done with a logic of"problem—analysis—solution". Problems are investigated with a field research into two old people's apartments in Wuhan city. The analysis is focused on features of old people's apartments and the interactive requirements of old people. Solutions are thus accordingly justified. Lastly, conclusion of this paper includes an outlook of apartment design for the elderly, so that the interaction design concept can be applied to more aspects and fields. Accordingly the environmental design can be...