Age in place
Point Lonsdale, VIC
05-11/2019
Architecture
Research
Commissioned by an elderly couple, this project involved providing planning guidance, building code advice, and construction drawings to support a proposed division of their home, so they could age in place.
Diagrams showing this house in relation to the average house, NSW 2 bedroom apartment guide, and Victoria Design Guideline apartment guide. The solution to creating denser suburbs might just be in the existing housing stock.
Although not the intent in its initial design, the layout of the house allowed for a division between two living spaces, and the addition of kitchenette to allow for a second unit, all of which could be reversed in the future if a younger and/or larger family bought the property.
Diagram of the house division
The project was in Point Lonsdale, a coastal town in Victoria that has an aging population. The median age in this area increased from 54 to 59 between 2011 and 2016, a demographic trend common in Australia’s regional areas.
News articles highlighting the growing trend of ageing populations in regional areas.
In 2024, the ABC reported that Australia has nearly 13 million unused bedrooms.2 Working on this project prompted deeper research into aging in place and the disconnect between house size and household needs. It has since become a foundation for ongoing explorations into how homes can be designed—or retrofitted—with future adaptability in mind, offering practical responses to the dual challenges of an ageing population and underutilised housing stock.
Floorplans: bottom plan shows existing, top plan shows proposed two units
References:
1 Prosper, Vera. “Aging in Place in Multifamily Housing.” Cityscape 7, no. 1 (2004): 81–106.
2Yussuf, Ahmed. “Older Australians Could Rent out Spare Rooms to Help Ease the Housing Crisis, New Research Suggests.” ABC News, October 7, 2024. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-07/about-13-million-spare-bedrooms-in-australia-housing-crisis/104439670.