2017-
In recent years, Fusinpaiboon and Jang have engaged in design works related to the issue of aging society. With different sites in Udon Thani (อุดรธานี), Bangkok (กรุงเทพ), and Tongyeong (통영); and different users, budgets, and conditions, we have been learning not only physical aspects of design for aging societies, but also a lot of cultural ones. Barrier-free-and-mainly-single-storey designs have been a physically basic requirement for all, but there have been specific details in every project. For examples, functional designs sometimes needed to be balanced with Feng Shui, and vice versa, to ensure the well-being of not only aging residents but also those who care about them. Sometimes, a semi-outdoor-and-semi-enclosed space was created in the renovation of a typical townhouse to support the lifestyle of the elderly who had moved from a detached house, as well as providing security and privacy. Sometimes, a whole new set of space, uses, and insulation, needed to be reorganised and installed in the renovation of parents’ mass-produced house with load-bearing precast walls to accomodate members of a younger generation who retired and returned to hometown. Designs in aging societies happen to engage with not only the “elderly” of many different generations, but also other generations who have to engage with the elderly. It has become multigenerational design, and there are a lot more to learn and explore.
DRFJ 