AIA Blue Ridge will host a free online webinar “Design for Aging” to educate interested designers on standards and best practices of designing residential spaces for older adults. The webinar speakers, Chris McGill, AIA and Helen Jadlowski, AIA, will share their experiences on multiple senior living projects they have worked on at SFCS, Inc. The course will explore accessibility guidelines and universal design through the lens of “aging in place”. We will discuss how the physical needs of users change as they age and how designers can go above and beyond minimum code requirements to create adaptable spaces that promote independent living for older adults.

While SFCS works with many facilities to try to address those needs at the large scale, communities like Roanoke need to develop other tools to help address these housing and quality of life needs for older members at the small scale, because the cost of assisted living and skilled care is financially out of reach for many individuals, especially those on fixed incomes. Attendees of this course will have a better understanding of the best practices of “Design for Aging” to help inform the design of ADU competition submissions.

Attendees will need to register in advance by emailing contact@aiablueridge.org.  The course will be recorded for those who are unable to attend the live event. This webinar has been submitted for 1 LU/HSW credit. 


Learning Objectives:
1. Explore research into the accessibility needs of aging adults and the "activities of daily living". Explore how to promote independence in aging adults.
2. Identify best practices that go above and beyond minimum accessibility codes for aging adults and how these standards can be applied to a residential setting.
3. Illustrate the application of best practices of designing for aging adults in built examples of apartments that implement the identified best practices.
4. Explore the best practices of "Universal Design" and how residential spaces, which are not required to meet strict standards of accessibility can be built to have increased adaptability to provide more equitable housing for diverse populations, including aging adults.
5. Apply these best practices through the development of Accessory Dwelling Units through the ADU Competition hosted by AIA Blue Ridge to put what was learned into practice.