Master of Architecture candidate, Emma Weber is one of 8 candidates to advance in the annual 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition at the University of Maryland.
The final round will be held during Graduate Research Appreciation Day (GRAD) on April 3, 2019, at 10:00 am and 11:00 am.
Click here to learn more about 3MT.
Abstract: "Can Design Evoke Youth?"
American society lacks a thorough understanding of the concept of aging. By the time Americans reach their senior years, they have little concept of what life will become as an aging adult. Older adults begin to grow isolated from society both physically and mentally. Health limitations, technological or transportation limitations, and spatial discrepancies generate barriers to seniors, perpetuating a cycle of isolation and loneliness. As the senior population rapidly increases with the aging of Baby Boomers, can architecture break this cycle and stimulate the creation of a society of intertwined generations? This thesis challenges the design of senior housing to become a vehicle through which seniors might reconnect with society through intellectual, physical, and social engagement. Introducing new paradigms of interaction, particularly through intergenerational relationships, may become the tool through which society is exposed to the beauty and importance of aging.