Where Surprise, Mystery, Beauty and Delight Meet

“Form follows function – that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.”

~ Frank Lloyd Wright

Aging in Place

I saw this article from realtor.com, Community of Otherworldly Homes Set To Take Flight in Portland, OR written by Lisa Johnson Mandell. The home is described as “otherworldly” and the man behind the design is architect Robert Harvey Oshatz. This mystically designed home is part of a planned multigenerational living community. The home will include an elevator to facilitate “aging in place” reports the author.

A Cool Daring Design

The design specs are:

3,700 sq ft of living space

4 Bedrooms

4.5 Bathrooms

Calming spherical motifs throughout

Nestled within green forest with expansive views

Walls of glass

Curved ceilings

Green Roofs

And Boasts of a quick drive to downtown Portland

The architect’s vision is to have “like-minded” people buying into the planned five-home development. The protyle first home is currently on the market for a cool $2.6 million (buyer to personalize the furnishings).

Aging in place takes many forms, and this is yet another–be it highly exclusive. I’d be curious to see what other features have been considered for aging residents. The upside here for those who can afford such luxury is obvious. 1) Living in Community 2) Multiple generational 3) Elevators 4) Green spaces have proven to extend longevity 5) Environments that delight the senses are good for aging brains (location is car-dependent and not sure about walkability).

Take Away Message Environments for Aging

Winston Churchill was accredited for saying (loosely translated) we shape our dwellings and later our dwellings shape us. Environments that include elements that evoke the will to live and delight our senses should be part of the aging-in-place process. You don’t need to live in a $2.6 million home, but there are aspects of this development you can incorporate.

You can create community/multigenerational connections and build social capital with a little effort where you live. By the way, it might even be better to find un-likeminded connections to challenge bias. Green spaces can also be designed into your living spaces. And that painting you noticed at the Saturday market done by a local artist would look lovely in your living room–go ahead, it will bring you joy for the rest of your days at home.

Some of these elements are not just for the rich, get creative in your nesting, emulate, and create. Remember you are shaping your longevity at home.

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