Studio leader: Joel Benichou
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Studio 61 explores the notion of housing specifically designed for the demographic of the ‘Baby Boomers’. Boomers enjoy the houses they have worked hard to acquire, with the consensus being they want to stay in their current home as long as possible. They like the established communities and patterns of their normal lives and while many have benefited from huge increases in property prices, the idea of selling the family home to move to a retirement village can be an unattractive prospect. With a large portion of the ageing boomers not financially prepared for retirement, opportunities other than stale retirement villages and nursing homes need to be explored.
With potential for combined facilities including medical support, child care, social activity and dignified, private accommodation, we intend to develop options that encourage the integration of retirees and young seniors into the larger community and maintain their contribution and relevance in society.
The first weeks of semester are used to research and identify examples of relevant projects and alternative retirement living options. With an initial focus on research and data collection, students develop a conceptual grounding for their projects. The remainder of semester is spent formulating solutions to a series of case studies at varying scales. These include the Granny flat (BOOMflat) and the share house (BOOMhouse). Our aim is to provide new options that are "spatially efficient", "functionally desirable", "technically feasible", "affordable”, “financially viable", and "legally permissible". The context for the Studio is the most livable city in the world, Melbourne.