This study conducted an integrated investigation to derive planning directions for senior welfare housing in response to the super-aged society, focusing on a sloped site located in Jeongneung 3-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. The research comprehensively e...
This study conducted an integrated investigation to derive planning directions for senior welfare housing in response to the super-aged society, focusing on a sloped site located in Jeongneung 3-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. The research comprehensively examined the institutional framework, locational conditions, spatial composition, and residential characteristics of senior welfare housing, analyzed temporal changes in unit plan configurations and spatial structural characteristics, and subsequently applied the findings to an architectural design proposal.
First, the concept and legal status of senior welfare housing were reviewed based on the Elderly Welfare Act, and planning requirements were examined from the perspectives of locational typologies and Aging in Place (AIP). Next, through a review of previous studies, the components of unit plans, common spaces, and service spaces were identified, thereby establishing a theoretical framework for the spatial structure of senior welfare housing.
For the case analysis, senior welfare housing projects supplied in the Seoul metropolitan area since 2001 were classified into three periods—the Introduction period (2001–2005), the Expansion period (2006–2017), and the Transition period (2018–2025)—and changes in plan composition and service levels were compared across periods. Based on this classification, Space Syntax analysis was applied to unit plans to quantitatively identify changes in connectivity, integration, control, and intelligibility.
The analysis revealed that unit plans of senior welfare housing have evolved by reflecting changes in older adults’ physical, cognitive, and lifestyle characteristics, showing a shift from a focus on basic safety and stability during the Introduction period, to openness and connectivity during the Expansion period, and toward a balanced emphasis on privacy protection and functional efficiency during the Transition period. In particular, the continuous increase in intelligibility indicates that cognitively friendly plan structures—allowing older adults to intuitively understand spatial layouts and move easily—have become increasingly established over time.
These analytical findings were applied as key design principles in Chapter 4. The proposed design aims to enhance accessibility and autonomy for older adults while maintaining an open relationship with the local community, through strategies such as multi-level access circulation utilizing the sloped site, vertical and horizontal integration of communal, medical, and community facilities, adjustment of public–private relationships within unit plans, and the integration of life-centered spaces. Through this approach, the study demonstㅊㅁrates that senior welfare housing can function not merely as a protective facility, but as a residential welfare platform that integrates daily living, care, and social participation.
This research holds both academic and practical significance in that it presents theoretical review, quantitative analysis, and design application as a continuous and integrated framework. The findings propose planning principles and directions for senior welfare housing in preparation for a super-aged society, and provide foundational data applicable to future community-based care models, public senior housing projects, and private senior housing developments.