Perception on Residential Environment Planning for Seniors among University Students visited Aging Simulation Center

노인을 위한 주거환경계획 의식에 관한 연구 - 노인생애체험센터를 방문한 예비디자이너를 중심으로 -

Due to the rapid increasing in the aged population, it calls for social countermeasures urgently. Especially, there are increasing needs of space environment to support physical and spiritual characteristics of elderly. When designing space environment including house, there are growing consideration for elderly and extending appreciation of aging. The purpose of this study is to investigate the perception on environment planning for the seniors among university students who majoring in Housing & Interior Design and who visited the Aging Simulation Center located in Seoul. The Aging Simulation Center gives a chance of space design to support the elderly based on the experiences of daily living for the designers who design environment for elderly. Questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain data from 93 university students in their 20s majoring in housing and interior design who visited the Aging Simulation Center. The research findings showed that the recognition for design elements of residential environment for the elderly of respondents was changed toward positive way after visiting the Aging Simulation Center. The Aging Simulation Center was an effective educational environment for the preliminary designers to understand aging and the importance of appropriate design for users' needs. That is, aging simulation space can improve recognition of necessity of universally designed environment to support the elderly. Handrails around bathtub and wash basin, stair slope, electric auto-level controlled kitchen counter and kitchen cabinet were especially perceived for the respondents as very essential design elements to support the aged.