Building the soil: Biophilic design and access to nature in supportive housing for older adults with experiences of homelessness

Giammarino, B., Squires, S., Grittner, A., & Walsh, C.A. (2023, June).  Building the soil: Biophilic design and access to nature in supportive housing for older adults with experiences of homelessness  [digital short film]. Environmental Design Research Association, Mexico City, Mexico. 

Abstract

Housing instability has negative impacts on the wellbeing of older adults and leads to accelerated aging. Individuals who have been unhoused experience the physical and mental health characteristics of non-homeless individuals up to 20 years their senior (Mahmood et al., 2022). Aging in the right place (AIRP) builds on Aging in place (AIP) theories of health and recognizes that for older adults with experiences of homelessness (OPEH), AIP can be challenging or unreachable.    

Through AIRP, housing that meets OPEH’s unique vulnerabilities and lifestyles of OPEH is key support (Mahmood et al., 2022). Research shows that access to the outdoors, biophilic design, and outdoor physical activity has beneficial impacts on the health and mobility of older adults (Kerr, 2012 & Afacan, 2021). The AIRP Partnership - a SSHRC- CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) funded five-year cross-Canada interdisciplinary inquiry investigating housing options for older adults with experiences of homelessness – asked OPEH to share their experiences of supportive housing in Calgary, Canada, using Photovoice interviews. Photovoice is a participatory action methodology wherein research participants are asked to take photographs of subject matter that reflects their unique experiences, subsequently explaining the photography (Hergenrather et al., 2009; Sutton-Brown, 2014). Through Photovoice, OPEH storied their experiences of supportive house promising practices in relationship to AIRP.

This digital short illuminates the multifaceted ways nature is vital to OPEH’s experiences of AIRP. Using audio, photographic, and textual data collected through the AIRP photovoice interviews, this digital short shares the research findings of when, where, and how relationships with the natural world support AIRP for OPEH living in supportive housing, through the voices and eyes of the residents. The wellness benefits and design connections presented throughout the digital short will serve to influence policy makers, designers, and urban planners to integrate biophilic design and access to nature in transitional and supportive housing for OPEH – a critical undertaking of design justice and creating equitable access to home.

References

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Hergenrather, K. C., Rhodes, S. D., Cowan, C. A., Bardhoshi, G., & Pula, S. (2009). Photovoice as community-based participatory research: a qualitative review. American journal of health behavior, 33(6), 686–698. https://doi.org/10.5993/ajhb.33.6.6

Kerr, J., Rosenberg, D., & Frank, L. (2012). The role of the built environment in healthy aging: community design, physical activity, and health among older adults. Journal of Planning Literature, 27(1), 43-60.

Mahmood, A., Patille, R., Lam, E., Mora, D. J., Gurung, S., Bookmyer, G., Weldrick, R., Chaudhury, H., & Canham, S. L. (2022). Aging in the Right Place for Older Adults Experiencing Housing Insecurity: An Environmental Assessment of Temporary Housing Program. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(22), 14857. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214857

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Sutton-Brown, C.A. (2014). Photovoice. Photography and Culture, 7, 169 - 185.