AbstractSUSTAINABLE INTER-GENERATIONAL LIVING: WELL-BEING FOR ALL AGES USING COLOR AND LIGHT
Color and light have long been studied for their effects on people’s physical and mental health. It is especially important that the environments in which people live and work contribute to their health and well-being. A sustainable living environment that supports and enhances inter-generational community living would benefit from the positive health benefits of appropriate usage of color and light. Research has shown that people who live or work in dark, colorless environments are at increased risk of depression (Tonello, 2001). Studies have been made as to which specific colors have the capacity to heal (Park, 2009) and which colors most people—regardless of age, gender, or race—tend to prefer (Whitfield & Wiltshire, 1990). Research also indicates the positive health effects of daylight and certain wavelengths of artificial light (Rosch, 2009). These effects have been evaluated among elderly people—specifically studying whether light can improve aged people’s mobility (Aarts & Westerlaken, 2005). The positive effects of color and light on wayfinding and people’s ability to perceive the indoor (built) environment has been studied (Hidayetoglu, Yildirim, & Akalin, 2011). Through literature review, the proposed project will examine the ways in which color and light might contribute to sustaining a high quality of life, with a focus on the aging population and their ability to age in place. The purpose of this research is to understand how color and light can contribute to a healthy and safe inter-generational living environment. |