Meer Generatie Wonen

The mixing of generations in the living environment is something very human; it has been since the dawn of time. Since the Industrial Revolution however, Western societies have adopted a more segregated way of living; something which is now testing the limits of what society can handle. To address the issue, BETA and project developer AM are working on an upcoming book to investigate the reincorporation of intergenerational living in the built environment.

Since founding the office in 2015, BETA has been working on intergenerational living. One of the office’s first projects was Three Generation House, a project which received much acclaim from around the globe despite its modest size. While the project in itself is not scalable in a meaningful way, the ideas behind the project are. To investigate the potential, BETA teamed up with project developer AM to produce a research into how intergenerational living could be realized and scaled in the Western context.

While the concept of actively mixing generations in the living environment might seem novel, it is of course an ancient concept which was widely practiced globally, also in Western Europe until the Industrial Revolution. It is furthermore not at all remarkable in practically every contemporary culture outside the Western world.

Building Intergenerational Communities is a research into a different way of living together in the Western context. It draws on literature, (inter-) national precedents and very personal experiences to come up with a series of prerequisites which could lead to solidarity between generations. To illustrate the potential of intergenerational living, three case studies were researched in the Dutch context.

BETA and AM are expecting to complete the book in the Winter of 2022, with publishing scheduled for February 2022. The book will be free to view online; hardcopies (not-for-profit) can be ordered for a small fee.

If you want to be kept up to speed on the publication please drop us a line at intergen@beta-office.com.

Lange Eng by Dorte Mandrup intergenerational living reference image by Stamers Kontor — a collective space as a space for interaction between generations
Lange Eng, Dorte Mandrup, image © Stamers Kontor

Kraftwerk 2 by Adrian Streich intergenerational living reference image by katrin simonett — generous spaces allow for more human interaction
Kraftwerk 2, Adrian Streich, image © Katrin Simonett

Kraftwerk 2 by Adrian Streich intergenerational living reference image by roland bernath — generous access systems allow for more human interaction
Kraftwerk 2, Adrian Streich, image © Roland Bernath

La Borda by Lacol intergenerational living reference image by Lluc Miralles — cooperative housing makes for unique spaces and more durable personal relationships
La Borda, Lacol, image © Lluc Miralles

Meer Generatie Wonen

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