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Ambassadors

Q&A —
Ilse Crawford

In our work as designers at Studioilse, we approach every project with a single word that represents a quality we describe as “the eye of the needle”.

In terms of living, the question of “what next?” is relevant to all of us at some point in our lives, but it is one that seems to be brushed under the carpet and not really confronted until the very last minute. Currently we have a situation where people tend to live solo or in couples for as long as they possibly can, and generally a bit longer, and then we often end up either with inadequate home care, in some form of residential care home or worse still, in hospital.

This uncertain period is such a sad way to live what might well be as much as a third of your life. For most people today it’s a long time, and consistently we hear stories of loneliness, or people wanting to learn new things, or wanting to be part of the community, wanting more intergenerational connection, to get healthy and to stay active. It seems crazy not to try and bring all these things under one roof, to use the difficulty and to create a better world for the inevitable stage of life when we don’t necessarily want to go on living by ourselves, or worrying about what’s next.

First of all we have to define design here. We’re not talking about design as an aesthetic solution, or about creating beautiful interiors or objects – although aesthetics matter of course. We are looking at how design can make sense of these realities, to make sense of the values that we would like to integrate into a new reality, and to then figure out a pathway towards that.

We are living in an era where there is so much noise around design, and too often the focus is on making things new rather than making things better. Design also tends to focus on the next generations, millennials and the under fifties. Meanwhile the category of people getting older has somehow slipped under the radar. It’s a tricky topic to get younger designers to be interested in. Understandably it feels so far away from young designers’ consciousness, unless they have had direct experiences. What’s interesting about THE EMBASSIES’ founders, is not that they are old, but they are closer to the age group of concern - as am I - so we are better able to see the reality of what lies ahead over the other side of the hill. And we are definitely not accepting of what exists. It is a terrifying thought. And the very best design tends to be born from need.

In the studio we talk about how design makes values visible. In this case we are looking at building a whole ‘world’, from the ground floor connection to the neighbourhood so the building is not inward-looking – this is a design decision - to how to translate this into spaces that have integrity and an extrovert quality that draws the outside in. The Ambassadors’ Club is a place that can bring generations together around activities, culture and life – Intelligent Life as we define it. Finally through to the residences themselves, where design is about embedding and integrating the elements that we need when we age to live easily in a place that is beautiful and that feels joyful. They also must address the fundamental needs we have as we age, to help make us feel emotionally grounded and physically safe. We call this Intelligent Living - all our needs have been addressed and considered. Design can create these warm and thoughtful environments that allow us to feel at home. Places designed for us as we age often treat us as if we are no longer human, no longer valuable to society, as if we are a heavy load. At no point do they address our souls.

The interesting thing is that we’re not talking about care homes, THE EMBASSIES is concerned with the stages before this, which are multiple. Being older encapsulates a huge age range, between 65 and 95 and maybe older still. You’ve got very different levels of lifestyle, physical and mental health and fitness, which are by no means age specific. You’ve also got people who are still culturally, intellectually and socially engaged, with time on their hands, regardless of their physical health.

Design can help by creating environments where people are interdependent, forming communities where they look out for each other. Design can foster a physical experience, cooperation and atmosphere where people can feel connected, vital, valued and part of something. These groups can be a positive force in society. It works for other species. In nature during times of drought or famine, the groups that have older females around have a much higher chance of survival.

We are trying to create a very different narrative around ageing with THE EMBASSIES. A lot of people end up in residential homes not necessarily because they are not able to live on their own, but because they don’t want to live on their own. They want company. It’s complex, but if you can allow people within this age range to feel connected and independent but also interdependent for as long as possible, then hopefully it might even delay what might never need to happen, or at least keep it for as short a length of time as possible. There is nothing as unhealthy as loneliness.

It’s going to vary from individual to individual, but the fundamentals are social engagement, comfort, security, connection, culture, learning and relevance within society. Today in the West particularly, we tend to look at things through a measurable lens, such as wealth or health. Our goal is to focus on what we call “the unmeasurables” and make sure they are prioritised in the experience: joy, care, comfort, dignity, beauty, respect. These are not words or values you would readily associate with what exists in most spaces that currently cater for older people.

We are trying to build a world that encapsulates the parts of life that work really well – something that is an extension of the lives we have lived but with more support and possibilities. We must figure out what are the essential values and qualities of these models that create a certain energy. For example there are the places we love that are atmospheric multi-generational friendly and easy going. These should be our models.

The way that this could come together as a rich web of humanity, with a feeling of both life and joy and possibility on the one hand, but also safety, and a thoughtfulness and deep intelligence in how it’s put together. For all that we talk about Intelligent Life and Intelligent Living, it’s important to say that these not dry or exclusive ingredients, but more embedded qualities so that we can live lightly. It’s vital that people who live in THE EMBASSIES and use The Ambassador’s Club or the street level offers on a daily basis can simply enjoy the experience. Nothing should be heavy handed or patronising (which unfortunately tends to go with the territory of ageing). You don’t suddenly become an infant - people at all stages of life are deserving of respect and dignity. THE EMBASSIES should be liberating and supportive, but also caring and kind. We are trying to build a place that supports us as grown-ups and allows us to be our very best for as long as possible.