Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 32

DREW ROSKOS
AIA, LEED AP, associate, housing studio leadership,
HED Architects (Chicago)

ne reason Drew Roskos says he became an architect
was to have a positive effect on the built environment
and people's lives. After 15 years of working in senior and
multifamily housing, he's well on his way to leaving a mark.
Using a human-centered approach, Roskos' projects focus on
allowing residents to stay active, engaged, and connected at all
stages of life. His goal is to transform traditionally isolated care
environments into empowering settings where older adults can
remain immersed in society. Building on that vision recently, he
delivered an innovative prototype for a client to expand nationally, incorporating best practices from sectors like healthcare,
hospitality, and other housing typologies into an adaptable kit of parts that enables the
provider to meet increased demand without sacrificing quality or flexibility. Driven by the
desire to further deepen his own understanding of aging to enhance his design process
and contribute to the improvement of senior living, he also frequently engages with colleagues, clients, and industry partners through speaking and writing engagements and,
more recently, began pursuing a Master of Arts degree in gerontology. Described as
thoughtful, considerate, and skillfully detailed in every aspect of his work, Roskos was also
recently promoted to housing studio leader at HED.

Environments for Aging: What does innovation mean to you and how can
this industry embrace it?
There are two primary ways that I think innovation will help drive success in the senior
living industry: The embracement of technology and multidisciplinary perspectives in
design approaches. The industry has been slow to incorporate technology solutions, but
the coronavirus pandemic is forcing us to adapt, and I believe that current strategies such
as contact tracing, electrostatic spraying for cleaning, and mobile app staffing solutions
will continue even after our current pandemic. Additionally, the best technology-focused
solutions are ones that passively help residents and staff and allow for more time on what
matters most: the physical and mental well-being of residents. Considering this, I anticipate wider acceptance of smart building features and wearable technologies. To create
successful communities, we need design solutions that have a multidisciplinary perspective, bringing everyone to the table early in the development process, communicating the
perspectives of the stakeholders, and aligning goals.

Why is pursuing
your masters
in gerontology
important to you?

DESIGN
CHAMPIONS

I hope to more deeply
connect with residents,
staff, and operators. I want to learn and
demonstrate commitment to their purpose. Through that connection, I hope to
enhance my design capabilities and bring
a more holistic and diverse perspective.
As designers, we develop ideas about
design and construction, but we should
also be thinking about where we, as a
society, are headed. The diversity of
people over age 65 is and will continue
to increase, and we need design that is
inclusive of all cultures, preferences, and
experiences.

What's your vision for senior living
in the future?
My vision centers around intergenerational relationships and the belief
that cross-generational buildings and
neighborhoods foster an environment
of engagement. It may seem counterintuitive as we currently shelter in place,
but it's my desire for seniors to be more
active in society. We are social beings,
and the negative effects of isolation and
disengagement have significant impacts
on the health and mental well-being of
older adults. Our buildings and neighborhoods need to be more resilient to
changes in use, so they can evolve to
reflect our changing demographics. I also
believe that care models should become
more diverse as we address affordability
in the coming decades.

Maintaining a well-balanced, active lifestyle is incredibly important for the health and happiness of all
people. In particular, the third and fourth stages of life
should be full of robust and meaningful experiences,
as they sometimes span three or four decades. Being
socially engaged and physically active throughout this
time can reduce depression and isolation while also
enriching the community and the lives of residents. As
architects, our design can support this goal by creating
spaces that offer flexible programming, social participation, and a connection to nature.

EFAmagazine.com * Summer 2020

The Sheridan, Birmingham, Mich.

JAMES STEINKAMP

How do you think design can best help residents stay active, engaged, and connected at
every stage of life?

http://www.EFAmagazine.com

Environments for Aging - Summer 2020

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