RDG in the Media: Three Landscape Design Strategies For Senior Living

As senior living communities evolve to meet the needs of today’s aging population, the role of outdoor environments in residents’ well-being has become increasingly clear. Far beyond aesthetics, thoughtful landscape architecture can improve mental clarity, foster social engagement and nurture autonomy —benefits especially valuable to older adults. 

RDG Landscape Architect and Partner Anne Machian, PLA, ASLA, explores this concept in her recent article in Environments for Aging Magazine. In the piece, she emphasizes the importance of biophilic design, explaining how natural elements and accessible outdoor views can restore the human-nature connection and contribute meaningfully to quality of life. Central to this approach, Machian asserts, is the idea that outdoor environments should empower residents through freedom of choice and connection, with elements such as walkable paths, varied gathering areas and flexible furnishings offering independence and social opportunities. 

Designing with a range of natural stimuli creates restorative outdoor settings that are both beautiful and therapeutic, allowing these spaces to become places of reflection and renewal and contribute to the cognitive and emotional wellness of residents and caregivers alike. For communities seeking to enrich lives through design, Machian explains, meaningful outdoor spaces are a valuable way to foster connection, healing and joy. 

Click here to read the full article by Machian featured in Environments for Aging Magazine.