Intergenerational co-housing in a long-term perspective - from intentions to implementations

Intergenerational housing projects are now the focus of research, politics and the public, however in most cases it still remains unclear,

• what is really being lived and experienced - beyond a generational program;
• how the projects change in the longer term with regard to their content-related objectives, their organizational structures, their residents, their built spaces and their coexistence;
• what impact the projects have in their local communities or in their surroundings and what can be learned from this for further projects?

The applied and qualitative research project examines the innovative original ideas of intergenerational housing projects with regard to the concrete experiences and developments after several years of existence and from different perspectives (initiators, operators and sponsors, residents, janitors, moderators, architects and other project participants). The findings are recorded in three publications and in a 40-minute documentary film.

Documentary

GENERATIONENWOHNEN – Einblicke ins (Un)Gewohnte 
The documentary “GENERATIONENWOHNEN – Einblicke ins (Un)Gewohnte” sheds light on everyday life in six intergenerational housing projects in Switzerland. Through the stories of residents from different phases of their lives, key research findings are conveyed in a vivid and realistic way. In addition to the research reports, the film offers an atmospheric audiovisual approach to the topic of intergenerational living.

Knowledge transfer
Two support groups - technical experts and experts with experience - accompanied the research process. In several workshops and two project excursions, research results were presented and reflected back in stages.

The ETH Wohnforum 2023 conference with over 300 guests presented the topic of intergenerational living to decision-makers in the real estate industry, architecture, construction and authorities from the federal government, cantons and municipalities. Participation in discussion panels, scientific conferences, festivals and the Swiss Housing Days, as well as several newspaper articles, ensured a broad-based transfer of knowledge.

Project funding
The project was developed in collaboration with and pool funding from the Age-Foundation, the Beisheim Foundation, the Federal Housing Office (BWO), the Max Pfister Baubüro and the Walder Foundation. The research was conducted by ETH Wohnforum - ETH CASE in cooperation with Dr. Heidi Kaspar, Competence Center for Participatory Health Care at Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Otto (AGE RESEARCH).