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Unassisted Living [Hardcover]

Jeffrey P. Rosenfeld , Wid Chapman
3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

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Book Description

November 15, 2011
Unassisted Living documents the shift away from the senior housing that promoted disengagement toward architecture and design that promote active aging. The book is organized in six sections, corresponding to the concerns and special interests of Boomers—those who intend to remain in an urban setting, those concerned with sustainability, those with complex families and non-traditional households, and those who seek a community based on spirituality or shared interests.

Boomers are perhaps the largest generational cohort the United States has ever seen. Numbering some 78 million people born between 1946 and 1964, Boomers are not accepting traditional retirement or “senior housing” and are instead determined to remain active and engaged professionally and socially.

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Unassisted Living + In-laws, Outlaws, and Granny Flats: Your Guide to Turning One House into Two Homes
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Wid Chapman, an architect, and Jeffrey P. Rosenfeld, a gerontologist who specializes in the relationship between aging and the built environment, collected 33 examples of residences that have been recently designed to bridge the distance between one’s vital and declining years . . . some with features you might not expect in such homes, like stairs. Their book . . . includes projects like a remote mountain house and a multigenerational community." —The New York Times

"As 77 million boomers begin to retire over the next two decades, they’re launching new careers, taking care of boomerang children, and planning for their next stage in life: senior housing. As gerontologist Jeffery P. Rosenfeld and architect Wid Chapman found in their new book Unassisted Living: Ageless Homes for Later Life, that means anything but nursing homes. Instead, they’re finding ways to extend their independent-living years by remaining active, retrofitting homes with universal design elements like grab bars, waist-high kitchen shelving, and spacious, wheel-chair friendly rooms." —The Fiscal Times

About the Author

Wid Chapman is the principal of Wid Chapman Architects, a firm specializing in hospitality, retail, and residential design. He is a senior faculty member at Parsons School of Design at the New School.

Jeff Rosenfeld is an environmental gerontologist and professor of gerontology at Hofstra University. With Wid Chapman, he is the author of Home Design in an Aging World and a frequent contributor to LiveWire and InformeDesign. 

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 240 pages
  • Publisher: The Monacelli Press (November 15, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1580933025
  • ISBN-13: 978-1580933025
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 1 x 10 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #830,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

This is a magnificent book, very well researched. joy  |  2 reviewers made a similar statement
So it is definitely worth a look, just don't forget to also read! POH  |  1 reviewer made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't be suckered December 15, 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Like some of the others reviewing this book, my wife and I were drawn in by the description and title, which seemed to promise an exploration of plans for ... well ... Unassisted Living -- the motto of neo-retirees and those approaching retirement who want to retire in place. Regrettably, this is more of a self-congratulatory picture book of residential palaces for multimillionaires. Nice pictures, but in terms of substance for the rest of us 99%-ers, sadly, this book is a waste of money.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book meant for very rich homeowners December 7, 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
It is undisputable that this is a beautiful book with beautiful houses, but unless you are a millionaire you will never have any of these homes. I was looking for a book that could help a middle class couple preparing for retirement take a modest home and create a great space. I don't have the money to do what it takes to make the houses represented in the book. So only buy it if you can afford a millionaire's house or you love to look at beautiful, unusual spaces that you cannot afford.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible book December 10, 2011
By Ginny
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Unfortunately this book, whose title held such bright promise is truly terrible. Expensive, lots of glossy life style photos and incredibly tiny captions and plans. Great expanses of white page with sketches and caption text so tiny that even those with the best eyesight have to use a magnifying glass.

Virtually all houses are very modern and very high end. Rather than showing details that would help an older person of moderate means devise a house that is truly unassisted, these houses have many stairs and multi levels, vast expanses of glass, very high ceilings and other features that simply don't work for someone wanting a very energy efficient, low maintenance, simple residence for an older person (in good health or needing assistance) anywhere but out west -- only one or two houses/barns are in the northern or eastern states. THis book is hugely disappointing and would get NO stars but the system doesn't allow that.

Further most of the houses are cement block ugly -- with angles and windows it is true, but UGLY.

Island Girl
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Stairs Without Railings
Unassisted Living? All I see are stairs without railings, huge lawns to mow, and concete floors to break a hip upon. Read more
Published 1 month ago by High Adventure
1.0 out of 5 stars Showy
I am the target demographic for a book by architect Wid Chapman and gerontologist Jeffrey P. Rosenfeld titled, Unassisted Living: Ageless Homes for Later Life. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Stephen T. Hopkins
3.0 out of 5 stars Unassisted Living
Nicely illustrated coffee table book. Not what I was expecting. I had hoped for more information and photographs regarding assistive devices and products added into the new home... Read more
Published 10 months ago by SusieMcg
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Investment!
My wife and I may well be the target market for this book. Avg age 63, we will be remodeling our home in then next few years to better accommodate the grandkids, offer guests more... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Jonathan
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific!
This is a great book for anyone interested in the relationship between aging (especially boomers) and housing design. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Richard A. Perras
4.0 out of 5 stars Joy Meyerowitz
This is a magnificent book, very well researched.Layout is very well thought out.It is for the "now generation",the baby boomers that are active, well,(hopefully have money) and... Read more
Published 16 months ago by joy
5.0 out of 5 stars There's No Place Like [Your Own] Home...Aging in Place
"UnAssisted Living" is both a visual feast and brain food for those exploring
alternatives to the conventional housing choices offered an aging population. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Laurel Kennedy
3.0 out of 5 stars ideas:good! Houses: dream on!
Often with books showing architectural design, the pictures are what tell the story. In UNASSISTED LIVING the pictures are often intriguing, fun to look at, show manifestation of... Read more
Published 17 months ago by POH
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Homes For Aging In Place
"UnAssisted Living" documents a nice mix of mostly contemporary single family homes and multi-residence properties that were built and furnished specifically for aging boomers. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Markus H.
5.0 out of 5 stars Unassisted Living Indeed
As a member of the "baby boomer" crowd I found the subject matter of Unassisted Living to be timely and informative. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Maggie
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