A multi-scalar architectural design support prototype for gated communities in China: Home and community-based services for older women in households

Chen, Yijun 2025. A multi-scalar architectural design support prototype for gated communities in China: Home and community-based services for older women in households. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This doctoral thesis investigates how the well-being of older women living in gated communities in urban China can be enhanced through an integrated, gender-sensitive, and evidence-informed design methodology. Against the backdrop of rapid population ageing, socio-spatial inequalities, and the erosion of traditional family-based care models due to the legacy of the one-child policy, this research addresses a critical gap: the housework division and gendered burden experienced by older women ageing in place. Anchored in the evolving Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) policy framework, this doctoral thesis proposes the Design Support Toolkit Prototype (DSTP) as a practical and evidence-informed response to inequality in ageing environments, with a particular focus on older women living in gated communities in urban China. The central argument asserts that enhancing well-being in gated communities requires a design approach grounded in three stages: explicit theoretical foundations, tacit empirical insights, and iterative design reflection. These are organised into a coherent methodological trajectory. In Stage I, Chapters 2 and 3 Figure 1: Graphic abstract of this doctoral thesis. Demographic drivers— rapid urban population ageing, the breakdown of traditional family care, and one-child-policy legacies—mixed-methods approach. 4 synthesise key well-being domains through scoping reviews of indoor and outdoor environments, identifying critical factors such as thermal comfort, safety, accessibility, and sensory engagement. These insights inform the evaluation indicators that underpin later stages of the research. In Stage II, the thesis transitions to empirical inquiry in Chapters 5 through 7. Through contextual site analysis, national survey data (ANOVA), architectural interviews, and qualitative case studies with older adults, the research captures lived experiences and professional perspectives. These findings surface a range of gendered disparities and design blind spots—particularly in kitchens, bathrooms, and community spaces—highlighting the necessity for inclusive, age-appropriate design knowledge. In Stage III, Chapter 8 integrates this layered knowledge into the DSTP, using drawing, modelling, quantitative and qualitative outcomes to generate adaptable design recommendations across domestic and urban scales. The DSTP is not a static product but a dynamic design support system with the potential to inform policy, guide architectural practice, and support participatory co-design with users and service providers. Ultimately, the thesis contends that improving well-being for older adults in gated communities—particularly women—requires more than policy reform or isolated architectural interventions. The thesis went through a deeply contextual, interdisciplinary approach in which design acts as both methods and outcome. The DSTP exemplifies this integration, offering a replicable model for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working to create equitable, age-inclusive environments in high-density urban contexts.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Architecture
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	28 January 2026
Last Modified:	29 Jan 2026 16:39
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/184243

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