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Spatial Solutions to Nuclear Family Dissolution: How Indian Senior Living Communities Architecturally Address the 'Empty Nest' Crisis in Urbanized Contexts
Abstract
India’s rapid urbanization has fractured the traditional joint family system, leaving many elderly citizens vulnerable to social isolation as adult children migrate for work. This research identifies a distinctly Indian architectural response: spatial design that creates family-like community structures to address nuclear family dissolution. Through qualitative case study analysis of three Bengaluru senior living communities, the study shows how spatial centrality, gated boundaries, and accessible material design operate as social technologies that replace abandoned family functions and reduce isolation. The findings advance non-Western gerontological design theory for rapidly urbanizing Asian contexts.
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