Lost in Space

Dementia presents immense challenges – both for individuals as well as for society as a whole. More than 35 million people all over the world currently live with dementia, a number that is expected to double by 2050. This also has implications for architecture and urban planning because dementia often affects people’s sense of orientation and their ability to perceive space. How can homes, apartments, public buildings, outdoor spaces, neighbourhoods and cities, as well as environments and infrastructure, be designed to meet the needs of people with dementia as well as those of their caregivers? And can a consideration of the problems of dementia lead to a better understanding of space that can improve architecture and the built environment for us all?

This book addresses these and other questions in a series of professional essays that examine the specific requirements for different disciplines. In addition, international case study projects illustrate the breadth of current actual solutions. The book is intended as a guide for all those involved in the design and planning process – architects, interior designers, engineers, town planners, local authorities and clients – and as a reader for the users themselves: for people with dementia, their family and friends, and all those in their social environment.

Eckhard Feddersen is an architect specializing in building for children and the elderly.

Insa Lüdtke is an architect and journalist.