Author Information
Wen-Yuan Yang, National Taipei University of Technology, TaiwanTung-Ming Lee, National Taipei University of Technology, Taiwan
Tzu-No Tseng, National Taipei University of Technology, Taiwan
Abstract
As Asian cities confront rapid population aging and an increasing number of older adults living alone, the home environment has become a critical site for supporting autonomy, emotional stability, and social connection. This study focuses on the dining area—an everyday setting where routines, relationships, and psychological rhythms converge—to examine whether a set of evidence-based age-friendly design principles (emotional comfort, safety-assured independence, community connectivity, and ability-adaptive design) can be effectively operationalized through human–AI collaboration. This study recruited 18 professional interior designers to generate AI-assisted spatial concepts embodying these four principles. Utilizing generative AI tools, participants produced a total of 432 images. Subsequently, three experts in gerontology and design evaluated the outputs using a structured rubric aligned with the principles to assess the feasibility and appropriateness of the proposed solutions. Follow-up semi-structured interviews explored how designers interpreted the diverse needs of older adults, negotiated design constraints, and navigated the relationship between professional judgment and AI-generated suggestions. Emotional comfort received the highest mean rating (M = 5.91), while ability-adaptive design received the lowest (M = 4.31). Findings reveal both the potential and limitations of generative AI in translating age-friendly principles into actionable spatial strategies. While AI accelerates visualization and supports broader concept exploration, it also exposes cultural and contextual gaps—particularly regarding safety, daily routines, and social norms in Asian households. This study provides preliminary empirical grounding for human–AI collaborative design in domestic dining environments, and outlines considerations for future aging-in-place research.
Paper Information
Conference: AGen2026Stream: Built Environment
This paper is part of the AGen2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Yang W., Lee T., & Tseng T. (2026) Reimagining the Dining Area for Solitary Agers: Integrating Generative AI With Four Evidence-Based Design Principles ISSN: 2432-4183 The Asian Conference on Aging & Gerontology 2026: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 155-167) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2432-4183.2026.12
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2432-4183.2026.12
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