The Application of Social Innovation in Designing an Aged Care Centre in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur Centre for Sustainable Innovation, Malaysia

Abstract: Social innovation is the commercial application of ideas and technology towards improving societies. Of key importance, social innovation works best when the community concerned is empowered to help co-create the innovation. In this paper, social innovation is considered in a Southeast Asian context and how a bottom up approach improves the sustainable design of public buildings such as schools and community centres. A living lab case study is used to demonstrate how identifying and analyzing community needs by consulting the latter is fundamental to the design of a community care centre for the aged. The centre incorporates assistive technologies, access design and care features as well as sustainable design such as urban gardening, rainwater harvesting, waste recycling and energy efficiency. The building is also designed for intergenerational use as it is intended to have other users of different ages so that the elderly will be encouraged to interact with them thereby promoting the benefits of active ageing.