(Cazenovia, NY – April 2015) Local resident James Pirkl, professor emeritus and past chairman of Syracuse University’s department of design, will present a two-part transgenerational housing series at the Cazenovia Public Library in April—“The Housing Challenge: Maintaining Independence” on April 16 and “The Transgenerational House: Answering the Challenge” on April 30.
Join Pirkl in the Library Community Room on Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m. as he discusses the challenge of maintaining and extending each person’s independence.
Since each generation differs widely from its processor, the present generation becomes better educated, more culturally literate, and enjoys a longer life with better health and an active life style.
But because the aging process starts at birth and ends with death, an extremely diverse group of individuals exists, all with wide differences that defy characterization as no two are alike. While each follows a similar path, all arrive at a particular point, at different ages, with different bodily changes.
As physical and sensory capabilities decline, individuals seek an accommodating environment that will help them maintain an active lifestyle in a home that “accommodates” rather than “discriminates” and “sympathizes” rather than “stigmatizes.”
Transgenerational housing answers the challenge of maintaining and extending each person’s independence by removing barriers, providing wider options, and enhancing the quality of life regardless of a person’s age or ability.
Pirkl is an internationally respected design educator, writer, and lecturer and is described as a “key figure in universal design” by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum. As a former Senior Research Fellow at Syracuse University’s All-University Gerontology Center, he co-authored the groundbreaking resource manual Guidelines and Strategies for Designing Transgenerational Products, authored the influential book Transgenerational Design: Products for an Aging Population, and as an authoritative design consultant for the 50+ market, he has had numerous articles published in influential magazines.
Watch for details on Pirkl’s April 30 presentation—The Transgenerational House: Answering the Challenge.
All events at the Cazenovia Public Library are free and open to the public. For more information on the “Housing Challenge: Maintaining Independence” or other events at the Cazenovia Public Library, call 655-9322 or visit www.cazenoviapubliclibrary.org.
Mother Goose Tea
Nursery rhymes take center stage in the Cazenovia Public Library Community Room with “Mother Goose Tea: Food and Fun for the Whole Family” on Saturday April 18 from 11:00 A.M. to noon.
Preschoolers and their families are invited to join in the fun while celebrating Mother Goose. Crafts, activities, books, and delicious foods—all inspired by nursery rhymes—will be part of the fun.
This program, co-sponsored by the Cazenovia Public Library and the Cazenovia Children’s House, is free and open to the public.