ABRI Attends Forum on Aging Population and Aging Housing Challenges

To address housing transition challenges amid an ultra-aging society, the Taiwan 福生 Environment Alliance, Taiwan Healthy Building Association, and Taiwan Bathroom Culture Association jointly hosted a forum on November 24, 2025. Wang Rong-jin, Director of the Architecture and Building Research Institute (ABRI), was invited to deliver opening remarks. The forum, themed on aging residents and aging housing stock, featured presentations by Japanese and Taiwanese experts, including Hideki Okamura, Yoshiko Shimomoto, and architect Hua-Shan Hsu. Topics addressed aging in place, long-term healthcare needs, extending the service life of aging housing, bathroom renovations, age-friendly architectural design, and the integration of AI technology in care spaces. Japanese speakers also shared practical experiences and policies on age-friendly housing. ABRI indicated that insights from this cross-disciplinary exchange will serve as references for planning future research topics on age-friendly buildings and housing.

Key takeaways

• The forum was jointly organized by Taiwanese building and plumbing associations on November 24, 2025, with ABRI's Director delivering remarks.
• Discussions addressed aging in place, long-term care needs, extending housing service life, bathroom retrofits, and age-friendly design.
• Taiwanese and Japanese experts shared practical experience and explored AI integration in care spaces and living design trends.
• ABRI noted that insights and literature gathered from the forum will inform future research planning on age-friendly architecture.