Bradford Perkins, founder of Perkins Eastman, wrote “10 top design trends in senior living facilities” for Building Design and Construction last week and discusses design trends that affect the senior housing market not only here in the United States but internationally. While the US population’s aging is discussed frequently, many of the concepts for retirement living are transferable to other parts of the world and can be effectuated in a cheaper fashion using American construction and building techniques as well as providing an overall lower cost of service. The article identifies 10 trends for not only 2009 but for the next few years for the design of retirement housing but focuses on some of the softer features of design and avoids discussions of the economics and financing of today. While the discussed concepts are sound, the financial viability in the current economic for many of the concepts is open for debate regardless of sustainability of the design and construction. The article is well written and is definitely worth the time to read.