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I
n as few as ten years, our planet
will be home to more than one
billion people 60 years and
older. Over the next 40 years,
this older generation will come
to constitute 30 percent of the
total population. As we age, how will
the infrastructure and equipment we
depend on match with our needs?
Studies conclude that what we desire
as a maturing population is to live in
our homes as long as possible. We are
happier and healthier at home, and the
cost to society is lower. So when we put
down the tennis racket and pick up the
walker, the buildings we live in should
allow for that.
Challenges of the silver
generation
Although one might think to build
more is a solution, it is not so simple.
In the UK alone, the total number of
workers in the construction industry
over 60 years old has increased more
than any other age group, with the
biggest reduction in workers under 30.
Build more is easier said than done:
knowledge and skills are lost with fewer
professionals in line to replace retiring
builders. While this scenario is not uni-
versal, it emphasizes the importance of
modernization.
“Thanks to urbanization, 600,000
new pieces of equipment are installed
annually,” says
Ilpo Marjamaa
, KONE’s
Senior Vice President for Modernization.
But new construction statistics, he says,
can serve to mask a large opportunity.
“It’s difficult to prove scientifically,
but it’s our belief we are not addressing
the issue of aging vertical transporta-
tion equipment fast enough,” says
Marjamaa, who cites post-World War II
data that indicates more new buildings
are being built year on year.
“But because we’re building new
units exponentially faster, if only slightly,
the amount of equipment aging is
Modern machines,
heritage buildings
A modern machine in a heri-
tage building meets today’s
building codes, yet preserves
the aesthetic of the original
structure.
“In Helsinki, Finland, there
are 880 hallways which are pro-
tected by the heritage board,”
says KONE’s
Ilpo Marjamaa
.
“When we modernize or add
elevators, the visual appearance
must remain the same.”
TEXT
Scott Diel
Photos
KONE
AND
Sami kulju
As our population matures, the buildings we depend
on also grow older. KONE’s challenge: to help buildings
keep pace with our changing lifestyles.
Second life
for buildings
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