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A retirement home redefined for Flat Agers

Bayit Balev, designed by Amit Studio, Tel Aviv

Israel – Tel Aviv-based Amit Studio has designed a chain of private, upscale retirement complexes that upend traditional notions of elderly living.

The Bayit Balev development is a five-storey residence created with colourful details and a focus on socialising and leisure activities. Amit Studio was tasked with bringing its public areas to life – including the lobby, dining room, swimming pool, gym and a synagogue – using cobalt blue tones in the gym and vibrant purple carpet and seating in the on-site cinema. It also features textures like velvet to create spaces that feel modern and homely.

‘The challenge was to design a retirement home that does not look elderly, but rather create spaces with a contemporary modern feel, yet at the same time are warm and indulging,’ studio co-founder Gali Amit tells Dezeen.

The design of the space reflects the burgeoning Flat Age mindset of people aged over 65, who are increasingly active, healthy and looking for brands that refuse to typecast people by age bracket. For more on the older influencers defying stereotypes and changing the narrative on ageing, read our dedicated listicle.

Crown Affair brushes up haircare routines

Crown Affair

US – Crown Affair is a platform and retail brand offering a range of products and advice around the ritual of hair brushing.

Born from conversations with real women, which found a lack of understanding of simple ways to take care of their hair, Crown Affair aims to reposition the daily task of female haircare as a therapeutic activity. It has launched products that elevate the routine of brushing, washing and conditioning hair, including a boar and nylon bristle brush, tortoiseshell combs, and a shine-boosting serum that prioritises ‘clean but clinical’ ingredients. To develop the range, Crown Affair worked with craftspeople and chemists.

Founded by Dianna Cohen, Crown Affair brings together her personal interest in haircare with branding experience gained with companies like Outdoor Voices and The Wing. She notes: ‘Brushing my hair is a calming part of my ritual in the way that I might do a five-minute journal or foam roll.'

Amid Conscious Deceleration, an increasing number of brands are tapping into the therapeutic benefits of haircare, while others are creating next-generation tools that improve hair quality and health. For more, read our Rejuvenation Haircare microtrend.

Google reveals climate change impact on heritage sites

Global – Google’s latest tool highlights the negative impact of climate change on five of the world’s most precious cultural sites.

Its Heritage on the Edge platform makes use of 3D mapping and other photographic tools to capture current images of World Heritage Sites, including Rapa Nui, home to the Easter Island heads, and the Scottish city of Edinburgh.

Created for conservation support and to raise awareness among tourists and the general public about the impact of climate change on global destinations, the Heritage on the Edge site features 50 online exhibits, including 3D models, street view tours, and interviews with local people and conservationists. Some even discuss the impact of global warming and in turn tourism on local water sources and poverty levels.

As we uncover in Empowered Travel, amid the rise of globalised travel, new brands and initiatives are shifting their priorities towards the empowerment and rights of indigenous residents.

Heritage on the Edge by Google

Stat: Loneliness in becoming a workplace matter

According to Cigna’s 2020 Loneliness Index, the number of US citizens experiencing feelings of loneliness is on the rise.

Three in five adults (61%) report feeling lonely, which marks a seven percentage-point increase on 2018 and reflects a growing mental health crisis in the country. Key findings in the study show that younger people (aged 18–22) are often lonelier than older people, and that men are slightly lonelier than women.

The Index also explored loneliness at work, with lonely workers saying they are less engaged and less productive, with 12% of lonely workers believing their work is lower quality than it should be. According to Cigna, people who feel lonely at work are twice as likely to miss a day of work due to illness and five times more likely to miss work due to stress.

As examined in our Men at Work microtrend, businesses have an opportunity to create level and open platforms for male employees to have conversations about mental wellbeing, with some introducing initiatives that encourage camaraderie between male workers.