Retirement home stereotypes dictate that aging people be confined to an isolating complex that sacrifices all the warmth and comforts of home for more sterile surroundings. Contrary to commonly held assumptions, senior living isn’t all mahjong and golf carts, especially when residents are still spry and want to engage in the same kinds of activities they enjoyed prior to retiring. But, even elders with disabilities can live in thoughtfully-designed spaces tailored to their needs.
Rather than giving up their privacy to live in large-scale communal spaces, where it can be difficult to establish a homey environment, retirees could nestle into more comfortable housing that provides many of the same resources on a smaller scale. Such developments could range from multi-resident houses that share common staff like cooks and cleaners to nursing homes where a higher level of care is provided in a way that feels familial and personalized.
Jikka, a new group of structures located in the mountains of Shizuoka, Japan, provides a charming example of the former. Designed by Tokyo-based architect Issei Suma, the teepee-like grouping of wooden structures seems straight out of a fairy tale on the outside, with clean, modern minimalist interiors designed specifically to be easy on aging bodies. With their pointed roofs and all-timber exterior cladding, they almost look like toys carved from wood.

The home was created for two women in their 60s, a social worker and a cook, who sought ...