Designing for Flexibility in Senior Community Amenities

Preferences in activities among the incoming generation of senior living residents are undergoing a subtle but significant shift. While traditional activities like bingo and exercise classes remain fixtures in many communities, recent data reveals an emerging pattern that challenges conventional assumptions about how seniors want to spend their time, and by extension, how we should design spaces and experiences to accommodate these evolving preferences.

Gensler partnered with Go Icon, a community experience platform company that compiles activity data from thousands of senior living communities, to identify new insights. Analysis of activity data has uncovered an intriguing trend: mainstream activities are either flat or declining in engagement across communities. Meanwhile, more unique activities are seeing remarkable growth, suggesting a shift in how senior living communities should approach resident engagement.

From Mainstream to Niche

The recent data that looks at year-over-year trends tells a compelling story. Traditional mainstays of senior living programming are either flat, or in decline (of the top 20 activities, 12 reflected a negative trend.) Walking clubs have seen a more than 10% decrease in prevalence, while participation in bible study and bowling has dropped by 7% and 15% respectively. These findings reinforce one of the trends for senior living that Gensler identified in its research — that seniors are moving from a legacy mindset to a growth mindset and are actively seeking new experiences.

As traditional activities decline, other emerging activities are gaining significant traction. One of the most surprising examples is axe throwing, which saw an 80% increase in adoption, with about 10% of communities offering it at least once during 2024. This speaks to a broader willingness to embrace unconventional activities that might have seemed unthinkable in senior living just a few years ago.

Other specialized activities showing notable growth include cardio drumming and pet therapy, both of which experienced 20% increases in prevalence across unique senior living operators. Even newer activities like pickleball and ladder ball, while still limited in scope, have shown promising growth rates of 26% and 50%, respectively.

Will axe throwing become commonplace in senior living? Maybe not, but the insight is clear: the activities that older adults will engage with are more diverse than ever, and they are consistently looking for options that allow them to pursue their unique preferences and connect with others who are like them, something we refer to as “ageless belonging.”

Functional to Meaningful

The traditional model of senior housing design pairs function to space — a craft room for arts & crafts, a cinema for movies, a library for reading and card games, and so on. As the diversity of possible activities expands beyond what specific functional spaces can accommodate, the design opportunity lies in creating spaces that can transform based on community interests. This could include:

• Incorporating movable walls and flexible partitions that allow spaces to be easily reconfigured, combined, or separated.
• Furniture that can be easily moved and/or removed.
• Designing robust storage solutions that can accommodate equipment for various activities.
• Implementing versatile lighting and digital experience elements that can significantly change experience of a space.
• Creating a mix of spaces that can host both large group activities and more intimate gatherings.

Designing for flexibility becomes focused on meaning and experience, rather than function. A meaningful space is designed by leading with considerations like:

• Encouraging connections between people.
• Allowing for discovery and spontaneity.
• The experience — before, during, and after visiting a space.

The key is to move away from fixed, single-use spaces toward environments that can evolve alongside residents’ interests. A space might host cardio drumming in the morning, requiring an open plan and more ventilation, then be split into two rooms to host crafting on one side and bingo on the other, requiring acoustic separation and a revised furniture configuration.

From Recipient to Participant

The trend toward niche activities in senior living communities reveals a deeper truth about the future of senior living: residents want to express their unique identity and find connection and meaning with others through activity.

For designers and operators, this means rethinking our approach to senior living spaces. Rather than the space dictating what activities residents will pursue, environments must adapt to whatever interests emerge. Gensler’s own research shows that the next generation of residents think of themselves as participants in their future, rather than recipients of services and care.

As our society ages, we will all have some future role to play in senior communities — as residents, as caregivers, as visitors, or possibly as all three. How do we want to engage, and what experiences are we looking to have?

A flexible stance not only supports what’s needed now, but also future proofs communities against what we haven’t yet imagined. While we likely can’t predict everything about the future, we can use design to ensure that senior living communities remain vibrant, engaging places that can continuously evolve to meet changing interests and needs.