The 2010 Housing Design Awards will feature a new category to celebrate excellence in the design of housing for an ageing population. The awards are sponsored by a range of partners including Communities and Local Government, the Homes and Communities Agency, the Royal Institute of British Architects and, this year, the Department of Health.

The addition comes following the publication of the Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation (HAPPI) report published last month, which recommends that the design and build of housing for older people become an immediate national priority. The HAPPI report gathered examples from Europe, where apartment homes are a conventional part of urban culture, older people experience the benefits of greater security and less maintenance, and enjoy the conviviality of shared space. It also calls for placing homes for older people at the heart of existing places and communities.

For further information on the awards, visit the Housing Design Awards website
www.hdawards.org