Atul Gwande introduced us to Dr. Thomas in his extraordinary bestseller Being Mortal.

Dr. Thomas has done many wonderful things for all of us aging in America. 

He believes:

The opportunity to live in the place and manner of one’s own choosing should not be restricted by age or ability.

He has recently begun promoting his goal of helping people become independent— together. " Independence Rising is a movement that breathes life into what will likely become a booming new sector in the aging services economy and I am trying my best to play a helpful role in this revolution. 

"The truth is that living in the place and manner of your choice depends on the health of your community. And community health, in turn, is based on the level of interconnection and interdependence between community members. The more segregated your community is of age and ability, the weaker it is. The more diverse and integrated, the stronger it is. Aging and Independence only flourish in healthy, interconnected communities."

The suggestion that Dr. Thomas is promoting is what he calls the innovation "triple alloy": Architecture, Technology, and Culture. To this end, he has also begun working on age-friendly Dwellings which consider health and wellness, tools and a broad range of community development services.

 My Minka   combine robotics and scalable cloud-based digital systems to print dwellings better, cheaper, faster and greener than traditional construction methods. They have learned how to fold plywood into the sturdy beams and columns that are the backbone of a Minka Dwelling’s modular, post-and-beam and infill panel system.

Minka Dwellings are designed as upgradeable digital natives. Minka “MESH-Certified” tools help people Move, Eat, Sleep and Heal. 

 

These houses will be what is best about a small, smart houses and there will be nothing old about them. Lucky Us!