Description
Conceived especially for older people who wish to move out of their private family house into an easier-to-care-for, barrier-free apartment, this privately financed project is a response to the growing demand for living accommodation that caters for the needs of the elderly. The project was also supported by the State Norwegian Building Society who provided low-cost public housing loans to help individuals purchase an apartment. For the architects this meant that the design and detail planning of the building needed to adhere to guidelines set down by the credit institute, in particular with regard to accessibility and building cost.
The plot lies on the edge of the town of Ålesund and looks out over open countryside to the west and south, providing an attractive view of the fjord and surrounding mountains from the sheltered terrace of the site. A band of vegetation to the east and north shields the apartments from a busy road and a shopping centre.
The apartments are arranged in three four-storey buildings, with communal facilities and access areas, including stairs and lifts, located between them. The two, three and four-room apartments ranging from 65 to 150 m² are accessed via broad 1.80 m-wide galleries that also serve as a screen against road noise. A storage cupboard outside each apartment creates a semi-private area in front of the entrance and kitchen. Each apartment, regardless of its size, has a spacious covered balcony which can be accessed step-free from two different rooms. Higher than normal ceiling heights compensate for the increased shading of the interior.
To meet cost constraints, a rational and straightforward construction system was employed with load-bearing concrete walls between each apartment. Arranged at intervals of 7.50 m, they provide optimal support without excessive wall thicknesses and match the arrangement of parking spaces in the underground garage. The timber construction of the external walls is clad with fir panels that have been stained black.
Drawings
Photos
Exterior view from the west of the three building volumes
Gallery walkways on the east side provide access to the apartments
Originally published in: Eckhard Feddersen, Insa Lüdtke, Living for the Elderly: A Design Manual, Birkhäuser, 2011.