Description
Listed as one of the most interesting social buildings in the world by the United Nations in 2000, the project draws inspiration from the anthroposophical belief that every human being is a unique and constantly developing individual. Of the 32 dwellings, which house up to 36 residents, half were originally intended as serviced flats, the other half as two residential housing units with adjacent communal facilities.
The establishment enjoys an expansive view over the valley of the Nybro River and is arranged on one level around two enclosed courtyards. The flats are like little terraced houses most of which face out onto the countryside. On the inside they are connected by an inner walkway. The dwellings are arranged in three residential groups with sixteen 35 m² flats, twelve 40 m² and four 60 m² flats with two rooms and a kitchen. Today all the flats are residential housing. There are two communal areas with an open fireplace and a farmhouse kitchen as well as an additional lounge. The public areas are arranged around a small courtyard and include a restaurant-café and a pool which are also open to non-residents. There is a room for talks and other cultural programmes. Generously dimensioned outdoor areas allow easy access for wheelchair-bound persons.
The ecological building concept includes the use of natural materials, paints with natural pigments, energy-saving measures, environmentally-friendly drainage, sewage and water purification plus underfloor heating which extracts heat from ground water via a heat exchanger.
The residents can furnish their flats with their own belongings. A special unit is designed for people with dementia. Here, the lounge serves as an actual living-room because the residents spend most of their waking hours inside the house. The inhabitants are able to live according to their own daily rhythm and do not need to adhere to a common timetable – for example, there is no set time for getting up in the morning. Music, movement and creative activities are as much part of everyday life as warm baths and massages. All meals are made from fresh ingredients using organic and nutritional produce that is free of additives wherever possible. Food is particularly important as its aromas evoke experiences and memories. All residents have their individual contact person among the staff.
Drawings
Photos
Exterior view of resident’s terrace, who are free to live their lives according to their own rhythm
Large doorway openings and wide bays in the corridors create a sense of space and openness
Originally published in: Eckhard Feddersen, Insa Lüdtke, Living for the Elderly: A Design Manual, Birkhäuser, 2011.