Portugal Elderly Home

Project idea

The task of the project is to design a retirement home in central Portugal. I has to accommodate 60 resident and provide them with all they need. That means nurses room, library, a gathering room etc.. The sloping parcel is in the area of small town mainly with family houses nearby. The main goal is provide all residents safe and peaceful places to live with zero barriers.

Project description

three main ideas of the project:

1. PERCEPTION WITH ALL SENSES
In the design, great emphasis is placed on the connection between man and nature and the perception of the building with all the senses. A large number of plants are used, which are placed in the interior, in the atriums and also line the entire building. The building is also partially wrapped in a wooden structure with built-in planters, offering the possibility of terraces and balconies. Water features are also present in the design, cooling the air.

2. SOCIAL LIFE
Seniors staying in retirement homes do not live materialistically anymore - there is no room for that. Most of their possessions remain in their former homes, are sold or divided among relatives. The proposal therefore emphasises social interaction between them and public, something that their former homes did not provide. So that instead of thinking about what they have lost, their new home provides them with things they did not have before.

3. PLANTING IN THE TERRAIN
The building is set into the terrain so that only one storey is visible from the main street and the building does not appear out of proportion to the surrounding buildings. The entire building is visible from the secondary road where it opens out into the valley and creates a straight and screened courtyard area. The ground with which the building is surrounded in parts provides the desired coolness in the hot months. Four atrias are placed in the building to provide light.

Technical information

The lower part of the building gives heavy and dignified look thanks to the natural limestone cladding. Towards the top, the building is lightened by terraces and balconies clad in wooden lamellas, and then the shape of the building is closed by the stone again. A unified whole is thus created with strong vertical elements in the form of wood and the solidity given to the building by the stone. Shading lamellas partly reveal what is in the building behind them. If they are in front of a balcony, it is possible to move them so that everyone can tailor a comfortable environment for themselves. If there is no gathering place or room behind them the lamellas are static.
The building has a concrete structural system that is strong enough to withstand the pressure of the soil The load-bearing walls are supplemented by columns only in parts of the building. There is sufficient thickness of thermal insulation on the concrete walls and a suspended façade with an air gap. Thanks to this and a green roof, the building is better protected against heat. To prevent thermal breaks in the building, the balconies and the roof of the building are connected by isokorbs. These are supported by steel columns which are covered by wooden panelling.
The windows, doors and small elements in the building are made of anthracite-coloured steel, which creates a pleasant contrast with the otherwise light-coloured building envelope. Steel is used for its potential for subtlety and elegance.
The use of additional screening is important. White fabric is used in the lower part of the building and in the courtyard, and balconies on the upper floors are screened with sliding lamellas.