Dietger Wissounig Architekten

Description

A residential care home for 105 seniors was built on Stattegger Straße in Graz, on park-like grounds bordering the Andritzbach brook. The load-bearing ceilings and walls are made of concrete while all other structural elements are wood. The two-storey building has four wings arranged around a semi-public »village square« used for various events. Three residential areas on the ground floor and four on the top floor each accommodate 15 residents and a caregiver, creating a manageable and family-like atmosphere. A common room for each residential group, loggias and garden alcoves on the ground floor as well as atria with tower galleries on the top floor serve as additional living areas. The layout was conceived to allow plenty of daylight to permeate the entire building. Nurses’ stations and secondary rooms can be accessed easily over short routes, enabling an efficient workflow. The design of the open and green spaces is based on the typology of the care home, with a sequence of gardens that differ in size and character. The gardens form a transition into the park, which is bounded by the Andritzbach on its eastern side. A particularly attractive area was created here, with a wooden platform extending out over the water, conjoining with the other varied zones of the premises to create an atmosphere that is both homely and invigorating.