The Home for a Dignified Old Age

The subject of the architectural design is a building designed for the elderly on the Náměstí Míru (=Square of Peace) in Brno, Czech Republic. The design is to address the spatial and material continuity with the existing building structure. The functional content is housing for the elderly, where it is necessary to comply with the functional typological normative correctness. The study is intended to offer dwellings of different size categories. In addition, there will be common house amenities, community spaces and parking spaces. The quality of the First Republic architecture of the Masaryk Quarter and its garden city concept should be respected. My design consists of a closed block of the building - it is formed by a compact base from which the mass blocks seem to "grow". The building thus fits perfectly into the First Republic architecture of the local villas, which look like cubes or blocks. The enclosure of the block creates a quiet space for the elderly to stay outside.

URBAN DESIGN THE BUILDING FORMS A CLOSED BLOCK WITH A PRIVATE ATRIUM INSIDE, WHICH IS INTENDED FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE HOUSE. THE BLOCK HAS STRICT ORTHOGONAL SHAPES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT RESPONDS TO THE DEFLECTION OF THE VALLEY STREET BY BEING PARTLY OFFSET TOWARDS THE STREET. THE VOLUME FOLLOWING THE STREET LINE OF LERCHOVA STREET FOLLOWS THE HEIGHT OF THE CHURCH SCHOOL BUILDING IMMEDIATELY OPPOSITE. THE LAST WING, WHICH IS THE VOLUMES FACING VALLEY STREET, GRADUALLY DECREASES IN HEIGHT, JUST AS THE STREET ITSELF DECREASES IN HEIGHT. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN THESE ARE THREE MATERIALLY CONNECTED BUILDINGS. THEIR COMMON BASE IS U-SHAPED, AND THE BLOCKS THAT MAKE UP THE BUILDINGS THEMSELVES SEEM TO GROW OUT OF IT. THE NORTHERN BUILDING HAS FOUR STOREYS, THE WESTERN ONE THREE AND THE EASTERN ONE PARTLY THREE AND PARTLY TWO. A PRIVATE ATRIUM IS THEN CREATED IN THE CENTRE OF THE WHOLE COMPOSITION, SHELTERED FROM THE TRAFFIC OF THE STREETS AND SUITABLE FOR THE RELAXATION OF THE INHABITANTS. AT THE SAME TIME, IT IS POSSIBLE TO HOLD SMALL OPEN-AIR EVENTS FOR THE RESIDENTS. THE ATRIUM IS SURROUNDED BY A COVERED GLASS COLONNADE, WHICH IS SUITABLE FOR STAYING OR FOR SMALLER EVENTS IN BAD WEATHER. AT THE SAME TIME, VARIOUS EXHIBITIONS CAN BE INSTALLED HERE. THIS COLONNADE CONNECTS ALL THREE BUILDINGS, WHICH OTHERWISE FUNCTION AS SEPARATE UNITS. THE ROOFS ARE GREEN, PARTLY DESIGNED AS LIVING TERRACES. LAYOUT THE BUILDINGS ON THE EAST AND WEST SIDES CONTAIN HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY, WHO ARE MOSTLY ABLE TO LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES AND THEREFORE NEED MINIMAL HELP FROM CARERS. EACH APARTMENT UNIT HAS A BEDROOM FOR TWO PEOPLE, A LIVING ROOM WITH KITCHENETTE, A HALLWAY WITH BUILT-IN STORAGE SPACE IN THE FORM OF A CLOSET AND A BARRIER-FREE BATHROOM WITH TOILET FOR MORE CONVENIENT USE FOR SENIORS, EACH APARTMENT INCLUDES A BALCONY OVERLOOKING A QUIET ATRIUM. ADDITIONALLY, THE BUILDINGS FEATURE SHARED LIBRARIES, A CHAPEL AND A DINING ROOM (BOTH LOCATED IN THE EAST BUILDING'S PARLOR) THAT IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO RESIDENTS AND CAREGIVERS. IN THE BUILDING ADJACENT TO THE PEACE SQUARE, WE CAN FIND APARTMENTS OR ROOMS FOR THE ELDERLY WHO NEED PARTIAL OR FULL CARE ASSISTANCE. THE FLATS HAVE TWO SINGLE ROOMS WITH SEATING FURNITURE, A KITCHEN OR LIVING ROOM WITH KITCHENETTE, A HALLWAY WITH BUILT-IN WARDROBE STORAGE AND A WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE BATHROOM WITH TOILET. THE AFOREMENTIONED ROOMS FOR THE ELDERLY WHO NEED CONSTANT CARE HAVE A BEDROOM WITH TWO BEDS AND LARGE FRENCH WINDOWS OVERLOOKING THE ATRIUM, A HALLWAY WITH STORAGE SPACE IN THE FORM OF A BUILT-IN WARDROBE AND A BARRIER-FREE BATHROOM WITH TOILET. ON THE TOP FLOOR THERE ARE ALSO OFFICES FOR THE DIRECTOR AND A NURSE. ALL ROADS ARE SITUATED TO THE FACADES FACING THE STREET, SO THAT THE RESIDENTS IN THEIR RESIDENTIAL UNITS ARE NOT DISTURBED BY NOISE FROM TRAM AND ROAD TRAFFIC. THE CORRIDORS ARE ENRICHED WITH SEATING FURNITURE TO CREATE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN GATHER OR RELAX. THE NORTH AND WEST BUILDINGS HAVE RENTABLE ROOMS IN THE PARTERRE AND THE WEST BUILDING ALSO HAS A COMMUNITY HALL FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE EAST AND WEST BUILDINGS. THE UNDERGROUND FLOOR SERVES AS A PARKING LOT (WITH 54 REGULAR PARKING SPACES AND 6 WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPACES LOCATED NEAR THE EXITS) AND TECHNICAL FACILITIES OF THE BUILDING, OR AS STORAGE SPACE.

DESIGN SOLUTION The building is designed as a reinforced concrete skeleton with a module of 6 × 7.5 m. THE COLUMNS ARE MONOLITHIC AND ARE SUPPORTED BY SPANS ON WHICH THE SLABS ARE PLACED. THE BUILDINGS ARE SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER AND REINFORCED WITH STAIR CORES. THE CLADDING IS MADE OF CERAMIC BLOCKS, AS ARE THE INTERNAL PARTITIONS. THE FAÇADE IS MADE UP OF AN EXTERNAL ETICS CONTACT INSULATION SYSTEM, WITH A COMBINATION OF STONE CLADDING IN THE PARTITION OF THE BUILDING. BASIC AREAS LAND AREA: 6 417,5 m2 FLOOR AREA: 3 307,69 m2 TOTAL USABLE AREA: 9 481,92 m2 USABLE SPACE: 35 144,97 m3