Intergenerational Village on Grabina is a project for a senior citizen home integrated with a therapeutic center for children on Grabina Hill in Kielce. The combination is based on the therapeutic qualities of intergenerational integration, while the created space is to be friendly and harmonious.
In keeping with the healing architecture trend, the place is meant to exude an aura that is capable of "healing." To connect the individual Molecules, planned on the undulating form of the hill, an orthogonal grid was established. It organizes the space of the hill, giving the premise a structural order. The Molecules - that is, the individual volumes - have been connected in an arrangement whose horizontal form spills over the hill, inscribing itself in the tectonics of the terrain.
situation
© Tadeusz Szaraniec, Aleksandra Sliwa, Demi Tran
The outlined directions of the composition try to expose the view openings to the landscape - the monastery hill on Karczówka and Brusznia. Another of the design assumptions was to form the residential parts into the shape of a village - a structure that will support future residents in building social ties. Hence, among the compact masses of the common parts, around which the life of the center is concentrated, one can distinguish two strips of low-rise buildings stretching along the slope of Grabina.
a complex linking generations
The facility consists of two groups: common parts and residential parts. The first group takes the form of one- or two-story flattened cubicles with "free-open" atriums in the center, around which the communication of individual buildings is concentrated. The buildings are connected to each other by glazed connectors.
functional scheme
© Tadeusz Szaraniec, Aleksandra Sliwa, Demi Tran
The complex consists of five buildings, they house: entrance area, infirmary and administrative rooms; physiotherapy and paramedic rooms; workshop rooms; therapy rooms; main building - living area, dining room, library; sports rooms. Access to the complex is provided via an elevator tower located at the bottom of a former quarry, as well as underground parking. Two passageways leading into the residential complexes diverge from the main building. Their freer form spills over the hill, delineating the two tracts.
A children's residential strip climbs along the top of Grabina. Slightly below on the southern slope, a senior citizen belt runs along the pine and birch trees. The axis of each lane is defined by a sequence of semi-private spaces and intimate atriums - winter gardens. They form internal "streets" where the residents' social life is concentrated. The living quarters consist of individual wooden "cottages", grouped into clusters of three or four living units. They delineate the spatial framework for the formulation of new neighborhood micro-communities. The compositional buckle for both sequences is the body of the fifth building of the common parts. It houses sports halls. A garden with an orchard, a mini-theater and recreational zones, including a pétanque plaza, was designed on a gentle slope between the residential strips. The layout of the establishment orientates this space towards the spectacular view of the monastery on Karczówka. Through a skillfully delineated breakthrough in the lower floor of the main building in relation to the site, the greenery of the garden enters the main atrium - the heart of the building.
closer to nature
The design premise for the construction of the complex was to focus on the use of ecological materials with the least possible impact on the environment, both in their acquisition and operation. It is also important to use such raw materials that have a positive impact on human physiology and psychophysics. The choice fell on wood and earth.
The massive, compact form of the common parts was achieved by using rammed earth technology
© Tadeusz Szaraniec, Aleksandra Sliwa, Demi Tran
Structurally, the project is a manifesto for the return and creative reinterpretation of materials that are today forgotten, but were once popular in the territories of the former Republic. The formal and functional differentiation of the ensemble is externalized by the type of raw materials used. The massive, compact form of the common parts was achieved through the use of rammed earth (compacted earth) technology. It is supported by beam systems made of glulam and solid wood. Semi-private parts were made predominantly of wood; residential units were designed with large-format CLT(Cross-Laminated Timber) panels. The free plan of the "streets" was achieved through the use of a post-and-beamsystem made of glulam and solid wood. The material used emphasizes the friendly and warm character of the private and semi-private spaces. The use of earth in the common areas gives them a cooler expression, while the expressive arabesques of successive layers add color. The physical properties of the raw material make the walls breathable and maintain a constant level of humidity, providing the rooms with a friendly microclimate. In addition to natural materials, for technological reasons, reinforced concrete was also used in the construction of the structural shafts, foundations and underground parts of the complex.
Tadeusz SZARANIEC, Aleksandra SLIWA, Demi TRAN
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