Plussen

When baby boomers search for their last retreat, one can see that the mentality of their generation is different than their predecessors. They don’t want to be tucked away in an elderly-home but start CPO’s and share their last dwelling with friends. They need care services but still want to live in the heart of society where distances are short. Shopping malls seem the ideal place to meet all the demands of this generation. From the 13th to the 19th century elderly people could live in “ liefdadigheidshofjes” (courtyards for the poor and elderly) where the community could take care of them. Here they could live in peace in their retirement and benefit from the nearby church.

For a new care concept, we suggest to reactivate this old typology to house our contemporary elderly in the center of society. “Plussen” means superimposing. In our case we superimpose a courtyard-house on top of a shopping mall. All amenities can be reached easily while the courtyard itself is an oasis of peace and quiet. The care facilities are placed at the intersection of the private residences and the retail space. The houses are easily accessible by a secondary circulation route. This in-between space also contains collective functions such as a communal lounge, a dining room and a large kitchen where residents can cook together. All houses are directly connected to this space. Residents can walk through the galleries, to the dining room and their neighbors without being disturbed by rain. During this stroll, they look down on what is happening in society, the shops and restaurants.

team
Sascha Glasl
Tjeerd Haccou
Marthijn Pool
year
2010
Request For Proposal
BPF Bouwinvest