Zollikofen
Senior Citizen Center
Residential

The design proposal for the new building of a senior citizen centre in Zollikofen, Switzerland, provides 172 places for clinical treatment and 57 OAP-friendly apartments. The main idea of the design is to provide the highest possible flexibility in floor plan and future use between the elderly housing and the senior citizen centre programme.

A central axis connects six pavilion like cubes. This allows for a meandering assembly of the rooms of the senior citizen centre. Two green courtyards are located alongside Berner Straße, which serve as main entrances to the senior citizen centre, as well as to the neighbouring medical centre and residential building. The cubes’ sequence along the street, create an urban front, as well as, integrate the building into the rural character the surroundings.

On the ground floor arcaded passages form a distinct and prestigious address for the project.

The floor plans’ layout allows a maximum of flexibility between residential use and clinical treatment areas. A modular typology and a clear structural design make diversity and flexibility possible. A functional area with more than 30 care places on one level, as well as the use as a group with a maximum of 15 inhabitants is possible.

Different spatial situations, generous open living areas and short connections beerween the stations shape the inside of the clinical treatment area, thus creating a lively sequence of spaces.

Metal slats give the facades a lively appearance and shield the inhabitants from traffic noise, unwanted insights and direct sun exposure.

The design received the 1st prize in an invited competition and the jury recommended the project for construction. The work was developed in cooperation with Feddersen Architekten.