Bloom

A person’s environment influences dementia progression and aging. Engaging in activities like music, pottery, cooking, or gardening provides solace. This institution, involving Schulhaus Nordstrasse, Alzheimer Schweiz, and the Quartierverein Wipkingen, integrates structured lessons and informal learning. Dementia-affected participants share skills in arts or cooking, supported by teachers and caregivers. Shared dining and gathering areas foster social interaction.

Two buildings form a courtyard with a garden. To improve circulation, the southwest stairs were redesigned, adding a spiral staircase with an elevator linking both bus stops on Rosengartenstrasse. A roof extends over the elevator, connecting it to the building. A rammed earth wall encloses the plot, mitigating street noise and creating a peaceful environment. The northern entrance connects to the school, while a central garden with diverse vegetation and a water collection system orients visitors.

Our approach aims to facilitate access to leisure and pleasure outside the domestic space. Physical and emotional accessibility are key. For wheelchair users, urban spaces present numerous obstacles. Rosengartenstrasse, situated on a hillside, exemplifies such challenges: steep ramps, unsuitable flooring, obstructive stairs, and secondary wheelchair entrances placed at the back. The main bus stop, located on a lower road with a steep incline, further complicates accessibility. Nordstrasse remains the only easily navigable route.

The double-shelled rammed earth wall ensures thermal stability and regulates humidity. A wooden ceiling, supported by beams spaced three meters apart, leaves a gap above the walls, allowing soft light to filter in. Funnel-shaped entrances guide visitors from the bustling streets to the tranquil interior. The garden is divided into distinct areas: a productive garden, a herbal garden for learning, a pleasure garden with hills and a pond, resting areas, and a sculpture garden with an outdoor kiln.

Wooden window frames and ceilings contrast with the rammed earth, creating warmth. Classrooms open directly onto the garden, fostering a seamless indoor-outdoor connection. Silent rooms provide enclosed retreats for rest and support.

The kitchen doubles as a home economics classroom and communal space, accommodating up to 24 participants. Adjacent, the gathering space features flexible seating and adobe block walls that divide it into three segments, encouraging interaction, relaxation, and reflection.

Project by: Cedric Trees, Jiayin Zhu, Oceane Broteaux, Samuel Tanner

Teaching team: Anna Puigjaner, Dafni Retzepi, Ethel Baraona Pohl, Lisa Maillard, Luis Úrculo, Pol Esteve Castelló, He Shen

Design Studio: Autumn 2024