The concept of ‘sharing and participation’ was the starting point for planning the Weidli Stans Foundation’s new day-care centre for adults suffering from multiple physical and mental impairments. Thanks to the extended space, the focus in working with the disabled can now be expanded to sensory experiences, creative design, playful activities, or music.
The available land parcel allowed for the construction of a multi-storey day-care facility. However, the disabled people in the day-care centre are impaired to such a degree as to make climbing stairs impossible for most of them. The commitment to barrier-free access to four floors led to the idea of ascending or descending connection routes. In order to make use of the space required for this purpose, it was conceived both as a meeting place and an activity room. The result is the centrepiece of the new day-care centre, featuring connecting paths and landings between the floors. Some 55 meters’ walking distance with a maximum gradient of six percent are overcome on each floor. In addition to the connecting paths, a stairwell as well as a passenger and a bed elevator connect the various floors.
The covered entryway to the house provides a weather-protected connection between the existing residence and the new building. In addition to the administrative offices, the ground floor houses multi-purpose rooms. The three upper floors are identically designed: two studios are accessible from the entrance lobby through a common wardrobe. The terrace can be accessed from the first floor. Like the entire house, it is wheelchair accessible and accessible to all the people in the building. The basement floor is accessed from the residence’s existing underground parking garage. It houses technical facilities as well as archives and cellar rooms.
The interior is developed to a simple standard with cost-effective materials. All load-bearing parts are held in exposed concrete. All non-bearing divisions that only serve to create different spaces are covered in industrial plywood, underlining the house’s workshop character. The differently coloured, earthy-red concrete elements on the façade are reminiscent of oversized roofing tiles and based on the neighbouring agricultural structures, but alienated therefrom in both dimension and materiality. Shading is provided by externally mounted fabric awnings. Depending on the position of the sun, the depth effect, together with the notched concrete elements, results in a constantly changing appearance.
The colour concept with individual colours for each floor helps guide severely impaired people. The paint is transparently applied, retaining the material characterization of wood and concrete. Four colours within each floor vary slightly from cool to warmer shades and create a monochrome colour resonance.
Weidli Stans foundation daycare center for the disabled is project from practice of architekten CM which are part of Plus Architekten AG
