Werkhof

Buildings got increasinlgy detached from climatic, geographical, natural and human conditions. Physical and emotional challenges are a daily feat for elderly citizens. Paired with a decrease in interactions of different mindsets, this contributes to sharp generational borders. To address this issue, the project creates a space where intergenerational exchange can happen and senior citizens find an extension to their increasingly compact living conditions. A rich weekly program, which is also open to the broader public creates dialogue between users while housing the current use of the site as a recycling station and municipal maintenance depot. The whole indoor area extends over just one floor to be accessible to every body and can be adapted with curtains to house a manifold of different events. Since recycling and reuse are a key point in the program, a frugal approach to the choice of materials was elementary. Reused trusses, the prominent roof and the shell made out of rammed earth not only underline the functional character of the building, but also bridges the inside/outside as well as generations.