Prémio Mobilidade 2007 - Collective Housing Building for the Elders (1st prize)

Did you knew that with the growing life expectancy, the elders are even more important to the design of a dwelling?
Do the necessities of the elders regarding the dwelling are not being in part altered?
Did you knew that the elders are more and more autonomous even at an older age?
The kind of contemporary elder is the one from the twentieth century?
Why don't we think of a dwelling that is adaptable to this kind of new urban subjects?
The proposal amplifies the concept of mobility; it does not interpret this concept only in relation to the “promotion of accessibilities” to which “it constitutes a fundamental element on the person's life quality”, but it contributes “decisively for a bigger reinforcement of the social ties”, through the exploration of interactive spaces inside the building (“a bench for conversation”; the entrance path with small thematic gardens; multi-use room and a balcony near the entrance of the apartments; garden terrace; “sunbathing”/barbecue terrace); on the other side, the existence of these “tools”, enables (far beyond the profit of different atmospheres and environments) the creating of streams and movements (despite of the small scale of the building), once again referring to the mobility. In another sense, the design understands the mobility also through the use of shuttering movable elements in the interior.
Representation and symbolism of the ramp: through its angle, the ramp expresses itself on the skin of the whole body.

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Credits:

Project: Prémio Mobilidade 2007
Location: Generic site 26x10m.
Date: 2007 (competition)
Client: Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa + Ordem dos Arquitectos
Architecture: Cláudio Vilarinho
3d: Michael Ferreira