Stiftung Aarhus Gümligen

Muri bei Bern, Switzerland

Photo © Patrick Gläßner

Retirement Homes

Architects: Schenker Salvi Weber Architekten ZT GmbH

Location: Nussbaumallee 6, 3073 Muri bei Bern, Switzerland
Year: 2021
Client: Stiftung Aarhus Gümligen
Team: Stefan Dobnig, Sophie Gerg, Lennart Jansen, Alexandros Merkouris, Michael Salvi, Tiago Santana, Andres Schenker, Verena Theil, Katalin Tóth, Luisa De Villalonga, Thomas Weber, Jakob Schlipf, Simona Masarova, Maxime Aubry, Jana Sack, Tina Tobisch, Andreas Grasser, Stefan Dygruber
Building Costs & Quality Management: ANS Architekten und Planer
Building Physics Consultant: Weber Energie und Bauphysik AG
Structural Engineer: smt ag Ingenieure + Planer
Services Engineer: Amstein + Walthert
Fire Safety Consultant: Amstein + Walthert

“Upcycling instead of New-Build”

“I want a minibar and a disco in my new home.”
- Care Home Resident

Continuing the history of a home! The hostel and school for disabled children and young people was analysed together with the carers and the young residents and needs and wishes were defined as a collective. Old house with a new look! The qualities of the 70s residential special school with its sports hall, occupational- and residential quarters was preserved, refurbished where necessary and extensions were carefully constructed using solid wood.

Design to cost: The existing colour palette served as a source of inspiration, yet it was featured in a new way, by reducing it to one colour per room. Doors, floors, finishes were retained, at best repainted and complemented by new fixtures. The colour and material palette encourages a strong sense of identity and provides orientation for everyone in the building, whilst creating pleasant, peaceful interior atmospheres. A strategy for the future in terms of sustainability and the positive spirit of the house: use of efficient interventions such as new acoustic ceilings, lighting or flooring to adapt the existing building in a budget-friendly, creative and caring manner.

Likewise in the sports hall, only the most necessary elements were adapted. For example, the wooden panels at the bottom are new, but at the top, the existing panels are retained entirely.