EBD

The current global shift towards the idea of Aging-In-Place brings with it the possibility of increased social isolation for older people living at home, with corresponding negative health outcomes.

Strong social ties have been linked to better general health¹ and research has also shown that the availability of neighbourhood amenities and open space (NOS) can play an important role for older people in maintaining and enhancing their quality of life² by creating beneficial connections between elderly people and the wider community³. With an emphasis on location, visibility, purpose and accessibility, architecture can make a significant contribution to this process.

Located at the edge of an active public park, BCQ’s non-residential day centre for the elderly is intended as a hub for informal social encounters—it is a place where they can easily meet, talk and watch the world go by. In addition, the centre provides access to formal education courses and lectures as well as the facilities to host concerts, parties and dances.

Toni Casamor of BCQ told us they have always conceived of the building as “an entrance pavilion from the street to the park and not something embedded in the urban fabric, a highly visible landmark—designed as an archway—around (and through) which people can easily pass on their way to and from the park.”

Significantly, the architects chose materials they believed would age naturally and improve with time. The timber and hand-made bricks are familiar materials to local people—a quality that can be very important in establishing a sense of connection and belonging for the elderly⁴.

The envelope is highly permeable as the primary facades are reduced to operable, timber screens that loosely define the interior, while maintaining a connection with the sounds and smells of the world outside.

Although primarily intended to serve the needs of the elderly people in the neighbourhood, the location, facilities and open nature of Casa d Avis makes this an ideal host for intergenerational programs. Matthew Kaplan refers to these as “social vehicles that create purposeful and ongoing exchange of resources and learning among older and younger generations”. In addition to overall community benefit, such initiatives have been found to benefit participants by teaching youth and seniors—both frequently disempowered groups—that they have something to give to society. Participants feel valued, empowered, and socially engaged. ⁵

The building program is strategically spread over three levels. The lower ground floor contains a multi-purpose recreation space, accessed directly from the park. Informal social spaces and the main lecture hall are located, for ease of access, at street level and more formal education and training spaces occupy the upper level. The emphasis on meaningful, continuing education is of fundamental importance. New research indicates that cognitively challenging activities, starting from childhood, through adulthood and continuing in late life, can have important implications for the prevention or delay of dementia, especially for individuals with a genetic predisposition. ⁶

Link to BCQ website here

Location

Jardins del Príncep de Girona, C.Marina with C.Taxdirt 08025 Barcelona

Client

Barcelona Town Council — Horta-Guinardó District Council

Author Architects

BCQ Arquitectura Barcelona — David Baena, Toni Casamor, Manel Peribáñez, Maria Taltavull

Collaborator Architects

Alexandre Liberato

Photographer

Carlos Climent

Structural Engineer

Jordi Granada, Arch.

M&E Engineering

Taller D’Enginyeria Ambiental

Technical Architect

Sergi Prat Gómez

Dates

Competition, 2005 / Project, 2005 / Construction, 2006-2008

Site Area

504,84 m2

Built Area

1,144.34 m2

Floor Area

492.45 m2 (Ground Floor); 329.58 m2 (First Floor); 322.31 m2 (Basement Floor)

Contractor

AND S.A. de Serveis

Costs without VAT

1,240,458€

Furniture

Kausa Instal·lacions integrals i equipament per l'hàbitat

Ceramic Cladding

Ceràmiques Ferrer