Group living homes for persons diagnosed with dementias and Alzheimer’s disease

About object:

Fourteen kilometres from Panevėžys, in Naujikai village of Karsakiškis ward, not far from the main road, there is a wooden house with large windows built under the implementation of the EU-funded project. One-storey building of a tranquil silhouette resembles a one-apartment dwelling house. 220 sq m space has been designed for the group living homes for persons diagnosed with dementias and Alzheimer’s disease. Thanks to a private initiative the building has emerged on the land plot situated next to the outspreading beautiful landscape.

It is only natural that both the client and the architect sought for conjunctions with a wooden rural architecture. In fact, the silhouette of the building is modern yet an accurate solution for materials brings it closer to the context. Single-storey, square-plan interior space of the house revolves around a cosy, internal courtyard separated by transparent partitions. After moving the partitions aside, the spaces of the courtyard and dining area as if merge into one, perfectly suitable for larger gatherings. In sunlit parts of the building two double rooms and six single rooms are set. Much attention was paid for the adaptation of the inner space for Alzheimer’s patients. Therefore, the wall colouring has been selected from the colour palette intended for these patients: some are neutral, while others – warm and bright.

According to the designer T. Noreika, this building as if features two faces: a warm, wooden – intended for living rooms and on the southwest side and the inner courtyard and a colder, white with plaster finish facing the northeast side and the road. A modern architectural expression is symbolically combined with traditional Lithuanian architectural inclusions. In each room windows have been designed – sliding glass doors enable stepping outside directly to the courtyard from your room. Verticality of the openings is emphasized by high carved wooden shutters.

I. Granytė- Sapranavičienė