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The Inbetween

Individual discipline Multidisciplinary Project

  • winter '012
  • research - design - visuals

Design a place where collective and public spaces collide, intertwine and/or meet.

The chosen subject is the vestibule of the elderly apartments. It forms a walkthrough from the street to the inner garden, but it is also the entrance to the lower level apartments and the stairwell to the entrance of the upper level apartments. By making it not only a circulation space, but also a habitation space, the vestibule gets a multidimensional interpretation for the elderly apartments.

Materials

The materials used in the design are wood, concrete and plaster. They are applied in such manner for a clear spatial distribution and as a way to set a mood; concrete as riser section, wood as habitation area and the plaster in a light yellow colour for a warm and friendly appearance. The windows building high on both sides of the vestibule provide for daylight, a pleasant presence in the space. At the garden side the windows are partly equipped with solar panels, to collect energy, but also for a bit of privacy.

Habitation area

At the ground floor, but especially at the first floor there are habitation areas. Elderly people sometimes tend to get lonely. By providing a place inside of their own building and comfort zone where they can meet each other , the threshold of connecting with the neighbours is minimised. The garden in the summer and the first floor seating area are designed to ensure that the possibility of loneliness gets counteracted. At every floor there is also space available to store a scooter.