Vision project

STRESS REDUCING ATMOSPHERES (SOCIAL/TECHNICAL)

The vision of this project is to create a well-functioning health center for stressed outs to stay at for approximately 30 days. Visionary, this will help the stressed outs to better mental health and thereby, help these people to recover and to return to the job market at a faster rate than usual. Improving the mental health of the stressed outs will both be in terms of professional therapy sessions with corresponding functionalities and in addition, an overall logical design strategy for the building, the use of natural materials and utilization of the calming, surrounding landscape. The stays are meant to be somewhat remote, meaning that the guests generally do not return to their private homes within the period of treatment. The centre will not offer outpatient treatments.

The logical design strategy should be carried out when organizing the floor plans, while it should likewise be a focus when detailing functional elements of the building volumes to ensure clear affordances within the design. Regarding the use of natural materials these should be used in a simple manner with only few variations, though can finishes differ. The utilization of the surrounding landscape should be experienced both from the inside of the building volumes where variated, framed window views must be offered, as well as from the outside of the building volumes. The outside utilization will be secured by splitting the health centre into different building volumes making outside transitioning an integrated part of the design. Furthermore, crossings of the phenomena of inside and outside must be established by using big sliding doors and roof overhangs.

LOW ENERGY CLASS OF 2020 (ENVIRONMENTAL/SOCIAL)

In regard to the operational energy of the health centre the aim is to fulfill the voluntary low energy class of 2020. This must be ensured in an integrated manner by focusing on the building envelope, the share of windows and specifications of these, and by integrating vernacular initiatives like increased room heights, roof overhangs and natural ventilation strategies. All these emphases should concurrently be weighted in regard to indoor comfort. Active strategies of renewable character for producing heat and electricity should likewise be integrated into the design by constituting formal aspects as for instance roof slope and orientation.

REDUCING EMBODIED ENERGY (TECHNICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL)

The vision in order to reduce the amount of embodied energy associated with the build of this health centre should be secured by investigating the environmental impacts of most of the specific building materials used. This is to be carried out in LCAbyg and the vision is to not exceed the limits of the reference building defined by the DGNB. Furthermore, should only few different materials be used and some of these should be reused, if possible. The reason why only few different materials are to be used is to simplify the construction work, while likewise a somewhat modular construction system should be a design strategy. Lastly, the construction should be designed on the basis of designing for disassembly ensuring an extended use even if this health centre is one day to be demolished.