rua das trinas, 81, r/c, 1200-856 lisboa
project image
sa11 elderly center
oeiras, portugal, 2002 - selected
elderly people are fragile people. they have all the time in the world, and they need a place they can call home. we raised the building from the ground to allow for a personal landscape. the perimeter of the upper part is a birch tree green belt in order to protect the housing from the harsh sunlight in the summer, providing cool shade. in the winter, the light penetrates inside and keeps warm the personal space. these trees are a metaphor of ageing, being fragile and whisper. on the roof there’s an ecological machine working. rain water is collect on the suspended floor and a living machine® system is helping for compost making that will be used in the horto botanicus. everything is recycled here. the building renovates itself inspiring the elderly to do the same.