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CHSLD Val-des-Brises
By : COEX Architecture
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Architecture
Categories : Public Building / Institutional Building
Grand prix du Design
CHSLD Val-des-Brises
CHSLD Val-des-Brises is one of the first long-term care projects in Quebec to realize the concept of ‘’Maison des aînées’’, and to develop it in the private sector, for public use.
Its guiding principles include:
- The creation of a human and warm environment, adapted to the various physical and psycho-cognitive needs of residents with loss of autonomy.
- Scalable spaces that adapt to changes in residents, and their care modalities.
With a zoning limit of only 4 floors, the realization of such a large project required a very large lot. The challenge was to ensure that a building of this scale evoked the feeling of a small-scale family living environment. Acting as a landmark at the future corner of two main arteries, the arrangement of small interconnected volumes provides a human scale to the building.
The ground floor promotes pedestrian traffic, offering maximum transparency through large bay windows that open onto the common areas of the building. Residents have safe access to shops, a restaurant and cafeteria service, as well as fenced and secure gardens where they and their loved ones can enjoy collaborative gardening and the outdoors in complete safety. To enhance their security, residents’ movements are directed as much as possible towards common areas and away from public ones.
The program of this ± 20,000 m² project has been organized in a tree-like structure composed of 22 households, each containing bedrooms and common living spaces. Each household has 11 rooms organized around its open-plan common areas, including the living room, dining room, and theme room. All rooms have direct visual and physical access to this core, promoting the functional and psychosocial autonomy of users by recreating an inclusive family environment.
Common services such as the kitchenette and residential bathroom are located at the entrance to the household, while a centralized « behind the scenes » service ensures the exchange of dirty and clean supplies, out of the view of the residents.
The primary objective of the project was to create a quality living environment with rich and stimulating atmospheres, that was easily accessible to users, and that promoted their well-being and sense of belonging. The creation of theme rooms provides many opportunities for social bonding and camaraderie as residents take part in structured activities of common interest. Engagement in knitting, sewing, board games, gardening, etc., and even cooking are encouraged.
To further promote this social connection, a wayfinding method which uses resident’s personal photo portraits in the place of room numbers, supports users with cognitive impairments.
A major success of this project lies in meeting the technical needs necessary for the operation of a large-scale infrastructure, while maintaining a human scale. Residents benefit from a vastly improved quality of life in this warmly inclusive, safe and accessible environment.
Collaboration
Architect : COEX Architecture (anciennement BARIN architecture et design)
