Residential and nursing home, Vienna

Surrounded by a green landscape and closely bordered by trees, the complex also has its own gardens, chapel and public and semi-public areas, which are accessible from outside. Service functions, such as the medical centre, café, hair salon and sundries shop, are located at ground level, while the residential nursing and assisted living units are distributed among the upper floors. The garage, building services and a kitchen are located at the lower end of the complex, filling the extra space created by the site's slightly sloping topography.

The distinctive exterior facade reflects the variation of the interior layout, a design principle devised by the architects in which repetition is kept to a minimum, utilizing these differences to foster identification and recognition among staff and residents. Thus the circulation zones within the building and among its units are impacted by interruptions in the design's linearity and rely on colour, openness and transparency to express their individual character. Auxiliary spaces within each unit, including communal kitchens and bars, are clustered in such a way as to create floor plans that change from one unit to the next, forming a social nucleus for residents as well. Finally, full-height glazing in these areas and on the terraces offer views onto the surrounding green spaces, connecting interior and exterior with plenty of daylight and natural ventilation.