Furuset Hageby
Furuset ‘Demenslandsby’ is a new housing and treatment centre for people with cognitive impairments. The building is designed as a green and village-like cluster, where individuals with dementia are made to feel at home and free; to feel that they inhabit a friendly environment.
In line with changes in life expectancy, elderly dementia and Alzheimer cases are on the rise, in addition to unexpected increases in the number of younger Alzheimer’s cases. Present-day nursing homes struggle in meeting the new and craving demands which follow from such high numbers of cases. Innovative developments in technology, treatment and methods of care are needed; innovative developments in architecture are similarly needed. Furuset hageby is an experimental housing and treatment centre located in Northern Oslo, where architecture acts as a facilitator for aging inhabitants’ adaptation to a new life and lifestyle.
Our programming is based on the premise that the built environment itself should facilitate residents’ gradual transition from being self-sufficient to becoming in need of care, and should provide them with an experience of being able to maintain a relatively normal everyday life in a bewildering new reality. There are high expectations associated with the effectiveness of the concept, such as reduced medication usage, improved mental and physical health, and better synergies with the surrounding community.
The dementia village Furuset Hageby is the home for 112 residents with a dementia diagnosis. It`s designed to give them a close connection to nature, easy access to all practical and social functions and wayfinding the allows them to move freely and independently regardless of their individual skills or capacity.
Furuset Hageby accommodate social needs in many different degrees, which might change for the residents as their dementia progresses. They each have their private bedroom and bathroom, while the kitchen is shared in smaller clusters and the ‘urban street’ or green loop can be used for interaction with larger groups – or resting quietly in green surroundings.
Furuset Hageby is designed like a little village with a central ‘street’ that mirrors a village centre by gathering all important functions. Here residents can go to get a haircut, for dinner, shopping, to the doctor, the culture house, the library, the green house etc. By placing these core functions close together makes them easier to located for both residents and visitors.
A sloped terrain led to the creation of the ‘Green Circular Trail’ which connects two large gardens, and wraps the buildings in greenery.
Residents have access to the entire village and can move freely within the village’s safe setting.
Future Built project; Future Built is a program running for 10 years with a vision of developing carbon neutral urban areas and high-quality architecture. The aim is to complete pilot projects like the dementia Village to inspire and showcase for other building projects.
sustainability
FutureBuilt Plus Houses
BREEAM Excellent
