Neighborhood of Care

Nina Christine Hansen & Olivia Thomsen
Navn
Nina Christine Hansen
Uddannelsesgrad
Kandidat
Fagfelt
Arkitektur
Institut
Bygningskunst, By og Landskab
Program
Urbanism and Societal Change
År
2022

How can ‘care’ be used as a tool to rethink what is considered valuable in urban planning? This project explores the societal and spatial implications of reprogramming vacant hospitals into new Neighborhoods of Care. This is done with care for the climate, for the limited resources, and for the marginalized groups of society, that are often left out of modern city planning.

Axonometric projection 1:200 - Physical interventions and social interactions of care

Developing with Care

The project takes departure in feminist economics – a critique of the way our modern society considers value exclusively in a monetary context – and suggest an alternative value system based on care. The project introduces six concepts of care as a toolbox in urban development; Public health, Preservation and Adaptive reuse relating to physical care and Citizen involvement, Inclusion of marginalized groups, and Gender equality in relation to social care.

This project is developing a strategy for the vacant and not yet demolished or transformed hospitals. Aalborg North Hospital is used as a case example, to demonstrate how to establish a Neighborhood of Care with housing functions for vulnerable groups.

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Written thesis, Catalog of Care - analyzing 'care' in architectural projects
Introducing 'care' as a tool for development
Designing with the six concepts of 'care'
Mapping of the potential development for vacant hospitals in Denmark
Catalog of Buildings of the vacant Aalborg North Hospital

House of Care

The House of Care is a community house, with a focus on the difficult meeting point between different societal groups and the public of Aalborg. The transformation of the existing building is developed with care for our physical environment – with Public health, Preservation, and Adaptive reuse as guidelines.

On the ground floor, the Citizen’s office and the Social café share the main entry space. From here hallways are leading to the assisted housing functions - the shelter, the elderly housing, and the crisis center.

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1:500, Neighborhood of Care - connections to the urban surroundings
House of Care - transforming the existing entrance building by creating an open and inviting atrium
Section 1:200, House of Care - the exiting internal hallways connect the public functions of the House of Care
Section 1:200, House of Care - the Social café and the Citizen’s office, with library pockets along the edge of the atrium
Material circulation – elements and materials found on site are reused to develop new spaces and interiors

Spatial Interventions of Care

The spatial interventions are created with the already existing functions and structures in mind. Working with preservation and respect for the local historical identity that the hospital carries, the overall expression of the modernist welfare architecture is preserved. Elements and materials found on site are, with care for detail, used to develop new spaces and interiors. 

The connective hallways of the existing hospital are enhanced and transformed into The House of Care trail that is running through the different buildings with smaller pockets to make room for more intimate situations. The ground floor is opened up to invite the public to take part in social activities, while the public spaces are designed with a focus on different identities and zones, making them suitable for specific user groups and for different types of stay.

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Social Interactions of Care

Through models, the project investigates how we as architects can implement not only physical care but as well social care to make sure to sustain and improve the existing networks in the development of our urban future. 

 The model facades show the elements of physical care and transformation while a viewing box in front shows the social care and interactions. Contrary to the regular way of viewing an architectural model in bird’s-eye view, the viewer is invited into a more intimate situation, seeing the use of the architecture at eye level.

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Outside in front of the House of Care...
...the new facade is opening up the building.
The front square is used for different social activities and events, such as demonstrations...
...or local flea markets.
The activities from the citizen’s office have moved out on the square.
A group of people is building a pavilion facilitated by the citizen's office in a process of involvement and co-creation.
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“Gadens Plads” is placed...
...in relation to the social cafe and the kiosk.
Here, a shared bench invites for different types of stay.
And with the goal of creating a place for the currently displaced group of local beer drinkers, a pant machine is established..
… next to the kiosk...
...that is open for customers at all hours of the day.
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Inside the House of Care, at the social cafe...
...the many restrooms of the former hospital will become publicly accessible.
New furniture made from recycled materials gives the space identity...
...and create room for studying...
...or hanging out.
The curtains creates more intimate and closed-off spaces, which is something that young girls are often missing in public space.

Det Kongelige Akademi understøtter FN’s verdensmål

Siden 2017 har Det Kongelige Akademi arbejdet med FN’s verdensmål. Det afspejler sig i forskning, undervisning og afgangsprojekter. Dette projekt har forholdt sig til følgende FN-mål