Huset Nyvang - tomorrow’s care home

In Randers, a modern care centre has been built according to the Dutch model. The 60 units are organised like a small village with single-storey houses.

Here, the residents can walk freely about in a safe environment, as a fence discreetly yet effectively encloses the entire area. This means that dementia-sufferers are able to move about more and, as the first of its kind in Denmark, the centre is connected to a children’s daycare centre and a small square with a bakery, hairdresser and service centre.

Even before it opened, Huset Nyvang was named ‘Health Building of the Year 2017’. And you can understand why when you see how much life there is in the square, and how the elderly interact naturally with the young children. In addition, Huset Nyvang incorporates state-of-the-art welfare technology, which assists the staff in their daily work.

More home than institution

The dwellings have been built as small brick houses which, by virtue of their modest scale, have a homely rather than an institutional feel. The houses are organised in clusters with shared entrances. The larger buildings house the care centre and the daycare institution, which caters for children aged 0 to 5 years old. This creates a natural hierarchy in the complex. Moreover, synergies are achieved through the elderly interacting with the children on a daily basis. Such unique opportunities are generally absent from conventional care centres.

The large white building houses functions for the elderly, children and staff. Of course there are clear divisions, but it is easy to establish contact between the generations. The service building is a popular with the elderly, and the ‘shops’ infuse the south-facing square with life.

There is an attractive Nordic feel to this groundbreaking project, which was designed by Friis & Moltke Architects. The interiors of both the daycare institution and the care centre are light and inviting with high ceilings and a wonderful sense of openness. White-painted Troldtekt acoustic panels aesthetically tie the rooms together, and also fit in well with the varying heights and sloping surfaces, which in many places extend right up to the apex.