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2024

MCHAP

Hogar Alemán

Max Nuñez Arquitectos

Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile

November 2023

PRIMARY AUTHOR

Max Nuñez Bancalari (Architect), Stefano Rolla (Architect)

CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR

Carolo Rosas (Architect), Pabla Amigo (Architect), Sebastian Jara (Architect), Fabian Leiva (Architect), Sonoka Nakamura (Architect

CLIENT

Corporación Chileno-Alemana de Beneficencia

PHOTOGRAPHER

Cristobal Palma/Estudio Palma

OBJECTIVE

The Hogar Alemán consists of 5 interdependent buildings, housing 140 bedrooms and various common spaces. The central building it’s the heart of the project, with one level, it houses the cafeteria and living areas for residents and visitors. Surrounding it, are four buildings of 3 and 4 levels, with communal spaces located on the ground floors: gym, workshop rooms, play room, dining area, and services. This layout creates a large communal space on the ground level, facilitating different routes and integrating closely with the surrounding park. A reinforced concrete construction allows large spans, enabling flexibility in its future use. The large concrete columns that reach the ground throughout the perimeter give unity to the whole, lending a sense of monumentality to the first floor, recalling a sense of the 'public' in a suburban context.

On the upper levels are the bedrooms, where multiple design strategies were implemented to encourage sociability among the residents. Each floor features units similar to a "shared home", accommodating 12 or 16 residents, numbers that allow for the formation of close-knit social groups. These bedrooms were conceived as minimal spaces, prioritizing their outdoor areas to promote interaction outside of them. Unlike traditional hotel corridors, the corridors external to the bedrooms are living areas, with shared tables and internal windows visually connecting rooms with corridors. These spaces feature natural lighting and ventilation, thanks to their organization around courtyards. Additionally, spacious terraces allow for enjoying the surrounding landscape; once again, these places lack divisions to encourage neighborly encounters and conversation.

CONTEXT

The Hogar Alemán is a residence located in the Chicureo area, a residential suburb on the northern outskirts of Santiago city. Its primary purpose is to provide specialized care for elderly individuals who require particular attention. This project was promoted by a Chilean-German nonprofit organization with vast experience of over 20 years in elderly care.

The main objective of the project is to create a space that fosters the maximum development of each individual's potential and autonomy, adapting to their limitations and promoting social relationships among residents, all under the care and attention of specialized professionals.

The site is located at the foot of the Andes mountain range, covering an area of 6 hectares (14.8 acres) in an arid landscape, with few trees and shrubs typical of a semi-desert climate. Bounded by two gentle ravines harboring greater vegetation, the site offers an ideal environment for the creation of a park surrounding the building. This park is conceived not only as an area for recreation and connection with nature for the residents but also as a valuable opportunity to restore deteriorated native vegetation by reintroducing endemic species.

PERFORMANCE

The global population is undergoing an ageing process that is bringing significant changes to global social and economic structures. This transformation entails the need to adapt the architecture of cities to meet the specific needs of this growing demographic group in terms of housing and urban environment. It is crucial to design spaces that facilitate mobility, accessibility, and comfort for the elderly, thus ensuring their inclusion and well-being in the community. This challenge requires careful urban planning and the implementation of policies that promote age-friendly environments, fostering integration and quality of life for the entire population.

In this regard, the Hogar Alemán, considering its architecture and landscape design, enables different levels of care, interaction, and privacy for elderly individuals. Its corridors, staircases, and intermediate spaces are not designed solely as circulation areas but rather as spaces that mediate between the collective and the intimate, creating meeting places for the elderly, caregivers, administrative staff, and visitors through different scales of socialization. Ultimately, the senior residence, through its design, aims to redefine what is understood by ageing in the contemporary world, promoting an active and communal life through architecture. This project seeks to resist the isolated condition typical of the suburb where it is located by stimulating the convergence and interaction of its inhabitants.

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