Alzheimers Village / NORD Architects

Alzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Exterior Photography, Facade
© 11h45

Alzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Exterior PhotographyAlzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Interior Photography, Facade, BeamAlzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Exterior PhotographyAlzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Exterior PhotographyAlzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - More Images+ 27

  • Clients : Département des Landes
  • Consultants : L’atelier Couleur, In Situ Ergonome
  • Engineering : Cesma, ACE, Energeco, Comeron, Cuisinorme, Cauros, Bet Hedont
  • City: Dax
  • Country: France
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Alzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Exterior Photography
© 11h45

Text description provided by the architects. The number of people with dementia is on the rise in both Denmark and Europe. We are facing a welfare challenge that is going to develop, as the global number of elderly people increases. So how do we rise to the challenge and create built environments to accommodate the significant trends we are currently witnessing, while providing space for efficient, soothing, healing treatment?

Alzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Interior Photography, Facade, Beam
© 11h45

NORD Architects have designed several dementia villages, including the Alzheimer’s Village in Dax, which is the first care home in France for people with dementia. NORD Architects have taken into account the individual residents, the health care staff, and the local culture and nature, so everyone, from relatives to researchers, will experience people – including those with dementia – living in an environment that prioritises dignified aging.

Alzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Image 20 of 32
Landscape plan

Recognisability creates continuity and a sense of belonging. Alzheimer’s Village in Dax is designed to create a safe environment, in which residents, relatives and health care professionals all get a feeling of well-being, which is also a major prerequisite for providing qualified care.

Alzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Exterior Photography
© 11h45

Recognisable surroundings, free from alienating or obstructive elements, are essential for leading a meaningful life. Alzheimer’s Village has integrated familiar functions within the complex – a grocer’s, a hairdresser’s, a restaurant and a market square – reminiscent of the residents’ previous lives in their neighbourhoods. 

Alzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Exterior Photography, Facade, Arch
© 11h45

Morten Gregersen, architect, and partner of NORD Architects, describes the need for recognisability in everyday life and architecture, as follows: “For people with Alzheimer’s or dementia, it is crucial that the environment is recognisable. It mustn’t feel challenging or disturb their cognitive abilities. That’s why this architecture also has an explicitly local feel, featuring elements from the local building style. The built environment provides a kind of cultural extension that alleviates the transition from living at home to living with a severe mental illness in an Alzheimer’s centre.”

Alzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Interior Photography, Column, Arch
© 11h45

Social interactions and recreational nature. The everyday connections, across generations, institutions, and the town, are essential when it comes to integrating the Alzheimer’s Village into the local environment and enhancing the sense of continuity and cohesion across different life patterns.

The architecture of Alzheimer’s Village caters to the needs of both communities and individuals, providing each resident with options that are reassuring and diverse. 

Alzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Exterior Photography
© 11h45

The complex is integrated with nature, transforming the existing landscape with its characteristic ancient pine trees to a recreational space, where residents can relax or go for a walk within the area. A path runs through the landscape, drawing its own loop, so none of the residents will experience dead ends or get lost along the way. 

Alzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Exterior Photography, Door
© 11h45

The complex is grouped into four clusters, each housing around 30 residents who live in smaller ‘families’ with all the necessary facilities and outdoor spaces. 

Alzheimers Village  / NORD Architects - Exterior Photography
© 11h45

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Project location

Address:40100 Dax, France

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Alzheimers Village / NORD Architects" 21 Dec 2021. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/973948/alzheimers-villa-nord-architects> ISSN 0719-8884

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