Living in order

Research shows that more and more children are diagnosed with ADHD. Although this increase in the age group of 6 to 15 year old is each year 25% for girls and 14% for boys, the number of cases with boys is still higher.

Healing architecture
Psychological reports indicate that healing design implemented in architecture affects our well-being in a positive way. With our senses we pick up stimuli on our body, making the experience of a building determines how we feel. A healing environment for children with extreme ADHD is a perfect situation to use architecture as a medicine. These children stay 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in these spaces.

The age group of children between 6 and 12 years are affected by the smallest environmental stimuli to influence behavior. By using architecture as medicine it can reduce the medication of the patient and shorten the course of treatment.

Senses
If we use architecture as a medicine, it is important that we use all our senses to experience the new environment. Sight, smell, touch and hearing are the tools of ADHD children which they will experience their surroundings.
Thanks to recent studies on a new neural connection, it is now proven that light and color without doubt affect our biological being. By making the right combination the biological clock of a child with ADHD can be corrected by making an environment where a child is able to relax.
Colors like orange, yellow, blue, brown and green are applied to various spaces in combination with natural light to create a different atmosphere all day long. This is making the children become aware of the circadian rhythm.

The color green as is very important to apply, but especially in the form of nature. Green to play in, to experience and to look at it is essential for this setting to give rest to the child. Outside an urban situation the building can use the existing nature and embrace it, but in an urban situation it must be added artificially.
Because it is a given that there are more children with extreme ADHD from the city and it is a bigger challenge to implement a facility with a lot of green surroundings in a city, it was decided that at the Hofbogen there will be a institution because of the adjacent schools, primary and secondary education, and it is a beautiful historic location with beautiful vistas of the city.

Filter
The institution, which consists of five living areas and a family group, acts as a filter for users. It sends to the degree of visibility on the environment and the amount of light and sound which can enter into the building. Filtering these incentives gives peace for someone with ADHD.
The patios are very important in the design as a source of light, color, aroma and green. The patios have morning and evening light that enter both in summer and winter. In the 1st layer 4 meters is sufficient, at 2nd he must be 7 meters in order to allow sufficient light to enter.

Commune
The living areas are connected so that they are individually identified but can function in terms of technique as one building. This recognition will benefit the children.
They are connected and they can be accessed from a central point which again creates interaction between the groups. Due to the position of the inputs, there are two types of residential groups necessary.
In both types, one enters through the transition zone without further distractions, from where one goes in continuous motion through to the living room and through the hallway to the sleep wings with 8 bedrooms in total. Between the living room and bedrooms you will find a green patio that blocks direct view by vegetation in the mutual areas.

Bedrooms
By looking at the organization structure of nature we designed a principle for the bedroom, it can receive both morning and evening light. Each bedroom has access to a private bathroom and because with ADHD you also have a need for total seclusion, each room had a separate cozy space to crawl into.
By lamellae placed on the outside, the morning and evening light will be extra captured with a reinforcing orange color on the night side receiving wall for peace and concentration.

Materials
We chose the sprayed on copper panels for a beautiful image that will change over the years for the facade finish. For the roof weFF chose a green roof which will be planted with grasses and sedum.
Also the floor elements Lignatuur will be sprayed with copper and a polyester gelcoat, which will accentuate the use of the floor.

 

Year: 2012
Location: Hofbogen, Rotterdam
Client: Project RAvB
Phase: Study