Living together, caring together

Mandana care home, Genk

At the André Dumont site in Genk-Waterschei, vzw Mandana is building a care centre for high-quality, people-oriented care for those suffering from dementia. This is a special form of collective living in that the residents themselves aren't choosing to live here. The goal here is two-fold: co-habitation and ensuring the privacy of the residents. The former hospital was demolished in phases, with only the central chapel being preserved. It now houses a cafeteria and the Wit-Gele Kruis care service. Eight residences, each two to three storeys, were built around a publicly accessible park.

Osar architects designed the care home as separate houses, each accommodating two residential groups, one on each floor. One group consists of eight rooms, which, per two rooms, open out onto the four common areas, which in turn are grouped around a patio. This design circumvents the classic corridor layout and helps the staff maintain a better overview. The rooms are divided into small, intimate corners that allow for inside and outside contact. This design complements the surrounding garden city, which features a combination of red and white painted brickwork, an interplay of rooftops, wooden joinery, practical and private front gardens, and unique details that emphasize the variety and small-scale nature of the architecture.