What has already been successfully practiced for years in Japan is now being implemented by the Landeswohnungsgenossenschaft with the new senior citizens residence and care home in Timelkam in Upper Austria. By integrating a kindergarten group with adjoining child welfare clinic on the ground floor encounters between the generations are nurtured, creating opportunities for communication rather than isolation.

As the building in Timelkam had outlived its use and no longer met the regulations set out in the National Senior Citizens and Care Home Directive, the regional housing society for Upper Austria (Gemeinnützige Landeswohnungsgenossenschaft für Oberösterreich or LAWOG for short) seized the opportunity to realize a new concept. In the competition for the new build held in 2010 the focus was already on young and old coming together: It was part of the planning brief to make provision for childcare facilities.

Architects F2 and Steinkellner & Partner also located the children’s playground in the middle of the resident’s park. Director of the senior citizen’s residence, Josef Festner, hopes this will not only create occasional contacts but that subsequently “the kindergarten kids will make numerous visits to the residents, because children are very important for old people.” Work on the new building costing EUR 9.5 million began as early as late November 2011. In the first phase the new residence was built with space for 80 residents, including three for shortterm care. Planners incorporated senior citizens’ wishes for bright and personalized rooms and communication centers on all floors.

Expansive windows ensure rooms receive ample daylight while large additional skylights let the sun shine down into the corridors. Varied and friendly colors in the access zones of the individual floors help residents find their way around, seating in the main corridors create places for meetings.

The senior citizens moved into their new home early November 2013; following the demolition of their previous residence the second building phase comprised constructing the child-care facilities and integrated welfare clinic.

Then in September 2014 the ground floor, which also houses the administration, the facility management wing, the chapel and communal areas was ready for the children to use.

As children are more open and uncomplicated in approaching people spontaneous contacts between young and old can take place here. The aim is for the various generations to mix – and possibly children and senior citizens will soon meet here on a daily basis to play, sing or make things together, as they do in the homes in Tokyo.

Project information

  1. Location: Timelkam, AT
  2. Client: LAWOG, Linz, AT
  3. Architects: F2 Architekten, Schwanenstadt, AT
    Steinkellner & Partner, Wien, AT
  4. Light planner: FHK Ingenieurbüro GmbH, Ansfelden, AT