Existing institutional building with stepped concrete volumes
Existing open floor plate with concrete columns and long windows
Courtyard balconies and circulation overlooking the planted center
Care-home corridor with timber wall panels and recessed doorways
Resident bedroom opening to a balcony and distant landscape
Axonometric diagram of the layered courtyard volume
Axonometric diagram of the courtyard carved from the building mass
Axonometric diagram tracing circulation around the courtyard
Axonometric diagram of the folded courtyard block
Site-orientation diagram showing access, sun and the folded building

Nestled between railways and the "Crêtes" castle to the north and the river to the west, the project enjoys an elevated position over the urban expanse, providing the lake views. Enclosing the U-shaped structure's western side forms a central courtyard, linked to outdoor parking through a passage, now the project's main entrance.

Continuous circulation within the new volume eliminates dead-ends. The courtyard, enveloped by collective functions, becomes a dynamic space for residents, visitors, and employees to interact.

Balconies oriented towards the courtyard extend from collective spaces on each level.

A green terrace on the second floor, accessible to all, doubles as a communal area, offering a panoramic lake view.

The project comprises three zones: communal spaces on the ground and underground levels, residential units around the courtyard, and autonomous centers on the top floor. Cores connect all levels, fostering movement and interaction in shared areas.

Each floor's circulation forms a loop with outdoor views, creating attractive shared spaces. Maintaining the window rhythm, windows are lowered for comfortable views from room beds. New openings align with the rhythm, maintaining harmony. The façade features five window typologies, suited to specific openings.

Location
CH, Montreux
Works
Transformation and extension
Role
Complete mission, design, and execution
Program
Elderly house - EMS
Surface
6000 m2
Client
Fondation Claire Magnin
Association
Nicole Froehlich and Michiel Van Der loos
Date
2014
Status
Competition

Drawings

Site plan locating the courtyard block within the surrounding district
Long site section setting the low complex into the surrounding ground
Courtyard façade elevation with a regular grid of openings
Façade elevation of the regular window grid on sloping ground
Street façade elevation of the multi-storey courtyard block
Ground-floor plan with shared spaces opening to the central court
First-floor plan organized around the central courtyard
Second-floor plan with perimeter rooms around the courtyard
Third-floor plan with rooms wrapping the central courtyard
Fourth-floor plan of rooms surrounding a large central courtyard
Longitudinal section through the courtyard and residential wings
Transverse section through the courtyard and stepped building levels
Diagram sequence showing angled cuts through a simple building volume

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