Providing services to 80 residents with developmental intellectual disabilities, the Day Care Village proposal by PRAUD sits on a site on the north-west side of Beer Sheba. The city provides facilities and community services to 700 people with developmental intellectual disabilities of various levels, and the project is part of their aim to support and assist those in need. Hence, the project must not only address the demand of day care center but also suggest a typology for day care center so that it can influence future development of service facilities in Beer Sheba. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Beer Sheba is the seventh largest city in Israel and the largest urban center in the south of the nation, and still has a growing numbers of immigrants. One of the strong characters of the city is that it holds a multitude of facilities for people with developmental intellectual disabilities. It means that the urban structure and the facilities have influence to each other, and therefore, a new day care center should suggest an urban typology that can be dissolved into the city fabric as well.
The typology we propose is “the Village”. The idea is coming from the scale of existing fabrics and how urban spaces are composed with them. When you see the site for the day care center, it is located right by residential development, which is, and will be, the case for most of facilities in Beer Sheba. It means that the typology should address the issue of how can the day care center be harmonized with neighborhood residential fabric. Thus, we brought the scale of residential buildings to the day care center, and located them carefully on the site to make the Day Care Village making use of the whole site.
Just as how open spaces are formed in neighborhood area, the Day Care Village also forms courtyards and open spaces with displacement of masses. But in the village, things are organized more carefully so that the village can provide common courtyard spaces for residents only, as required, and open public spaces that dialog with neighborhood. Also, mother group courtyards are planted in the mass so that they have secured open spaces and people with developmental intellectual disabilities can use the space without any disturbance.
Based on the requirement and program, 4 masses are proposed for phase 1, another 4 for phase 2 and 2 for phase 3. Masses in each phase compose a common courtyard, and are linked to each other through covered paths. It allows to have independent space for mother group facilities. For instance, 3 nursing mother group facilities are separated from therapeutic mother group and common facilities. It gives more privacy to the residents and less distractions.
In terms of construction method, we are proposing concrete block masonry system for the Day Care Village. It is cost-effective and allows for variability. With all this in mind, we have attempted to create a soothing and harmonious environment that allows for the proper care of the residents. We want to provide a safe haven for them to enjoy their daily life and routine. Not only does the “Village” concept allow for this, but it also provides an ideal scenario for expansion and incorporation of more programmatic elements.
Architects: PRAUD
Location: Beer Sheba, Israel
Design Team: Dongwoo Yim, Rafael Luna
Program: Daycare Center
Site Area: 4,800 m2
Floor Area: 1,580 m2
Year: 2013
