Nursing Home Nenzing House 1

Nursing station for young people in need of care
General renovation and additions of the historic building
Nenzing/Austria, 2015

raumhochrosen – Heike Schlauch and Robert Fabach

A new home for the elderly,
an old building for the young people

After the relocation of residents of the nursing home Nenzing into a new building (Arch. Dietger Wissounig) the renovation of the old building was done. This house, one of only two of that kind in Vorarlberg, is provided specifically for young people with specific needs.

Two “nursing oasis”, one for demented inhabitants and the other for coma patients, complete the offerings of care. A concept like this will be implemented here in Vorarlberg for the first time.

Inside the huge building at the Bahnhofstrasse a demolition of all floors and walls was necessary in order to adapt the house to the requirements of fire safety and the current building codes. In order to obtain appropriate recreational areas additional rooms were necessary created by a roadside bay providing views alongside the Bahnhofstrasse and generous natural lighting.

On the courtyard side a walkway connects the old building at all floors with the new one. The roof was completely removed and re-attached as a timber construction.

All attachments use the same language in terms of material and structure. A white, smooth aluminum facade differs clearly from the rough plaster facade with its moving concrete structures by shades of white and a play of light and shadow. It shows itself representative towards the street and as a firm contrast to the wooden exterior of the new building. Old and new form a small courtyard at the entrance of the new building.

Client: VOGEWOSI: Alexander Pixner, Helmut Tschegg, Jörg Dreher

User: Senioren- und Pflegeheim Nenzing, Dieter Visintainer

Planing: raumhochrosen – Heike Schlauch and Robert Fabach, Team: Heike Schlauch, Andreas Litschauer, Robert Fabach, Katharina Mohr, Anna Edthofer, Christoph Gilhaus

Photography: Albrecht Imanuel Schnabel