Hof van Breunissen, Gendt

Commissioned by the St.Joseph Care Group and Gendt Housing Association, VAN AKEN designed a multifunctional building consisting of 30 nursing appartments places organised in grouphomes, 30 care places in individual apartments, 60 apartments to be let or sold, office space for the Housing Association, a restaurant and subterranean parking places. The Hof van Breunissen is compact with a modern idiom. By taking into account the scale of the development and a need for regional materials, such as plaster and bricks from the factory in Gendt, it satisfies the need to associate with the locality of Gendt.

While te building has a considerable diversity in its functionality and many residents it has a thriving central “hart” with a public character. Assorted general purpose spaces were allocated for a Grand Cafe, a shop, a restaurant, a hairdresser, a pedicure and also a general, multifunctional area.

The interior was also designed by VAN AKEN. Materials and the use of colours were chosen to generate warmth and a cosy feeling, one of style and elegance. By tying the colours and materials used for the walls, doors and floors to the functions it increases their recognition.  In that way the residents’ orientation is improved.

The landscape of Gendt and surroundings, with its river landscape, the Betuwe with a surfeit of water and cherry trees is very inspiring. This forms a recurring theme throughout the building and is reflected in various ways in the interior. For example, the cherry is to be found on the front desk, in the nurses’ counter and by the check-out area in the restaurant. In order to extend the degree of privacy for visitors to the hairdresser and pedicure the glass front was made less transparent by imposing  an image of reed.

A landscape photo mosaic on the high walls in the atrium, together with the aforementioned cherry and reed images, ads to the atmosphere in the entrance area.

The nursing department was set up specifically for geriatric clients. Some of the walls have wallpaper covered with images from the past to help both their orientation and their feelings of being in a safe environment.