Residential- and Activity Center Bergheim, Halden | Norway
In the Norwegian municipality of Halden, the country’s largest residential and activity centre for people with dementia was opened on 1. April 2019. The solid wood building with an area of 11.000 m² offers 96 residential units as well as space for a cultural area, a café, a fitness and wellness area, a hairdresser and other function rooms for residents, employees and relatives.
FACTS
Project Residential and Activity Center
Place Halden, Norway
Construction 2019
Project type New building, nursing building
Area 11.000 m²
Client Community Halden
Construction Company Solid Entreprenør AS
Head of the design group Multiconsult
Architecture LINK Arkitektur
Interior designer Cadi
Products Used 2,400 m³ binderholz CLT BBS of which 700 m³ in residential visible quality, 100 m³ glulam GLT
Project
For the municipal council of Halden it was clear that the Bergheim residential and activity centre would be built as a passive house in solid wood construction. In addition to the environmental aspects of naturalness and sustainability and the advantages of an excellent indoor climate and good energy values, the solid wood project makes it clear that the municipality takes the climatic challenges seriously.
The design team Multiconsult and Link Architektur were able to win the Architectural Award competition in summer 2017 with their design for this project.
Preparatory work for the project began in parallel with the demolition of an older building on the property. Thanks to an effective cooperation between the clients, planners, suppliers and craftsmen, the complete building complex could be completed after only about 12 months of construction. Thanks to the high degree of prefabrication, the assembly of the solid wood elements took only about three months.
The arrangement of the contiguous parts of the building resembles a horseshoe shape, with a spacious and beautifully landscaped garden in the middle. The extraordinary geometry of the roof construction creates different room heights in the attic of the two- to three-storey building.
Of decisive advantage for the clients is also the great flexibility that the timber construction entails, whereby future extensions of the building are possible and easy to implement at any time if required.
Implementation
Due to a tight time frame, the execution was carried out by several assembly teams working at the same time, which gradually worked their way from the outside to the inside of the building. A total of 2400 m³ binderholz CLT BBS of which 700 m³ in visual quality and 100 m³ glulam were used.
Considering the time aspect, it was crucial for the contracting authority that the solid wood elements were also precisely designed to fit the technical connections, which, thanks to the very high degree of prefabrication of the binderholz construction solutions, made a significant difference in shortening the assembly time in contrast to other construction designs.
A particular challenge at the residential and activity centre for residents in need of care was the implementation of fire and sound insulation. Innovative solutions in combination with the wood construction system have made it possible to meet the high requirements without exception.
The façade of the building is covered with pine panels, which creates a harmonious transition to the extensive garden in the inner courtyard and blends harmoniously into the surroundings.
Modern technology in a solid wood building
It was important for the municipality of Halden that the new centre should provide a homely atmosphere and be equipped with the latest technologies to enable the residents to live a safe everyday life and to make it easier for the staff to take care of them. For this purpose, each resident has a wristwatch in which a sensor is installed, which detects deviations from normal movements and triggers an alarm on the receivers of the employees as soon as the person is possibly in a situation in need of help.
Photos: © Solid
Video: © Halden kommune
Plans: © binderholz
