Sint-jozef Lier

assar assisted Amate vzw for many years in maintaining and expanding the entire campus in Lier. Until now, the program consisted of the renewal of the reception, group administration, industrial kitchen, public cafetaria and a lot of care homes. A new wing was build for 32 residents with dementia in 2018.

Currently assar is working on the expansion of the campus with 120 new care rooms, completing the winning master plan proposal in 2020. After years of renovating and expanding, assar and Amate carefully evaluated the future renovation of the campus. We had to conclude the historic buildings could no longer carry any more structural impact or reconversion due to low ceilings, small rooms and interfering flows.

In 2020, Amate vzw decided to publish an architectural competition for the design of a master plan of the entire campus, systematically replacing all buildings with new ones.

“assar’s master plan was selected from several candidates for its ingenuity and charming gesture to the neighborhood,” says Amate.

Masterplan

The historical growth of Lier used a city block structure that defined the streets throughout the city center.
The current infrastructure of the care campus has grown from the inside of the plot, resulting in meaningless neglected space along the public space. By building along the streets, the campus regains a public presence and combines the scattered green areas into one large, pleasant and usable garden. 

assar took the initiative to negotiate with the city of Lier about a possible connection to nearby nature, reinforcing both the experience of residents and the public.

The area for the next phase contains a twofold that perfectly fits a small-scale division of 2 resident groups. This way, Amate’s demand to accommodate 120 residents is reached by creating 6 small-scale groups of 20 people. Connecting the two living groups is a central core that houses all common functions. The core is located next to the current heart of the campus, which means all day care functions are close to public functions such as the cafeteria, hairdresser, beautician and reception.

An architectural expression of this central core will provide orientation, diversity and togetherness. A golden crown shows of the technology of renewable energy, rather than the struggle to hide the beautiful investment.

Recently delivered building (2019) for 32 residents suffering from dementia.

The recently build red-brick extension for residents suffering from dementia, was designed to accommodate four groups of eight residents. This small-scale concept has been scientifically proven to be curative and helpful for residents with this dreadful condition. The small scale concept avoids an institutional feel by creating a warm and home-like environment.In order to support the memory of the residents, we created a recognizable, unique place on each floor to improve their orientation. We framed these communal places in concrete, creating a view over the beautiful Nete river. Intriguing the residents and offering them a peaceful place to stay. The readability of the facade, which shows what’s behind the skin, became a recurring phenomenon that will lead the rest of the larger master plan.

assar also developed an interior concept containing soft finishing materials such as faux-wood floors and decorative wallpaper that will create a warm feel. The concept was developed in such a flexible way that it became applicable in other care homes of Amate, creating a corporate identity for all locations.