Åsaheimen Nursing Home, Åsane, Bergen, Norway
Åsaheimen Nursing Home was built on a hill in the center of Åsane, Bergen, on the southwest coast of Norway and comprises 100 resident rooms, large common spaces, and outdoor areas.
The skilled nursing home offers space for 100 residents with dementia and other diseases that cause deterioration in cognitive function.
The goal was to deliver the project using Lean, universal design, and BREEAM Excellent certification for sustainability strategies, including ample natural light and views of the surrounding nature.
Maximizing the site
The community is organized in four buildings that are situated to adapt within the landscape, creating a variety of outdoor spaces including small gardens and outdoor social areas. Varying in height and color, the buildings give the impression of multiple smaller buildings existing in harmony, rather than one large complex.
The exterior façades are designed to be low maintenance, playful, and transparent. This is achieved by using metal cladding, and timber details in the outdoor ceilings, entrance areas, and window placements.
Each buildings houses 10 private residential units and a communal space around a central core. The layout is slightly different in each building to adapt to the light conditions and surrounding views.
Creating communal space for seniors
The four buildings are connected by a central hub known as the “Heart Zone.” Warm materials, integrated artwork, comfortable furniture, and a selection of lighting and plants help create a cozy and sensory-rich atmosphere, while large windows flood the space with natural light and provide calming views of the garden and nearby woods.
The Heart Zone’s outdoor spaces such as balconies, gardens, and a large, partially covered rooftop terrace are also easily accessible.
Creating a homelike setting in resident rooms
The residents’ rooms are designed to feel bright and homelike, with floor-to-ceiling windows, natural materials, and a calming color palette. The entrance to each residential unit houses a wardrobe for residents and visitors to hang their coats.
Additional spaces in the community include bright and contemporary staff meeting rooms and offices; dedicated rooms for residents to have appointments with a doctor, dentist, and hairdresser; and several activity rooms.
Åsaheimen Nursing Home project details
Location: Åsane, Bergen, Norway
Completion date: December 2022
Owner: Bergen municipality
Total building area: 114,097 sq. ft.
Total construction cost: $35 million
Cost/sq. ft.: $309/sq. ft.
Architect: Nordic Office of Architecture
Interior designer: Nordic Office of Architecture/Norconsult
General contractor: Skanska
Engineer: Norconsult
Builder: Skanska
