An embracing courtyard

With a program like this, our usual approach must be turned upside down, because we are forced to see our typical methods with new eyes. Whereas we typically aim to create the physical framework for a housing development, with the new crisis center on Bornholm we have focused on informal everyday encounters. We have strived to make space for good neighborhood life. Here, meeting in the stairwell, the courtyard, or by the bicycle rack will be the focal point of the architecture we wish to create.

It’s about creating a safe environment around a daily life that is fragile and new. There will be a need for manageable, predictable frameworks. There is no room for surprises here.

By drawing inspiration from a traditional four-winged farm from Bornholm, we have sought to create a building that embraces a safe courtyard – where you can safely let the children play while cooking, doing laundry, or just sitting.

The proposal also includes an ambition to keep the construction solutions at such a simple level that we, to the greatest extent possible, ensure funds for materials, spatial qualities, and the best possible daylight conditions in both indoor and outdoor spaces.

We set the framework for a safe and high-quality everyday life during a difficult transition period, as well as a good and secure working environment for staff and volunteers.