Ingelheim-West „Multi-Generation House“
A nursery school on the outskirts of a post-war residential area has been turned into a central multi-generation house. The extravagant architectural extension implied a considerable increase of services. The high commitment of local stakeholders and the permanet support by local politicians and administrators have made this great project successful.
Context
Source: Birgit Kleine-Weitzel, Stadtverwaltung Ingelheim am Rhein
In the city of Ingelheim am Rhein with 26,500 inhabitants, the district of Ingelheim-West, which was created in the 60s and 70s, has become a place of residence with presently about 5,000 inhabitants preferred by many young families. The area is characterised by one-family or terraced houses with socially stabile households and only occasionally by multi-storey houses with low-income households. Many inhabitants, which in the 60s and 70s moved into the district, still feel rooted in their district. By today, Ingelheim-West has not gained any historically matured structure. The need for nearby services and a better infrastructure concerning shopping and leisure activities was high but could for a long time not be met.
Project description
Source: Manfred Fuhrich, BBSR im BBR
With the multi-generation house, a meeting place was created in which the various generations and user groups cannot only find offers that meet their needs but are also able to exchange with each other and to establish ways of supporting each other.
One special element is the service hub which consists of three levels: First of all, services and offers such as homework tutoring or computer courses are provided in-house. Secondly, services are offered outside the house by local residents, e.g. purchasing services or pet sitting. Thirdly, goods and services are offered in-house by users for users that may store their goods in lockable boxes. The café as the heart of the multi-generation house forms the open centre where all generations may meet without restraint and pressure. The multi-generation house furthermore contains many opportunities to retreat for each user group because not all offers must necessarily concern all generations.
The multi-generation house intentionally addresses all inhabitants of Ingelheim-West independently of age, religion, nationality and cultural background. It is meant for children, adolescents, adults, senior citizens, single persons and those feeling alone, people in special situations and for all those looking for contact and company.
With its goal and multifunctional architecture, it explicitly pursues a multi-generation approach in considering the individual needs of certain target groups.
Although the property is mostly covered by the multi-generation house, which has in the meantime been realised to a maximum extent, the surrounding free areas become more and more important also for the institution itself. The free area was extravagantly designed in close connection with the multi-generation house.
Source: Manfred Fuhrich, BBSR im BBR
To promote a close working and living together, the rooms offer spacious open areas and communication zones so that all users can contact each other informally. Furthermore, a distinction is made between zones for which no special uses were defined and zones designed for special uses. Apart from community areas, flexibly usable areas like group rooms, club or consulting offices offer opportunities to live and work with each other. Further differentiation of uses is in so far sought that "public”, freely accessible areas (e.g. café, exercise room) can be found in the ground floor while the rather quiet zones can be found in the top floor (e.g. group rooms and two living rooms: a youth room with “young” furniture and another with furniture suitable for the elderly).
By informing and involving both cooperation partners (schools, parishes, info centres, clubs, associations, companies etc.) and residents in Ingelheim-West already during the planning phase, it could be ensured that the multi-generation house was well accepted and filled with life.
Besides funds from the Experimental Housing and Urban Development research field, the project is funded by the Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate and the county of Mainz-Bingen. The largest financial share for building the multi-generation house with approx. 3 million euros is contributed by the city council of Ingelheim, which also provides the site. With the general operating costs and the staff expenses for the house, the city council of Ingelheim pays the largest share of the permanent costs of the house. By incorporating the project into the action programme on multi-generation houses of the German Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, the project was at first funded with 40,000 euros per year for material and personnel costs over a duration of five years. In addition, the project received funds according to the law on day nurseries of the German Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Project chronology
Year | Event |
---|---|
From 2007 | Public relations work for the multi-generation house launched |
From 2008 | Nursery school extended into multi-generation house |
Aims
Source: Manfred Fuhrich, BBSR im BBR
- a large offer of rooms and adequate home automation system standards for handicapped people
- an open, flexible building structure for various uses
- a clear and open design which supports communication
- also possibility for external users to exploit some of the parts of the building
- architectural-spatial presence of the house within the public space
- diverse offer of outdoor spaces by assigning interior spaces to outdoor spaces
Types of measures
Source: Manfred Fuhrich, BBSR im BBR
- Nursery school rooms extended
- Further building parts for changing purposes added
- Large open zones created
- Extravagant design of free spaces/outdoor facilities
Innovations
Source: Herr Rahn
The special concept in Ingelheim is characterised by the wilful interrelation between professional work in the multi-generation house and opening the institution for voluntary commitment. Local experiences had already been made during the precursor project, the children’s community house. The joint motivation of all parties involved can be considered as one success factor for multi-generation projects.
The various cooperation partners and the organisations integrated in the house were actively involved in defining the concept during workshops and planning meetings. Publicity-oriented events, during which the residents were asked regarding needs and suggestions, were furthermore executed in regular intervals. And the periodical urban district journal informed about the progress of the planning activities. The architectural concept as well, which meets the needs of the different generations through zones – from public to private, from open to user-specific rooms/areas for different groups of users – has an activating effect.
The development of a joint concept and the creation of “rules” for future operation, which already during the project development phase has bound many stakeholders and residents to the multi-generation house, have a guiding character.
Sources
Source: Birgit Kleine-Weitzel, Stadtverwaltung Ingelheim am Rhein
- BBSR website concerning the ExWoSt field of research „Innovationen für familien- und altengerechte Stadtquartiere“ (Innovations for urban areas suitable for families and elderly people), >> more information (in German).
- BMVBS / BBSR (ed.): Stadtquartiere für Jung und Alt - eine Zukunftsaufgabe. Ergebnisse aus dem ExWoSt-Forschungsfeld "Innovationen für familien- und altengerechte Stadtquartiere" (Urban neighbourhoods for young and old - a challenge for the future. Results of the ExWoSt field of research “Innovations for urban areas suitable for families and elderly people”). Werkstatt: Praxis issue 71, Bonn 2011 (Summary in English), >> more information (in German).
- BMVBS (ed.): Stadtquartiere für Jung und Alt. Bilanz im Forschungsfeld "Innovationen für familien- und altengerechte Stadtquartiere" (Urban neighbourhoods for young and old. Results of the field of research “Innovations for urban areas suitable for families and elderly people"), Berlin 2010
- BMVBS / BBR (ed.): Stadtquartiere für Jung und Alt (Urban neighbourhoods for young and old), Bonn, September 2007
Further information
The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 55218 - town: Ingelheim - street: Matthias-Grünewald-Straße 15.
Poject site on Google-Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/SqKrqVuviTL2
Last update: 14.03.2018