Legends residential complex

Karres en Brands, together with Architekten Cie., ANA architecten and Dura Vermeer won the competition for a new senior housing block in Utrecht, Leidsche Rijn. The project Legends is a 55+ housing concept that seeks to answer the rising demand for senior housing whilst creating a vitalizing living environment. The new young-old generation has, like the rest of Legends, been the design foundation for the inner garden. Vital seniors who are still active, healthy and find themselves in the middle of life, but who also want to prepare for aging. As the elderly generation is changing, the need for other kinds of spaces is too. This generation need spaces that meet both their active physical and mental capabilities whilst being future proof.

Leidsche Rijn is characterized by neatly laid out streets and rigorous spaces with rows of trees. With its formalistic character, inspired by cities such as Paris, Barcelona and Milan, the harsh formal exteriors are often complemented by lush wild interiors. Similarly, Legends is designed with a strong duality. In contrast to the surroundings, which are stoney, structured and static, the inside is wild, lush, and layered with different kinds of both horizontal and vertical planting. Wood and green are the dominant materials in this soft inner world, which combines the security of a garden with the dynamic, ever-changing liveliness of a community centre. Both for people, flora, and fauna.
 

A lush courtyard with a walking route and social areas along the edges invites residents to exercise and interact. Views through the garden, the presence of stairs and galleries and the stimulation of the senses, naturally offer their minimum needed movement of the day and invite residents to engage in an informal conversation with the neighbour. The looping garden path expands each time it crosses communal indoor spaces, creating meeting points that support the collective indoor activities and create a seamless indoor/outdoor connection.

As we age, we slowly lose our senses. Our vision deteriorates, the sense of taste weakens, and cold is felt more quickly on the bones. That is why strong impressions for the senses and comfortable materials have been an integral part of the design. Flowers and berries in red and orange accents, more visible to old eyes, are chosen along the paths, a world of scents and flavours in the herb area, wood for sitting edges and flora that attracts singing birds and buzzing bees. In this way, Legends not only ensures a healthy urban environment for its residents, but also for the surrounding ecosystem.