Milda Grabauskaite

ReIntegration Center for Addicts

Reintegration center is a temporary residence for people who have just finished an inpatient addiction treatment programme and are on their way to live independently. Here they could gain some working experience, necessary related skills and knowledge, social connections and psychological support.

One of the main tasks of the building is to provide it’s users with a protective yet inspring place to rediscover themselves, to think of what was it that addictive substances gave them and how could they fill in the void left after they quit using substances in a more natural and less harmful way.

Private and Shared
The main theme in this project is the relationship between private and shared spaces in the building. Private rooms were designed to have a character of a rather personal space so that the inhabitants would feel like they’re at home rather than in an institution. That would comfort and calm them down which is important in a journey of healing and self- search. Nevertheless, rooms also need to be a little bit generic because of their purpose to inhabit different people at different times.

I was aiming to find the right balance of spaces being personal and generic at the same time and I believe I did so by introducing smaller scale, level differences, custom-made furniture into the room Shared spaces have a strong relationship with nature, they are open to inner courtyards with trees and other plants, their floor level is lowered down a little bit to bring plants closer to peoples eye-level.

The shared spaces are more abstract in the way they are made which gives them a character of a pavilion rather than a regular building. Pavilion-like atmosphere gives a hint of being on the boundary between inside and outside of the building, represents a step to the outside world. A smooth transition between the two types of spaces was made by introducing several levels of semi-private spaces in between.

Afstudeercommissie: Machiel Spaan (mentor), Gus Tielens, Tom Frantzen. Toegevoegde leden t.b.v. het examen: Albert Herder, Jan-Richard Kikkert.