Centre for Geriatric Psychiatry in ­Pfäfers

Architects: huggenbergerfries Architekten, CH–Zürich
Structural engineering: Gruner + Wepf Ingenieure, CH–St. Gallen

1:5000 Site plan
1:1000 Floor plans
1:1000 Sections
1:20 Sections

Room-height elements to prevent inmates falling out were specified over all opening lights and loggias and for the roof terrace. The architects wished to avoid solutions that might recall oppressive prison bars, however. Instead, they oriented their design to the anonymous architecture of the barns and stables in the area, creating brick facades laid in a special form – with openings that allow air to pass through. The entire building is enclosed in a skin of engineering bricks reminiscent of wattle. Perforated panels, bounded at top and bottom by horizontal concrete string courses, are integrated quite naturally into the design. Depending on the perspective and the incidence of light, open and closed areas manifest themselves, or the facades have a homogeneous appearance. To allow a precise yet uncomplicated prefabrication of the relief panels, a system was developed based on pairs of bricks of equal height but of different lengths.