HEWI Mag / References

Accessible solutions for people at CHNP De Park

Under the motto "equality in diversity", the CNPH De Park centre in Ettelbruck offers care and therapy to people with an intellectual disability. In this article you will learn how residents and patients are supported by accessible sanitary solutions from HEWI. 

Meeting and learning: De Park puts humanist ideals into practice in everyday life

Three rivers flow into each other in the valley of Ettelbruck in the centre of the Nordstad in the north of Luxembourg. Between green hills and dark forests, the town has developed into a popular shopping centre. Here, young people from a wide variety of backgrounds come together to live and learn in a spacious centre.

In 1855, the Grand Duchy founded the Centre Hospitalier Neuro-Psychiatrique, or CHNP. Today the facility, once designed as a central hospice, is divided into three areas. In addition to a senior citizen and psychiatric rehabilitation centre, the De Park Centre offers a wide range of therapy and care services for young adults with a disability.

Approximately 460 residents and clients utilize CNPH services. Residents and day clients test their abilities here in the spacious premises and are accompanied on their way to more independence and a fulfilled life. Respect and tolerance towards all, the well-being and personal development of the individual mark the foundations of the therapeutic and pedagogical work. This approach is architecturally implemented in the bright, functional rooms of the facility.

The CNPH De Park: functionality meets aesthetics

In two day care centres and six residential units, people live, learn, laugh and work at De Park. The architecture of the building is tailored to these requirements. Pavilions, workshops and buildings are spread over a total area of four hectares between extensive green spaces. The centre is open to the neighbouring community, with the aim of integrating the residents into the everyday life of the community, taking into account their individual needs. The renovation and conversion work followed a clear message: architecture must respond to the specific needs of people with a disability, not the other way round.

At the beginning of the restructuring of De Park, a residential pavilion and a company building were demolished. On the newly created area, the developers realized five new buildings, six old ones were lovingly restored and renovated. A floor space of 6500 square meters was created, on which 92 places for day activities and 100 single rooms are spread today.

New sanitary facilities are designed from the outset to meet the needs of residents. Lifts and other structures ensure accessible living and unhindered movement. Short distances between accommodation and day centres increase the mobility and autonomy of the residents. The architecture follows the contemporary concept with modern, clear lines and creates living spaces and infrastructures that are functional yet inviting.

There are no walls or fences on the site, because De Park is a place for people to meet. Spatial and visual security is provided instead by the enclosed inner courtyard, which is both a place of refuge and a meeting place.

De Park's buildings emphasize the concept of the facility with straightforward and functional details. Here, the aspect of mental handicap is reduced to the bare minimum, so that the residents of De Park can live in the midst of society.   

Standard-compliant barrier-free sanitary equipment with Series 477/801

In the barrier-free sanitary rooms, the planners have used toilet paper holders, brush sets, rotating folding support handles and angled handles in pure white, the classic among the barrier-free sanitary series 477/801.

In the shower there is a solution from the professional care system with suspended seats from the LifeSystem from HEWI. The system can be used independently of physical requirements. Products that can be used flexibly promote the independence of users. 

The architects: Beng creates functional rooms with modern aesthetics for a feeling of well-being

The necessary framework, discreet and yet reliable, is provided by the architectural design of the Beng office. The architect's office Beng Architectes Associés goes back to the collaboration of four fellow students. Today Beng stands for clear forms, for intelligent and creative architecture with comprehensible lines and structures. The projects are planned and designed with an eye to both economy and ecology, and blend harmoniously into their surroundings. Beng Architecture combines aesthetics with pragmatism, creating down-to-earth buildings with creative, modern solutions. Because beauty is or can also be functional, and sophisticated design does not exclude practicality.  

Download publication free of charge

further topics