HOME FOR ELDERLY KRANJ

LOCATION
Kranj, Slovenija

COMPETITION YEAR
June 2021

ARCHITECTURE OFFICE
Ravnikar - Potokar arhitekturni biro d.o.o.

ARCHITECTURE
Robert Potokar, Matej Fornazarič, Laura Perko, Viktorija Bogdanova, Mina Gutović

COLLABORATORS
Vilko Šuligoj, Andrej Fojkar

PRIZE
2nd Prize

The urban concept and the positioning of the new home within its context are defined both by the existing urban structure of the residential neighbourhood east of Bleiweisova cesta and by the architectural significance of the Franceta Prešerna Primary School, designed in the 1960s by architect Stanko Kristl. The architecture establishes a dialogue between the urban and the natural, while a generous public square is formed between the new building and Bleiweisova cesta. The square opens views towards the mountains and transforms the space between the building and the street into a threshold connecting the city with the surrounding landscape.

The floor plan follows a rational orthogonal geometry, providing an efficient and straightforward basis both for construction and everyday use. At the same time, the clarity of the orthogonal organisation makes the building immediately legible to its users, reducing the potential for conflicts and facilitating intuitive orientation. The compactness of the volume further reinforces its efficiency and functionality. By concentrating the building rather than dispersing its programme, the design reduces the overall building envelope and consequently contributes to lower energy losses.

Within this compact configuration, the organisation of the individual residential units is articulated as a cluster-based structure. Each floor accommodates three units, which can be interconnected either horizontally through a continuous circulation loop or vertically via the three vertical circulation cores distributed throughout the building.

All rooms are oriented towards natural sunlight, facing south, east or west. The home is therefore conceived as a compact rectangular volume with a generous central courtyard, ensuring natural daylight reaches both the occupied spaces and the circulation areas.

The rooms are organised with a single-sided orientation towards the corridor. A dual-sided configuration would not provide sufficient daylight or adequate natural air movement within the circulation spaces. The central courtyard therefore becomes an essential spatial and environmental element of the building, bringing daylight and a sense of openness deep into the compact volume while simultaneously structuring its internal organisation.