Daycare centre "PERLE" in Cesis Municipality, Latvia
The daycare centre is a pilot project for the EU deinstitutionalisation programme in the Cēsis region with the aim of helping people with mental and functional challenges to integrate into society. The aim was to create a place open to the society and city but at the same time a safe space for the users. The daycare centre is not as much institution rather a large house. In an extremely tight budget the goal was to give the most vulnerable part of the society the best that we possibly can.
Local
Latvia
Cesis Municipality
Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Yes
ERDF : European Regional Development Fund
The project were granted ERAF funds 1 122 375,41 eur for making social infrastructure (mostly budget for construction). Time period 03.07.2019 - 02.10.2021
No
Yes
2021-10-02
As a representative of an organization, in partnership with other organisations
Name of the organisation(s): SIA ĒTER Type of organisation: For-profit company First name of representative: Dagnija Last name of representative: Smilga Gender: Female Nationality: Latvia Function: Architect, founder of ĒTER Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Rūpniecības 13-6 Town: Riga Postal code: LV-1010 Country: Latvia Direct Tel:+371 29 408 098 E-mail:dagnija.smilga@gmail.com Website:https://eeter.net/
Name of the organisation(s): Cēsis Municipality Type of organisation: Public authority (European/national/regional/local) First name of representative: Atis Last name of representative: Egliņš - Eglītis Gender: Male Nationality: Latvia Function: Deputy Chairman of the Council Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Raunas iela 4 Town: Cēsis, Cēsu novads Postal code: LV-4101 Country: Latvia Direct Tel:+371 68 803 320 E-mail:atis.eglins@cesunovads.lv Website:https://www.cesis.lv/lv/
The daycare centre is a pilot project for the EU deinstitutionalisation programme in the Cēsis region with the aim of helping people with mental and functional challenges to integrate into society. The aim was to create a place open to the society and city but at the same time a safe space for the users. The daycare centre is not as much institution rather a large house.
In an extremely tight budget the goal was to give the most vulnerable part of the society the best that we possibly can. A generous bright space with a close connection to nature, livable terrace with pergola that filters light, warm continuous concrete floors - all spaces made with special care for accessibility.
The maximum use of daylight, natural materials and the constructive clarity where timber structure is space and space is structure make the compact 720 m2 building feel generous.
Various spaces such as workshops, therapy procedures, sensory room and multifunctional hall are all organised on one level sheltered by a large triangular shaped roof. The garden is carefully kept untouched, in the future it is planned to have fruit trees, a pond and even some domestic animals.
Inclusion
awareness
economy
nature
atmosphere
1) The purpose of the Daycare centre Pērle is to support the local community, providing workshops and special services for both children and grown-ups with mental and functional disabilities. This public building is therefore caring for the most vulnerable group of society, giving it exposure and place in society as well as enhancing closer ties between all Cēsis citizens through their activities, workshops and celebrations throughout the year.
2) Space is structure and structure is space: robust and flexible floor layout which allows to be used in many different ways,
3) Maximised use of natural daylight. Most of the year there is no need for switching on artificial lights,
4) Building open to South-West with terrace and a pergola that diffuses natural daylight and protects spaces from overheating,
5) Timber frame construction, supporting local wood industry,
6) Local, small regional construction company,
7) Two retaining walls are made of lightweight concrete blocks which can be recycled,
8) Floor heating is carried out by a pellet boiler, using renewable energy source produced locally,
9) Infiltration of water in the landscape, no additional load on city communications.
Key objective was to dismantle the image of an institution, creating a feeling of “a home away from home” instead. Key objectives in terms of aesthetics and experience: light, simple, open building, transparent and warm but robust in its functionality. Use of natural colours and honest materials which are pleasant to touch. Building that connects to nature. All design factors that would produce a calming experience.
We imagined that the daycare centre feels rather like a big house, and people in it as a large extended family and it does. It is a bit protected from the noisy street while completely open to the landscape and allows its users to make a profound connection with nature - observe how sun is changing throughout the day, observe shadows, rays of sun filtering through the canopy, clouds, rain and snow. When the meadow is covered in dandelions in early spring, the spaces get a warm yellow atmosphere. There are no dark, long corridors in the building. The lobby can be merged with event space to host exhibitions of works produced in Pērle, as well as various concerts and performances. Midsummer festival and celebrations took place on the terrace, using it as a stage towards the inclined garden. Special, sensory mattresses were produced to use for therapeutic purposes - laying down, resting, napping, reading, daydreaming, playing, close-watching and close-listening.
Key objectives for inclusion: Human-centred approach, where all members of society, especially the most vulnerable, are taken into consideration in policy making. Proof is a quote from director of Pērle, Dita Trapenciere: “This building feels like a big canvas, where everyone is welcomed to use it as theirs”. She also mentioned that whenever there is an interest from a new potential client, and the caretakers visit the building, it is an immediate “yes” for taking part in the programme. It was also important to take a rather decolonised, innovative design approach instead of copying daycare centres already existing elsewhere in the EU. Reasoning for doing so was enhanced by the surrounding context, limited budget and awareness of the fact that this is the first new building in Latvia of this kind and therefore able to set an example for those that will follow. There are no obstructions and obstacles, no fences around the territory, everything is accessible on a single ground floor which spills out onto the terrace and then into the garden. In all seasons users take full advantage of the territory, gardening, resting and taking walks - sometimes with specialists, sometimes on their own. The building is in no way oppressive, and is used very well as a big house. Even the reception area has become a library. Pērle is also part of wider social ecosystem, connecting it to the various communities of Cēsis, establishing new opportunities for the social groups.
For Latvia, this is a major paradigm shift in perception as the state has inherited the soviet societal model where social rehabilitation institutions are hidden away, deep inside the forests, away from cities and towns, giving society a false impression of the composition of society as a whole. On local, Cēsis city, Cēsis parish municipality as well as wider, Vidzeme regional level, Pērle has helped significantly to raise awareness not only for the needs of people with mental and functional disabilities, but also their capabilities, strengths and talents. Through workshops and activities, social media and most important - physical space - exhibitions, events and celebrations at Pērle, their skills and abilities are made visible to the general public. Society is gradually becoming aware of its own composition, its values, and seeking for opportunities to include, involve people with disabilities by providing jobs and collaboration with social services. With Pērle, Cēsis is a much healthier, prosperous and socially secure regional city to choose as a home.
1) Client is Cēsis Municipality (added value - project management and supervision, contract supervision with the construction company),
2) User, during the project stage - Cēsis Social Service (Impact on the programmatic content, layout of the building, materials, details),
3) Clients - people with mental and functional disabilities (Involved in various workshops - for example - coming up with the name of the building “Pērle, going on site visit trips before building was completed, submitting drawings for its logo. We picked one of the drawings and turned it into a safety pattern on the glass. Its author is one of the users of the building.)
4) Current user - public organisation Rīgas pilsētas Rūpju bērns. (Uses building as a blank canvas to be as a base for their daily activities and produced materials. With their activities and events (also for general public) the building has become an important local community space)
Project is financed as part of the EU Deinstitutionalisation programme via the Ministry of Welfare of the Republic of Latvia. The creation of the infrastructure of social services takes place within the framework of the ERDF project "Multifunctional Social Services Center "Cēsis"". The total funding of the project is EUR 1,843,676.77, including ERDF funding EUR 1,122,375.41, state budget grant to municipalities EUR 46,394.83, state budget funding EUR 108,185.55 and municipal funding EUR 566,720.98.
Both Cēsis social services as well as Cēsis municipality were very closely connected to us as the architects of Pērle. We had the chance to design the project in its entity - starting from winning the competition in 2018, developing the architectural project, getting it approved, supervising it on site, developing interior project, assisting the client with procurement procedures, supervising it, picking all the furniture together with Cēsis Social services, developing signage, name and logo with client, user and graphic designer Goda Budvytytė. Even design for outdoor furniture objects and Landscape plan was developed, unfortunately - there are currently not enough funds available for these. Perhaps that is why the international jury of Latvian Architecture Awards 2022, which awarded Pērle with the Gran Prix, referred to it as Gesamtkunstwerk.
A prototype for a contemporary daycare centre, exemplary for Latvia and the wider Baltic region. There have been numerous excursions to Pērle and meetings of politicians, social workers, doctors and municipality representatives to discuss the implementation of this social programme and significance of this new, pilot project building in enhancing its success. By example of Pērle, Cēsis has been able to position itself as a city that cares for the most vulnerable groups of society and attracts young families with disabilities.
Firstly, this is the first new building built for a daycare centre in Latvia. Usually these programs are placed in refurbished buildings that do not entirely fit the needs of the users. With our project we have created a precedent where other buildings as such (like group housing) get more legitimacy and attention now.
Secondly, the project proves that good architecture does not always need to be expensive, rather smart. And this is something new for Latvian Architecture scene and Baukultur.
Thirdly, the way how building is organised and used - it allows for much more flexibility and adaptability. For example, we have created spaces that can be connected or separated by curtain. Normally these kinds of rooms are small 12-15 m2 cabinets whereas in this building there is an option to have a large workshop space of 120 m2 that gives much more possibilities for the user. Additionally, we have made large terraces as an extension of the inside space - this allowed us to save on construction costs, nevertheless achieve spacious feeling and add daily activities outside the building.
Even though we did not strictly follow a particular methodology, there have been aspects in the process that are related to Critical Design theory. A lot of tests, tryouts and prototype fragments were produced before arriving at the final design solution. A lot of thinking was done exactly through design rather than through words. Visual and spatial tests were always discussed with Cēsis Social Services. Often, after receiving input that was not strictly spatial, design decisions were made on an intuitive level. Project is a manifestation of spatial language and structure that engages people.The building was reduced three times during the design process following economy of scale and square metre construction price, to ensure a compact space, but with high spatial quality.
1) The approach of treating institutions as a large home could be applied further in thinking of new healthcare and rehabilitation places. The care and “small things” that are added to the building - an outside grill integrated in the building facade for grilling sausages, hammocks hanged in the terrace pergola, entrance oval to bring the light deeper in the house, orientation system that is done with colour and animal icons, not with numbers and built in furniture that are made of wood to have a cosy feel.
2) The flexibility of the project in both - wood construction grid that allows for adaptations of space as well as decisions to do larger spaces and divide them up with movable curtains.
3) The sensory mattress that we created as a special element for the daycare centre. It is something between a carpet and a sofa. This tactile, soft piece can be used for laying down, resting, napping, reading, daydreaming, playing, close-watching and close-listening. It can be placed in various indoor spaces as well as out on the terrace or in the garden.
One of the main global challenges our society today faces is the segregation of social groups where it is unfortunately easy to forget about the most vulnerable group of the society - children and grownups with special needs. This project addresses it directly and gives all the best possible attention and solutions to include them in daily city life.
It is also challenging in these kinds of public projects with very limited funding to achieve quality. The difficulty lies from one side in the lack of knowledge of the Municipality of how to successfully use the funding from the European Regional Development Fund and from the other side in the construction laws for the tender procedure. And finally the lack of knowledge and management to lead a building process from competition until built in furniture. This project through various struggles has found a way to gather the funds, the expertise and the energy of so many involved people that it has managed to create an exemple for next social infrastructure projects in Latvia and hopefully broader.
