SWBW Care and Support Center Waidhofen
Competitions
The project for the new nursing and care center, which took third place in an open competition with 75 participants, is conceived as the spatial realization of a contemporary care concept that puts people at the center. The goal is to create an environment that enables self-determination, fosters social interaction, and at the same time offers orientation, security, and privacy.
The building’s structure follows the guiding principle of “Privacy – Neighborhood – Community – Village” and takes the form of a four-winged structure arranged around a central core that serves as a communal gathering and orientation point.
Structural engineering was integrated into the planning team at an early stage and serves as the structural foundation for the building’s distinct spatial form. The structural system enables the striking cloverleaf layout with four courtyards and is based on a hybrid structural concept comprising a solid base and wood or wood-concrete hybrid construction on the upper floors. Two offset cores provide bracing and ensure efficient load transfer while maintaining high functional flexibility.
The recessed courtyards not only define the architecture but are also an integral part of the structural design, enabling a clear, efficient, and robust system logic.
