Located in the Catalonian countryside, in the city of Reus, the project has been promoted by a non-profit foundation and it is the first pro bono project of GCA Architects.
The design examines the notion of “social” as an organization of spaces which make therapy and human interactions easier. In the central courtyard - core center of the project - rises an olive tree, symbol for the founder family. This patio supports and illuminates the central circulation area that is intended as a wide but slow space, always with the image of the olive tree that transmits sensitivity and tranquility. Here, the circulations are solved in a simple and logical way to facilitate the use and to take advantage of all the spaces of coexistence.
It comes as state-of-the-art technology the use of a wood construction system called CLT. Wood is the main material of this project not only for its sense of spatial warmth - the idea of ​​creating a warm and friendly environment - but also due to its flexibility of use, essential in the case of the Healthcare Center. This system allows the division in areas of controlled dimension without losing the advantages that a single large space can provide.
Surrounded by green spaces, the architecture generates a peaceful sensation. The gardens and outdoor spaces are designed to carry out complementary activities to the regular therapies. These independent spaces, communicated with each other, are determined by the building's own projection towards the outside. The beauty and variety of the garden have a positive impact on the user as it stimulates senses, calms the mind and reconnect with past experiences and memories.
The design, the gardens and the different furniture elements have a common objective: to facilitate socialization and contact with nature in order to contribute to well-being and improve the quality of life.

In parallel with the process of integrating the program, the challenge of the design was to understand the day-to-day difficulties of people with Alzheimer's, empathize with them, and create a space where they could feel at home, but at the same time a simple and functional place.

The project speaks about the complex relationship between the “self”, the “communal” and the different personal perceptions of the architectural space. The main objective of the design is to encourage socialization through the layering of public, semi-public and private space in a spatial procession, putting the human experience at the base of the design process.

The architectural spaces steer the social relationships not only among the users, their families and the medical staff, but also between the users and their reminiscences. The architects have woven a series of social spatial experiences creating fluid zones celebrating learning, exercising and socializing.

Aware of the impact of light on the perception of space, special attention has been given to the treatment of natural and artificial light as well as the materials and volumes that reflects it. Spatial warmth was an important element to create an orchestra of perceptions that would recreate the sensation of domesticity. Wood, used both for structure and finishing, allowed to create a warm and friendly environment, that the user could feel like “home”.
The Alzheimer’s Day Center is a series of spatial conditions which respond to the intricate nature of illness, family and domesticity. A custom-made design which responds to therapy requirements, yet conscious that to feel better we need to feel at home, in contact with nature and surrounded by the people we love.