Competition | Day Center for Individuals on the Severest Spectrum of Autism

Award: Honorable Mention | Architectural Competition KDAF11/2025 (42613)

The building operates as a "balance filter," utilizing spatial organization to actively manage the sensory environment and support user autonomy.

Positioned as a protective shield along the southern road boundary, the layout places acoustic-buffering functions—such as utilities, staff areas, and technical infrastructure—facing the city. This creates an immediate layer of insulation, allowing the primary classrooms and therapy rooms to face north, opening directly onto a quiet, low-contrast green landscape.

The program is distributed across three connected blocks: administration and activities to the west, a non-congested dining and service core in the center, and specialized therapies with an infirmary to the east.

Movement dictates the geometry. The orthogonal grid introduces selectively curved corners that eliminate dead ends, facilitating intuitive "wall-follow" navigation while softening shadow lines. On the facade, vertical louvers filter daylight into a soft, glare-free glow, intentionally stopping at main exits to clearly mark transitions to the outdoors. By aligning the main entrance with the natural grade of the sidewalk, the design eliminates the need for extensive ramping, while the structural grid is engineered for future vertical expansion to preserve the open ground-level landscape.