Moving is exciting, but usually not that much fun. Especially when it comes to lugging boxes. The residents of the Awo senior citizens’ center in Kirchseeon will not have to do this themselves, but the clearing should still cause some hustle and bustle in the facility. This is one of the reasons why architect Michael Amberg now wanted the move to take place “in one go”. At the most recent meeting of the Kirchseeon municipal council, the planner presented an initial detailed plan for the new Awo senior citizens’ center, which is to move from the Dachsberg to the former Bundeswehr site on Parkstrasse.
According to Amberg, this step is also urgently needed. “The facility no longer meets the requirements of a modern care facility,” he said of the aging house on the southern outskirts of the market town. Hence the move to the center, which will also involve an expansion of the facility. By then, 120 residents will be able to spend the rest of their lives there, 25 more than at the old location.
The former Bundeswehr site in the center of Kirchseeon still looks rather dreary. A modern senior center could soon be built there.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
The City Council launched the project in early 2020. Even then it was clear that there was no way around moving the retirement home. The current location would no longer meet the minimum structural requirements for a senior center, as was heard at the time. In addition, the required single room rate of at least 75 percent was not achieved. That will now be completely different on Parkstrasse, as architect Amberg said at the meeting. Accordingly, only single rooms are provided for the residents in the new facility. These are combined in several living groups, so that a feeling of community arises.
Otherwise, the seniors should not lack for anything in their future home. The three-storey houses are to be staggered as four structures and connected by a central tract. This would create several gardens for the residents, Amberg spoke of “varied inner courtyards”. Function rooms, balconies and group kitchens are also available for each residential group. Wooden paneling on the windows and skylights that allow daylight into the interior should ensure a pleasant atmosphere. A kind of wellness center with a hairdresser and pedicure is also planned for the upper floor.
The planners also thought of the nursing staff in their design
But the planners didn’t just think of the residents in their design. “The staffing situation in the care sector is tense,” said Amberg. That is why we are happy to be able to offer apartments for the employees. A total of twelve staff apartments are to be set up in the eastern part of the building complex. In addition, a training center is to be integrated there and staff rooms are to be made available. The building is to be heated regeneratively with pellets. In addition, according to Amberg, it is possible to equip almost the entire roof area with photovoltaic systems.
There was a lot of praise for the project from the ranks of the municipal councils, but also isolated criticism: Susanne Markmiller (FDP) was bothered by the insufficient number of parking spaces, from her point of view. Only 38 are planned in the planner’s draft – but according to architect Michael Amberg they are completely sufficient. In the case of senior citizens’ centers, the need is not so high because the residents themselves are no longer traveling by car. “There is a parking key, and it is fulfilled here,” says Amberg. For cost reasons, however, the Green List’s request for an underground car park was not fulfilled. Such would have created even more green space for the residents, said Natalie Katholing. “Instead, a lot of space is sealed for parking.”
The bottom line, however, was that the committee unanimously voted in favor of continuing with the planning of the new senior center. The facility “will be an added value for Kirchseeon,” said Mayor Jan Paeplow (CSU) after the draft was presented. The administration should now prepare the public display of the plans so that the project can soon take concrete shape.