Community-based Social Care and Social Rehabilitation Centers: A Multifunctional Center and a Group Home for People with Mental Disabilities in Aizkraukle, Latvia

The concept of the building proposal for a Multifunctional Center and a Group Home for People with Mental Disabilities in Aizkraukle is based on the theory of normalization - bringing the daily living space and processes of people in care closer to the routine of an independent person. The building complex aims to create a green, diverse, safe, and encouraging environment. Architectural solutions are rooted in the principles that create an accessible environment for people with mental disabilities and increase a person’s opportunities to integrate into the broader community. These principles are openness to the city, high-security standards, easy-to-understand spatial solutions, clearly defined boundaries, encouraging independence, sensory-sensitive design, respectful living space, and different levels of privacy.