Living community for autistics
In 2005 our office was commissioned by Etelka Foundation to design a living and working community for 36 young autistic adults in Csókakő. This foundation aims to help set up facilities for people with autism in Hungary. A living and working community offers autistic people the care and protection they need. It provides a safe world where people with autism can function and develop themselves.
The community we have designed consists of several buildings: a workplace, a central building and residential buildings. The community can also provide counselling to people with autism who live by themselves. It is important to have control over the various buildings in the master plan, which requires a certain extrovert nature. Simultaneously, it is intended that the various buildings have an individual character with a more introverted atmosphere. In developing the design two aspects have played an important role in the conceptualisation, first, the tight organization and long lines of the vineyards in the immediate vicinity. Besides that, the need of someone with autism to a clear and concise structure.
Rooms in the building are enclosed by a wall on one side, on the other side by a wall with a more transparent character. The open facade shows the vast landscape or the walled garden. Direct sunlight should be avoided because it can easily scare a person with autism. Large roof overhangs and a system of wooden slats provide filtering of the sunlight. The number of materials is minimized. The buildings are designed with light colours and natural materials.
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