Grønnehave Senior Housing

Location: Elsinore, Denmark
Client: Municipality of Elsinore
Team: Stig L. Andersson, Karen Margrethe Krogh, Malene Krüger, Hans Kragh, Christian Restorff-Liljegreen
Collaborators: Arkitema, Rambøll
Design phase: 2001-2003
Construction: 2003-2004
Area: 1,3 ha.
Cost of construction: 800.000 €

Grønnehave (the Green Garden ) lives up to its name fully. The area lies close to the sea in Helsingør and consists of three parts: housing, that faces the Sound, a centre for the elderly and a park. Grønnehave is thus seen rather as a green, luxuriant garden with houses than the reverse – here it is the green surroundings that are the focus for the buildings.

An enclosed and secure path meanders through the whole area. If you follow the path you pass through varied green spaces, different eco-systems, plantings and lawns with flower gardens. The eco-systems are situated so as to give the park as varied an appearance as possible. This creates experiences for the users and invites sojourn. The houses have terraces and gardens with scented flowers.

The circulation of the path ties the area together and creates security and well-being for the residents and visitors. The enclosed progression ensures that it is easy to find your way in the completely accessible system of paths shifting between green spaces and buildings. Variations in the width of the paths create different experiences and allow room for benches and sojourn in the park’s garden rooms.

The surroundings of the Centre for the Elderly are organised so that it is easy and safe for the residents and visitors to find their way and use the outdoor rooms. The practical functions of the individual houses are combined with varied landscape experiences, just as the relation between the public spaces and the more private outdoor rooms is emphasised.