Bogdan Rusu
Architecture of the Interior
Depression Treatment and Prevention Center
20% of Dutch population develops depression during lifetime. However, there are no clinics specialized in treating depression in the Netherlands. The project makes a stand, answering to the patients’ needs while at the same time raising awareness within the society.
The patient is engaged in attractive activities with the neighborhood community – sports, arts & crafts, music, performance or other hobbies. Thus, the patient reclaims the lost social life and meaning, while the community benefits from increased interaction: a positive environment emerges.
The building becomes a hybrid: an activity center open for the community of Amsterdam-Noord, combined with inpatient and outpatient psychiatric facilities.
The 1940’s Old School is refurbished and extended in timber, brick shingles and glass: a Yin-Yang between old and new. Each facade is different, but complements the whole. Vertical gardens make the transition to Vliegenbos Park. Inside, the public-private relation determines a complex sequence of spaces open to nature.