Casa Alecrim is an institution for people with Alzheimer’s disease that sought to expand and partially rebuild its facility. This intervention required a careful design that evokes the need for development of sensory stimulation and creation of spaces made for walking. Knowing this, the landscape architecture intervention focusses on adapting the spaces to the program’s needs.

The private interior courtyard organizes the rooms and communal spaces around it and has two entrances. A central circular planting bed anchors the design with a group of trees, surrounded by benches aligned with the glazed façade and a planted buffer between the building and the pavement.

Vegetation consists of native riparian species, benefiting from seasonal rainwater accumulation. Plantings are designed to provide comfort and privacy, evoke memories through form, color, and seasonal changes, and filter sightlines between interior and exterior spaces. Shrub and sub-shrub beds with groundcover are scaled to the courtyard’s dimensions, creating private, restful zones while enhancing the overall spatial experience.

Cascais, Portugal | Private | Services | 1.558 m² | Architecure by Maior arquitectura e design