First Groundbreaking for the Care Homes at Runni in Nes Municipality

"This is a significant step in the development of Runni. The care homes, tailored for users with cognitive impairments, will create a safe living environment that promotes health, quality of life, and independence for the residents. It will also be important to see how the care services can be developed to strengthen the offerings for the residents," says Deputy Mayor Harald Johansen of Nes Municipality.

The care homes will be a central hub in the Runni area, combined with social meeting places and ordinary housing.

Health-Promoting Care Homes

Linstow and Nes Municipality will now engage in dialogue to finalize the details to ensure that the care homes are well adapted to the needs at Runni and uphold the health-promoting perspectives defined by the project.

"We aim to establish health-promoting care homes that emphasize independence, physical activity, and social participation. The goal is for residents to be able to live independently for as long as possible, while still having access to healthcare services and support as needed," says Hege Hidle Aaser, Director of Linstow Health.

In development projects of this nature, there are many needs that must be weighed against each other to achieve the desired health-promoting effect. Aaser highlights the choice of kitchen solutions as one example.

"Having a kitchen in each apartment often leads to residents becoming more active and independent, while shared kitchens tend to foster more social interactions and a sense of community among residents. Here at Runni, we have chosen a both-and approach by including a smaller kitchen in each apartment to ensure the best possible offerings for the residents," she explains.

Pilot Project
Runni is one of the pilot projects in the research and innovation initiative Building Health, which Linstow has in collaboration with SINTEF. The project has defined several key insights that can guide health-promoting place development. Four of these have been foundational in the design of the Runni area: "With a window to the world," "Mobility as public health," "Built for play and creativity," and "Living spaces."

"The goal is to create an inclusive and sustainable neighborhood where residents can live through various life phases with changing care needs. A neighborhood that is both a good place to grow up and a good place to grow old," says Aaser.

NORD Architects have designed the preliminary project for the 30 care homes. Lab4 Prosjektering handles the details during implementation. The aim is to complete the care homes, infrastructure, and green areas by 2026.

From the left: Project Manager Betonmast, Bjørn Svartedal, Prosjekt Developer Linstow Helse, Jon Reidar Solsrud, Head of the Project for Nes Municipality, Jonas Landmark; Project Manager of Linstow Health, Frode Sørensen; Deputy Mayor, Harald Johansen; Assistant Municipal Chief of Health and Welfare, Marianne Granum; Municipal Director, Jon Sverre Bråthen; and Director of Linstow Health, Hege Hidle Aaser. 
Photo by Nes Municipality