Main entrance to the central administration building, lit from within, with two glazed gables and a covered entry

Commercial · Care · Ireland

Nazareth House. A care home made in Germany.

A 50-bedroom care home in Sligo, Ireland, designed by architect Alexander Kolbe for the Sisters of Nazareth. HUF HAUS prefabricated the building in Germany, shipped it as panels and assembled it on site in 14 months.

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Nazareth HouseChurch Hill, Sligo, Ireland

50 bedroomsFour living units
55,000 sq ftThree buildings
14 monthsPrefabricated by HUF HAUS
Alexander KolbeArchitect

Bright, warm and built for care.

Nazareth House replaced a care home that had served Sligo since 1910. The brief asked for a building that was bright and uplifting, helped residents recover, and was cheap to run, even though care buildings are kept warmer than most.

The answer was a timber post-and-beam building with walls of glass, prefabricated in Germany and heated by geothermal heat pumps and underfloor heating. It opened in 2007.

Healthcare
Care home
Prefabricated
Chapel

Nazareth House at dusk: the central building and two residential wings under shallow gabled roofs, framed by trees

The whole campus at dusk: a central building between two residential wings.

The project

Three buildings, one community.

A central building holds the social life of the home: a large open cafeteria under a glass roof, where residents meet for a drink or a match on TV, along with offices, functional rooms and the chapel.

Two residential wings hold 50 bedrooms, arranged as four living units. Each unit has its own living room with a fireplace, so residents live in a household rather than a ward. Everything is designed for highly dependent residents and full wheelchair access.

Client: Sisters of Nazareth
Location: Church Hill, Sligo, Ireland
Architect: Alexander Kolbe
Construction: Prefabricated by HUF HAUS, 2005–2006
Program: 50 bedrooms, 4 living units, cafeteria, chapel
Energy: Geothermal heat pumps, underfloor heating

See every photo

The cafeteria, with tall indoor trees under the timber-framed glass roof — Trees grow indoors under the glass roof of the cafeteria.

Group living room with red armchairs, a freestanding fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows — Each living unit has its own living room and fireplace.

Common dining room with wood floors, exposed beams, tables and chairs, and views to the garden — A common dining room with views to the garden.

The chapel

Colored light from a roof that still works as a high-performance envelope.

Alexander Kolbe designed both the chapel and its glass. The stained glass was built into the triple-glazed roof panels, so the room fills with color while the roof keeps its insulating performance.