Guttmann-MERIDIAN PROJECT
"Al Cor de la Sagrera"
	Proposal for a choice of independent living, citizenship, active, independent and quality.
		February 2009

INDEX		A TESTIMONY
		JUSTIFICATION
		THE PROJECT
		Situation Content Features Values Vision of the location of services Relationship with the environment Integrated and open to the community

A TESTIMONY ...

DISABILITY AND ACCESS TO HOUSING. MAINTENANCE OF BUILDING AND IMPROVING ITS personal autonomy.

The needs

One of the major difficulties with people who are disabled is access to housing, especially if your disability has occurred suddenly, not allowing a gradual adaptation and adjustment to the residence. The need for adapted or accessible housing, we must add the need for access to services that will maintain the highest level of autonomy possible for people with disabilities in their home. Throughout his life, the autonomy of a person with a disability may be reduced and services obtained may become insufficient, to the point of needing a host of residential. As a disabled person keeping a good level of personal autonomy, consistent with work and socially active, also needed access to appropriate services that will provide a maintenance activity of their physical and functional.

The current offer

At present and for a long time, the market does not offer housing adapted or accessible with the same opportunities that are offered in homes that are not. As regards support services at home, are always there, those who are direct service delivery to older people-oriented and those that are accessible to persons with disabilities, very restrictive. When the autonomy of persons with disabilities is not sufficient and not allowed to live in a house by itself, has no family to support or do not want to rely on it, the only resource that can apply is character residential care facilities and situations of great need, a profile that defines people not used to lead an independent life.

What we do not reach
People with disabilities, especially those who have gone to the sudden disability, they resort to various levels to get some support, whether economic or guidance to get a resource that allows them to maintain their physical and social autonomy, is impossible for them to get a resource to improve it. You can get a cost out of reach general, a home on the open market or, with difficulty, a protected home market outcome. In both cases you need some refurbishment works for which, according to income, can have access to grants. You can get some maintenance physiotherapy, without continuity. They may have access to a home care benefit that, in some cases can be combined with an allowance for personal assistance. Gradually, when the level of autonomy decreases, the disabled person can not have a proportional increase in those services.Continue with the same resources, which are already inadequate income that must be addressed in a residential equipment, no alternative will be a person with personal autonomy remains of powers and with possibility, to be considered a disabled person as a user with serious dependency care needs.

The necessary resource
All these needs and reviewing existing resources, has to be considered as optimal supply of a global resource where the disabled person to get solution to their need adapted or accessible housing, provision of services for autonomy in their own homes, maintenance activities of physical and social capabilities and a possible future step to a computer that, the house itself and the services it received, give way to a more care services received in a collective equipment and even residential . Plus, when all this global resources and services are offered in a plural and diverse social environment in which the profit and the profitability of resources to be shared with different groups such as young or elderly people, at some stage of his life , may have similar needs to those of people with disabilities.

Pilar Contreras

JUSTIFICATION

The project stems from the confluence at the time of three elements:

1 .- The finding of a need:referred to cover the needs of different groups, such as people with disabilities, older people and young people requiring housing with services that can be clarified for the lifetime, various supports to cover different situations of dependence degrees.

2 .- The opportunityto have a suitable land in the center of Barcelona, ​​in the place where the old hospital, in a neighborhood social context where "Guttmann" is part of the collective identity of its people and the value placed on a future neighborhood, as is the Sagrera, a short distance from what will be the future railway station.

3 .- The mission of Institut Guttmannin relation to people with disabilities, their history of more than 40 years, guarantee an experience that, with the enthusiasm and commitment of all the people who are "community Guttmann," proving the ability to create, promote and lead innovative initiatives such as is this project.

But the coincidence of these factors need suitable spaces and leadership, it would be possible an ambitious project as proposed.

THE PROJECT

The construction of social infrastructure at the intersection of Meridian Avenue and Calle Garcilaso, offering various facilities, services and levels of support, mainly for people with disabilities but also people young and old, while open and integrated in the community.

LOCATION

In aemerging areaof the city such as the Northeast: the seafront, 22 @, the neighborhood of La Sagrera and future railway station. At the confluence oftwo major arteriesas Meridiana Avenue and Calle Garcilaso.



Urban and socially integrated in the neighborhood.
Approved by the Plenary of the Municipal Council of Barcelona City Council, datedDecember 19, 2008The urban improvement plan to adjust the definition of equipment promoted by the Fundació Institut Guttmann.


A maximum buildable roof over grazing17,804 m2
Construction of subsoil utility plant and other plants of parking and technical facilities.

CONTENT

The project involves the creation, in the heart of the district of La Sagrera of Barcelona, ​​at the junction of Avenida Meridiana and the c / Garcilaso, a large infrastructure that offers various facilities and services, with different levels of support for particularly for people with disabilities but also seniors and youth, while open to the community.

The projected social facilities including:
- A set of150 Residential Units Independent LivingWith a floor space appropriate to single or double use of the disabled and, therefore, mainly wheelchair users. Being ground equipment and a social resource, residential units shall in no case be considered to be housing, or the equipment may be susceptible of division horizontal; being totally dismissed the possibility, not considered in the project, sale or urban rental housing. For the best functionality and ease of management of social facilities is proposed, the design of all residential units of independent living will be universal "design for all" and basic domotics.

The target audience is people with disability and / or dependence, regardless of age, are people who live alone or in pairs, and have ability to develop an autonomous life. In order to ensure an inclusive environment, stimulating and as close to the reality of human diversity, the equipment will also be aimed at university students, with or without disabilities, students gain access to the residence through an agreement with the University and are preferably those participate in volunteer programs and social coexistence, either in college or in the very complex "Cor de La Sagrera". The independent living residential units for this function in any case exceed 25% of total planned in the project.

The floor space of residential units of independent living for students is less than 40 m2, with the remainder for the elderly and disabled people, may exceed 50% this surface, without in any case exceed 60 m2.
- ANursing Home for 80 peopleand Day Centre
- AAssisted Living for People with severe physical disabilities for 60 peopleand Day Centre
- A unitspecialized outpatient neurorehabilitation.
- Aset of community facilitiesOf natural health, social and cultural, some for private use, the service users of residential complexes and other, public, open to the neighborhood and every citizen.
- A smallcommercial space: Intended for residents and not closed to the neighborhood (restaurant, kiosk, laundry, hairdresser ...)
- Area of ​​services and facilities.
- APublic parkingunderground.

FEATURES

The project is designed for the coexistence of citizens belonging to different groups and age groups, people living with disabilities or not. That should allow married life, privacy, interrelation and permeability between the different residents, and enjoy living spaces internally and externally, and a full interaction with the social environment, and where appropriate, non-traumatic step a level of support to another.

This is an initiative that offers different user groups in a city environment, dynamic, stimulating and accessible, some apartments to live in comfort and independence."A place to live normally like everyone else".
The rooms can be set for different periods and have the option to support different, depending on the situation and needs of each person.

It is characterized by a single project maximum mainstreaming of services between the different areas that make up the initiative. This project aims and feeds on the environment and its operation is determined by three basic areas:
Comprehensiveness / standardization of equipment and services / the maximum guarantee of independent living.

It is appropriate to offer a life-course treatment of people with severe disability that, over time, may evolve in an ascending line on the need for personalized support. Only a major infrastructure project as proposed could provide this kind of flexible and individualized. It is appropriate to offer a life-course treatment of people with severe disability that, over time need to change your environment.

VALUES

Never before had the opportunity to promote a comprehensive project which could respond with enough satisfactory support to the needs of the entire life course of a person with severe disability in a single organized by areas and equipment services, as well as with conditions of design, performance and environment to deepen at every opportunity of integration and social participation.

A project that is part of normal structural principles, integration, participation and independent living and also contributes asinnovationthe sequence and diversity of services and the reunion of human diversity in an urban space with universal design.

Project that aims to promote;
Quality of lifeof service users by offering personalized services, "as" that places them in the correct spot to have a active social role.

AutonomyEssential to avoid the restrictions on participation in and dependence of every citizen and, especially, in those affected by a disability.

Independent living, A paradigm that advocates the right of individuals to control their life in order to exercise their civil and social rights, in a relevant way, in those minorities like the group in question, which still have to fight against prejudice and social exclusion.

"A social project and city, built in the neighborhood of La Sagrera, sustainable and excellence."

VISION OF THE LOCATION OF SERVICES

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ENVIRONMENT

Harmoniously integrated social infrastructure in the urban environment and social environment