Greymatter is the vision to create a place to inspire people to take care of others. Our vision is to re-invent the places where we grow old. We want to build the next generation of healthcare facilities that are open to the city, inclusive and attractive for health professionals, students, younger, senior residents, and their relatives. We want to be providing awesome workplaces and short travel distances for our future nurses and caretakers. For us it starts with rethinking the safety equipment inside care homes, a prototype for a new generation of healthcare residents and an urban strategy to create durable synergy with local actors in attractive and lively neighbourhoods.
We are designing a place where our future self would want to live.
Greymatter has been developed as a transversal architectural methodology bringing together two current trends in Europe. On one hand we are growing older faster than ever, most of the time in places that are unadapted, isolated. We are also healthier and active longer than ever. On the other hand, smaller cities in Europe have undergone stagnation and decline. The process of global shrinkage particularly affects cities that are not or no longer able to “hook up” to the networks of modern global capitalism.
Greymatter contradicts the common belief that activity and productivity belong solely to the youth and criticises the segregation of seniors that consigns them to isolation, passivity and dependence and claims that a productive city can also be inclusive to provide safety and freedom in an intergenerational urban context. There is an opportunity to revitalise existing urban structures by placing seniors at the heart of our urban life harnessing the total ecology of Health in cities to create new durable social and economic bonds. This raises questions about the place and cost of health in our living environment, inclusion and segregation, participation and new virtuous dependencies bringing a range of actors together durably.

Social sustainability
Our project proposes a multigenerational living that promotes shared spaces and self-management. At urban scale, the idea of a multigenerational neighbourhood can prove more resilient, promote new synergy and identity.
Mobility
By relocating key programs and planning at different scales we aim to minimise commuting for health personnel. Designing with an age-friendly approach should also be good for all.
Economical sustainability
Municipality alone can no longer be the sole provider of civic life because there are simply not enough resources. The private health sector understands the benefits to deliver added value that can contribute to public life. We are giving the opportunity for people to take more ownership and making Health affordable for all!
We have been working with municipalities, developers and schools. We want to inspire change through the activity - movie screening, book release and round-table - we propose for OAT 2022!