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Christine (62) and Urs Stucki (60) from Gsteigwiler BE experienced what many homeowners have learned over the years: children grow up and go their separate ways. Not quite young parents are left behind in a house or large apartment.
Too much effort and unnecessary space
“We lived in our own flat in the same house as my mother-in-law,” says Christine Stucki Blick. In the foreseeable future, the house in which the couple lived for 23 years and raised their children seemed huge and very labor-intensive.
The working couple, who always took an active role in the social and political life of the village, wanted to stay in the village and not move in the second half of their lives. Urs Stucki has been working in the education sector since 2017 as the mayor of Gsteigwiler and his wife.
Corrected original idea
After research, the couple came up with the idea of establishing a household in the village with other people over 50 in similar living conditions. “But when things got more concrete, some weren’t ready to take that step yet,” says Urs Stucki. So the original idea became a multi-generational project that Stuckis put forward.
A plan to convert their own home into a household was rejected after initial consideration. They sold the house to a young family with children.
In 2014, Stuckis and an architectural firm began planning a new Minergie standard building for their project. «We found suitable construction land in Gsteigwiler, which is not actually for sale. After telling the owner about our project, he was very enthusiastic and we were able to buy the property,” says Urs Stucki. They got the financing thanks to the sale of their house and the support of foundations like the AGE Foundation.
Tasks are organized by an office plan
After delays due to objections, they were able to start construction in 2016. The property was ready for use in the fall of 2017, and the Hausgemeinschaft Bühl association was founded in the spring of 2018. Urs Stucki’s family lives in an apartment on the first floor of the house.
Cleaning the stairwell, laundry room or common room is done by a housekeeper. However, it’s imperative that all residents stay indoors and outdoors in the spring and fall, such as cleaning the pizza oven and rainwater tank filter or washing the curtains in guest rooms. The association has prepared an administrative plan for packaging and supplying waste paper, descaling the coffee machine, mowing the lawn or other activities.
Lots of privacy and actively living community
Currently, 14 people – four generations between the ages of 2 and 87 – live in a home community of five three and a half bedroom flats and two two and a half bedroom flats.
All apartments with balcony or living area have their own kitchen and bathroom. Except for the shared guest rooms in the attic, all apartments in the apartment are equipped with a lift, barrier-free and wheelchair accessible.
The tenants have the opportunity to use all the common rooms as well as the guest apartment on the property’s attic, and the entire open space is shared along with the living area and garden. There is also a fitness room and workshop in the basement. “It was important to us that all apartments were of a good standard and that in addition to the community, everyone had ample opportunity for relaxation and privacy,” says Christine Stucki.
In addition to common activities such as cooking and eating in the spacious common room with kitchen, residents also help each other while shopping or sharing their cars. “There has only been one change of residence so far due to relocation,” says Urs Stucki.
The courage of the starters paid off
The Bühl family’s sustainable housing and living concept has attracted great interest and meets a need. Christine and Urs Stucki are happy to start planning their old age without any need or pressure from a young age. Christine Stucki advises: “I think it’s important that you get through something like this while you still have the strength and energy. It takes some courage, but it was worth it for us.”
Source : Blick
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
