Last updated: October 2021
The Ronald McDonald House is a temporary home for families with seriously ill children who are treated at the Essen University Hospital. The house was designed by the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who merged the garden and architecture together in order to bring residents of the house closer to nature improving their psychological and health conditions (Ref. 1). The house was opened in 2005 in Essen's Grugapark (Ref. 2). A special highlight is the accessible intensive Green Roof (950 sqm) with grass, herbs, flowers, shrubs, and trees (Ref. 3).
http://anneschuessler.com/2012/09/29/zum-ersten-mal-eine-fuhrung-durch-ein-hundertwasserhaus-mitmachen/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
- Nature in buildings (indoor)
- Green walls and ceilings
- Atriums/Courtyards
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Improving mental health
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
1. To enable a healing effect of nature in architecture (Ref. 2)
2. To improve psychological and health conditions of the residents of the house (Ref. 1)
3. To provide space for rest and relaxation for gravely ill children and their parents (Ref. 1)
4. To provide permanent access to nature for all residents of the house while preserving the function of shelter (Ref. 3)
5. Increase biodiversity within a building (Ref. 3)
6. To combine art, architecture, and ecology (Ref. 3)
Implementation activities
1. Construction of 1,200 sqm roof area (Ref. 3)
2. Construction of the building with a minimized effect to surrounding nature (Ref. 3)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Create new habitats
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Other
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Public sector institution
- Non-government organisation/civil society
- Other
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project was initiated by a Ronald McDonald Charity Foundation (McDonalds Kinderhilfe GmbH) and commissioned to an Austrian artist Friedrich Hundertwasser (Ref. 1).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Private Foundation/Trust
- Insurance firms
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
- Donations
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Reduced biodiversity loss
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved mental health
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Protection of natural heritage
- Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. McDonald's Kinderhilfe (2017). Das Ronald McDonald Haus Essen. Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 27, 2020).
2. Hundertwasser Enzyklopadie (2017). Ronald McDonald Haus Essen. Hundertwasser. Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 27, 2020).
3. IGRA (2006). Green Roof News Winter 2006, Source link (Website not available in 2020).
4. Grugapark Essen (2017). Hundertwasserhaus. Mit Zwiebelturm und runden Ecken - märchenhafte Architektur des österreichischen Künstlers. Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 27, 2020).
5. Schuessler, Anne (2012). Zum ersten Mal: Eine Führung durch ein Hundertwasserhaus mitmachen. Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 27, 2020).
2. Hundertwasser Enzyklopadie (2017). Ronald McDonald Haus Essen. Hundertwasser. Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 27, 2020).
3. IGRA (2006). Green Roof News Winter 2006, Source link (Website not available in 2020).
4. Grugapark Essen (2017). Hundertwasserhaus. Mit Zwiebelturm und runden Ecken - märchenhafte Architektur des österreichischen Künstlers. Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 27, 2020).
5. Schuessler, Anne (2012). Zum ersten Mal: Eine Führung durch ein Hundertwasserhaus mitmachen. Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 27, 2020).