The Pukou Hospital Project was the result of a highly collaborative design process that required close engagement with our Associate architect who advised on healthcare and medical planning. Several charette sessions were conducted to brainstorm concepts and master planning strategies with teams from both firms.

The Pukou Hospital Building, would be the Phase III of a 3 phase campus build out, however some time had passed since the original phase 1 & 2 buildings had been erected and were of a style that was dated and in need of repairs. Rather than suggesting demolition of the existing structures, which might be a common practice in the region, our team proposed to keep the structures in-tact and offered a more sustainable proposal for façade renovation that would correspond with the architectural language of the new Phase III General Hospital Building. Therefore, an important initial challenge was to complete the campus master plan with a unifying scheme.

After several days and weeks of site planning and tower location studies, it was decided that the podium and tower would be positioned so as to allow the maximum amount of light, air and green space into the campus. The optimum scheme to achieve this goal was to situate the tower along the farthest most edge on the north property line. Conversely, the south side of the podium provide a curved geometry that would cradle the inside of a newly formed “forest” park space for the whole campus to enjoy.  As the building massing developed, three key metaphors emerged that would inform the details of the project and solidify the architectural language of the campus with a common theme:

“Sky”, “Waterfall”, and “Forest”, each served to invite a sense of breath into the design by celebrating the many life-giving elements found in nature; recognizing their important roll to heal and sustain human life.

For more please see my white paper draft:

“Hospitals that Breathe”

connecting to nature in the design of healthcare facilities