Across the globe, mega-complex hospitals are increasingly popular, but where is the true
healing environment within these medical cities, focused on the individual, human scale,
which sacrifices some level of efficiency for the well-being of the occupants? In this
5.5 million SF project, the design team chose to abandon current, efficiency-driven
typologies for organizing mega-medical complexes and return to some of the simplest design
drivers; connection to nature, individual scale and absolute sustainability.
Sacrifice the typical “mega-block” hospital, break the program into two, more manageable
and proportional elements – a hospital in a garden.
Consider every corner of respite as an intimate space scaled for two people.
Embrace the healing power of nature by creating one of the world’s largest
naturally-ventilated medical complexes, with only a limited amount of conditioned space.
When do mega-hospitals become so efficient that they are unhealthy? When does sacrificing
some efficiency foster a productive healing environment?