Healthcare Design, Comprehensive Cancer Center

Medical centers are places which architecture and medical science meet. Typically, functionalism in hospital design is a significant part of the architect’s concerns. However, environmental quality and its powerful effects on the patient treatment process and staff health are forgotten.

Through my master of architecture thesis, I did global research on hospitals and healthcare all over history, what changes happened to them through world wars and science development, and how much these changes can affect people who work or treat there. And then Continue my research on healthcare designs by all-new international green building certification programs like LEED, GGHC, and ASHE and find all sustainable design approaches.

Meanwhile, achieving a shortage of specialized spaces for cancer patients in Iran through field studies on hospitals in Tehran and some across the country leads me to this question: “can we have Medical centers for cancer patients that can cure them physically and mentally by the environment affect?

In this design, I try to change health care design concept and offer architectural and interior design solutions so we can consider them as the healing environment, by that we increase our ability to design uniquely responsive places that have the potential to help in the healing process and provide a place that echoes respect, dignity and security for the people who inhabit them.

Based on cancer treatment studies, services are provided at three levels(Primary Care, Secondary Care: Cancer Unit, Tertiary Care: Cancer Center). Considering deficiencies, I decided to design a comprehensive cancer center.

Form finding and Concept Design

Creating Individual Healing Garden For Each Unit

Healing Garden and Green space

Being in the green space changes the state of mind to relaxation, strengthening the immune system, and the body will have a better chance of recovery. Green space healing is not synonymous with healing. Instead, it means that communication with nature significantly reduces stress levels and improves behavior and physiological changes, including lowering blood pressure and heart rate. Reducing stress helps the body stay balanced and allows the patient to use their inner strengths to heal. Therefore, in this project, by designing individual healing gardens for each medical unit, it has been tried to reduce stress-induced noise , Visual stress, accelerate recovery for the patient, and even a suitable workspace for staff and personnel.

In order to create healing gardens in each of the existing medical units, a central courtyard has been planned that connects the interior spaces with nature. These yards are not only effective in upgrading and improving the interior spaces but also are a safe place for patients and their companions and staff to interact and relax. However, spaces in the hospital that need light control and privacy, such as examination rooms and patient rooms, are located on The exterior facade to provide security and comfort.

The exterior facade is designed in two layers to be controlled by patients visually, acoustically and can prevent extra daylight and external pollution from coming to interior places.

Facilities required in a cancer center

The plan is determined based on the need for access and communication between spaces. All support and service spaces in the basement, diagnosis and treatment areas on the ground floor, and surgical room and hospitalization are situated on the first and second floors.

Academic Project :Architectural Master Thesis