Maggie’s centre Bruno Stevens 1 Mira
In May 1993, Maggie Keswick Jencks was told that her breast cancer had returned and was given two to three months to live. She joined an advanced chemotherapy trial and lived for another 18 months. During that time, she and her husband Charles Jencks worked closely with her medical team, which included oncology nurse, Laura Lee, now Maggie’s Chief Executive, to develop a new approach to cancer care. In order to live more positively with cancer, Maggie and Charles believed you needed information that would allow you to be an informed participant in your medical treatment, stress-reducing strategies, psychological support and the opportunity to meet other people in similar circumstances in a relaxed domestic atmosphere. Maggie was determined that people should not “lose the joy of living in the fear of dying” and the day before she died in June 1995, she sat in her garden, face to the sun and said: “Aren’t we lucky?” www.maggiescentres.org
Maggie Jencks biography
The site is located in Leuven, closeby the hospital Gasthuiberg and the expressway. It is secluded from the expressway with an ancient, protected forest. It is important to keep the forest intact, for it is already perfect. It should be used for observation, walking, resting, but not for permanent structures. The existing promenade through the forest and the field is an excellent advantage for the maggie’s which is already present at the location. Choosing a location close to the forest, looking at it, and next to the promenade is the choice I’ve made here. The Maggie’s should be clearly visible after arriving, mostly by car, at the parking. By placing the Maggie’s close to the promenade, the privacy becomes an important factor. Views should be able to get blocked from the outside to the inside, however the forest should still be experienced from the inside. The maggie’s is placed close to the hospital, but it is not a hospital. Jencks said that Maggie’s is a house, but not a home. It’s a hospital but not institutional. He also called it a placebo, it only works if you believe in it. It is important that the visitors of the maggie’s do not feel like being in an environment shaped for the hospital. They are visitors to the maggie’s, not patients. The maggies has need of certain key aspects that form a healing environment. These aspects are the material realization, the feeling of identification and social interaction. Another crucial aspect is the ‘life aspect’. The healing environment is in need of life. Life, not only in the form of social interaction, but in the form of nature, not really the view on green that contributes to this environment, but it is rather the view on life outside the hospital. To keep in mind that life continues and that there are other things in the world. Nature is capable of delivering positive emotions to people, and it can also be used to activate visitors by letting them take care of the plants.
Situationplan: Leuven
The location is chosen carefully. The proximity of the parking is important for the visitors. Not all visitors are in the condition to move a lot, so a comfortable trail and a clear view of the centre from the parking is obtained from this location. The relative big distance to the hospital is also of importance, so the visitors are not always confronted with the hospital nearby. The building has a north -open- south -closed- orientation on the main axis. This is chosen for multiple reasons. From experience we know that cancer patients do like a lot of light, but are not able to withstand direct sunlight. Light entering the building from the north, whilst blocking direct sunlight from the south. This open and closed facade is also a virtual way to turn the back against the hospital, and open up to the nature present at the location.
Situationplan: Leuven
(2) Photo taken from the parking
(1) Photo taken from the parking looking at the site
Photo’s of the site
(3) Photo taken in the forest
The building is a box of interactions where every part of the programme has its own space but at the same time they all are connected, so the feeling of community is triggered implicitely. It’s a box with a domestic scale, separated in different scales by inserting subvolumes, and connected with the green; both forest and plants on the interior and exterior of the box.
Concept
The open space allows the people to have a good look over the building. They can easily see when someone enters, and by placing their office at the entrance they can interact quickly with new visitors. Activation of the patients by offering a wall containing plants, a library, a memory wall, differents closets (containing games, different items,...) The wall is an element that connects the different spaces The form is recognisable, a classic house type. A space that allows a feeling of identification. The volume is divided into subvolumes by inserting boxes containing the more private functions
Closed side as a reaction to the environment. Turning the back to the hospital environment, and the somber grass field. Visitors see the centre as soon as they park their car
Section BB’ 1:100
Light entering the building from the north. Indirect lighting is ideal for the cancer patients, for they like light but due to their treatment are very sensitive to direct sunrays
Activation of the patients by offering plants to take care of. Facade is interactive, it can open up if desired. Facing the forest, looking at it from all different spaces. The forest makes part of the healing environment the maggies craves, it allows the visitors to make a quick walk, or just to look at it.
Section AA’ 1:100
“Built alongside the hospital, our Centres are uplifting places with professional staff on hand to offer the support people need: practical advice about benefits and eating well; emotional support from qualified experts; a friendly place to meet other people; a calming space simply to sit quietly with a cup of tea.”
Library
The library, and a sitting area which is partially enclosed by the volume, and partially open to the rest of the building. The reading boxes can be enclosed with a ‘curtain-like’ foreclosure offering privacy. There is also a fully enclosed alone space on the first floor
Ground floor 1:100
First floor 1:100
Northeast Facade 1:100
An interactive facade facing the forest encourages the visitors to do some gardening. The closeness of the foottrail and the forest allows them aswell to make a quick walk.
Southwest facade 1:100
A facade that has a feeling of mystery, it’s a reaction to the surrounding environment. The entrance is clearly visible from the parking.. A 7 meter long ramp brings you to the entrance on the first floor, from where you enter in the unexpexted open, green space.
Downstairs terrace
The terrace allows people to sit quietly outside protected from the outside by the green facade. They can help maintain the wall, or they can just sip a cup of tea on the bench.
Materials
Boxes: Glued laminated wood panels
Boxes in closet wall: Walnut wood
Library, walking path, group space: Wicker
Columns: Light coloured coconut timber
Private boxes: Leather (multiple colours)
Terrace: wood floor
Kitchen: Dark oak ash wood
Closet wall: Slates
Private boxes: Soft cloth (multiple colours)
References