Public Bathhouse

A Public Bathhouse

TOWARD A PARTICIPATORY MODEL FOR URBAN HEALTHCARE

Nikolaos Theodoros Stagkos

Nikolaos Theodoros Stagkos Plymouth University Master of Architecture Year 02 Student Number: 10511384 ARCH752: Advanced Detailed Design ARCH754: Technical Design Supervising tutors: Simon Bradbury Andy Humphreys Alessandro Aurigi Alona Martinez-Perez

ABSTRACT This document, contains the detailed design submission, the technology submission as well as the architectural discussion of the Arch 752: Advanced Detailed Design and Arch 754: Advanced Technical Design module submissions. It discusses the evolution of the project based in Ustka, Poland, from the early development framework set out in the urban strategy and masterplan document of Term One, entitled ‘ProtoCity’, to a detailed design proposal as a resourceful and well-derived outcome.

CONTENTS PROJECT SYNOPSIS PROTO-CITY KEY ISSUES RESOLUTION SCHEME PROGRAMME STAGES ECONOMIC STAGES DUAL CITY CONCEPT USTKA MASTERPLAN SLUPSK MASTERPLAN DESIGN RESEARCH SYNOPSIS FURTHER KEY ISSUES

01 URBAN STRATEGY 12 14 16 26 28 39 31 32 34 02 HEALTHCARE AGENDA 38 40 03 REVISED HEALTH MASTERPLAN

TOWARD A NEW HEALTHCARE MODEL SYNOPSIS SUMMARY OF ISSUES URBAN HEALTH SYSTEMS PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT MODEL DE-GENTRIFYING THE SPA CONCEPT TYPES OF TREATMENT

04 ARCHITECTURAL DISCUSSION 60 61 62 66 74 78 82

A NEW HEALTHCARE MODEL MAT BUILDING TYPOLOGY OWNERSHIP AND POROSITY HEALTHCARE MASTERPLAN BIBLIOGRAPHY

page 8

SITE IDENTIFICATION SITE CONTEXT MAIN ROUTES HEALTH MASTERPLAN ALTERATIONS ZONING EAST-WEST PASSAGE SITE ATTRACTIONS HEALTH MASTERPLAN ALTERATIONS NORTH-SOUTH PASSAGE HEALTH MASTERPLAN ALTERATIONS PUBLIC TERRITORY HEALTH MASTERPLAN ALTERATIONS EXISTING TYPOLOGIES

84 87 92 96 97 05 SITE ANALYSIS 100 104 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116

06 DESIGN PROCESS VOLUMENTRIC TESTINGS 120 NEED FOR DENSITY 122 RESULTED SCHEME CHARACTERISTICS 124 BUILDING CORE: MAT SPATIAL ARTICULATION 126 PUBLIC PROPERTIES 128 SECTIONAL TESTINGS BASED ON THE MODELLED SPATIAL CONFIGURATIONS 130 SKETCH VISUALISATIONS 134

DUNE EXPANSION EAST-WEST AXIS BUILDING AS PART OF THE LANDSCAPE SYNOPSIS FINAL NORTH-SOUTH AXIS BUILDING SECTION FINAL EAST-WEST AXIS BUILDING SECTION FINAL GROUND FLOOR PLAN FINAL FIRST FLOOR PLAN FINAL SECOND FLOOR PLAN NORTH-SOUTH AXIS EAST-WEST AXIS BIBLIOGRAPHY SYNOPSIS STRUCTURAL STRATEGY CONSTRUCTION STRATEGY ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY LIGHT STUDY

138 140 142 07 DETAILED DESIGN 148 151 153 155 157 159 160 184 224 08 TECHNICAL DESIGN 228 230 244 254 266 09 REFLECTIONS

page 9

CHAPTER 01

URBAN STRATEGY

PROJECT SYNOPSIS

page 12

The urban strategy project of the Arch 751 - Advanced Inception and Strategic Design module, was initiated by invitation of the local councils of Słupsk, Poland and Ustka, Poland, in order to generate alternative strategic regeneration frameworks for both cities. The following urban strategy & masterplan were a fast-track one month project to provide ground for development of the detailed design proposal in the north end of Ustka’s port, that followed in the second term of Plymouth’s M.Arch Year 2.

Słupsk and Ustka are situated in the north of Poland, on the Baltic coastline.

Each city is defined by its unique set of issues, context and agendas as well as its own opportunities.

The following urban strategy thesis outlines how utilising opportunities within Słupsk and Ustka can work together for the mutual benefit of both

cities.

This project aims to solve issues currently facing the Polish cities of Ustka and Słupsk. The cities are facing very different problems with Ustka a thriving tourist destination 2 months a year, but with very little other industry. Ustka council sees nothing wrong with this situation, but this urban strategy project shows an alternative development potential for the city. On the other hand the city of Słupsk is much larger and has a bigger variety of issues affecting the area, but facing debt from previous government there is less scope for large scale development unlike the city of Ustka.

The project proposes to solve the issues in both cities through the creation of local interventions in the city of Słupsk that solve social and environmental problems. The sites in Słupsk are fed by a large redevelopment in Ustka using natural resources and waste products

from the sea to lead research into environmental building technologies and alternative fuels. The site in Ustka will also have public visitor elements that can lead to a more sustainable form of tourism. Research carried out in the city is implemented in the live test-bed of Słupsk. The creation of more jobs through development of these technologies and their implementation on communities will help address the debt and declining population facing the city.

The project aims to solve social, environmental and economic issues effecting both the local communities in Słupsk and Ustka, as well as in a countrywide scale. The two cities are combined to form the Proto-City, a live test-bed for research and experimentation on althernative energy sources and alternative building materials.

Across both cities large scale urban development and local interventions

Slupsk Town Hall Meeting, October 2015

work together to bring about the new vision of the Proto-City. It is planned that the changes carried out in the ProtoCity will eventually extend its reach nationally around Poland as well as, on a European and international level.

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PROTO-CITY | GROUP (WITH): M. WERDON, T. WHETTINGSTEEL, A. WIGHTMAN

PHASE 02

scientists

research

so urc e le arning

mass production

educators scientists students

local residents

en

outputs

y

PHASE 03

PHASE 01

page 14

resource deliver

rator y proc ess

scientists

sample lab o

students

outputs

PHASE 04

data &

fee back

op

The overall ambition is that the two cities working together will create a system of social, economic and environmental

application local residents

material collection

change, and development of new construction materials, systems and fuels. The dual cities will act as a laboratory showcasing both a system of urban growth and technological advancement that can be implemented and furthered both nationally in Poland and further afield internationally.

In general terms, Słupsk and Ustka have clearly defined problems.

Słupsk is a financially deprived city, which lacks a cultural or social identity. While the City Council are keen to solve these issues, they seem to lack the means and direction to instigate change.

On the face of things, Ustka is a much better kept city, with apparent financial and social security. A booming tourist industry provides both a measure of wealth and cultural activity. However, future plans for Ustka include further tourist growth, damaging both their

natural heritage and historic fishing industry. This over reliance on tourism will be damaging to the city if, or in fact when, the industry declines1.

1 Plog, S., ‘Why Destination Areas Rise and Fall in Popularity’, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. 42, NO. 3, June 2001.

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KEY ISSUES

There are certain key issues the project is aiming to resolve.

Direct observstions in Słupsk and Ustka, reveal that resident do not engage with community groups, NGO’s or the City Council. This issue seems to be deep set within Polish culture.

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POOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

TITLE

Before For instance in Ustka, there is currently contradiction and dispute between the local authorities and the local community, concerning the new marina development, at the currently industrially active fishing port. The proposed development is set to overtake the precious nature, making the area more exclusive to tourists rather than the local citizens.

After

page 17

A poor road network and insufficient train link between SĹ‚upsk and Ustka means that travel between the two cities is difficult. The social differences between the two cities also adds to this geographic divide.

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DISCONNECTED CITIES

There is currently only a single country road, with frequent affordable bus transport, connecting the two cities and 2 trains a day. However, during summer season when the population of Ustka goes up by nearly 1000%, that makes transport between Ustka and Slupsk fairly difficult.

In addition the plans for the new transportation hub in Ustka have been making very little progress2.

2 http://english.eurobuildcee. com/?page=news&id=18143

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Reducing other industries in the city and relying only on tourism creates an unstable and unresiliant system.

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OVER-RELIANCE ON TOURISM

The popularity of tourist destination tends to rise and fall. If tourism fails, what else does Ustka have?

PEAK TOURISM

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page 22

For a fact, tourism in Ustka has been concentrating near the water front and spa hotels. However, Ustka has an under-utilised river with mutliple sport activities such as rafting, operating en route from Slupsk to Ustka. This particular over-reliance on beachtourism leads Ustka on facing the threat of becoming a ghost town with empty holiday flats and gated communities exclusively for tourists.

Key landmarks are spread fairly evenly around Ustka. However, one half of the city is almost completely deserted, while the other is heavily occupied. Care needs to be taken when developing this underpopulated area so as not to damage the atmosphere and character of Ustka as a whole.

Landmarks of Ustka

lighthouse

marina

old dock crane

page 23

town hall

fish market

church shipyard

KEY cinema

Site Key buildings Rail tracks Main road Pedestrian promenade train station

boats in/out

As for the declining industry and fishing economy, that is due to Ustka’s designation as a Spa Town, where any future production - from a factory, to a bakery opening - is prohibited.

page 24

1

Hungry developers are awaiting the complete decline of a semi-operational shipyard, a massive block interupting visual and pedestrian connections accross both sides of the river.

3

2

KEY Industrial site Key building Visual restrictions

Summary of Tourist Attractions & Further Development

1. Hotel district & residential district for rooms to let 2. On-going development of hotel complex & new marina 3. End of kayak route from SĹ‚upsk to Ustka

2

1

lighthouse WWII bunker

marina

old dock crane

page 25

town hall fish market

church cinema

train station

3

KEY Industrial zone Residential zone Tourism development area Pedestrian promenade Main road Possible pedestrian link Woodland

RESOLUTION SCHEME

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In order to resolve said issues, SĹ‚upsk acts as a micro-scale, self contained example of issues that are evident country-wide, such as the ones mentioned above.

Ustka, as it contains the necessary financial resources and raw materials that the Proto-City scheme requires, works as a catalyst for research and development, to address and achieve the necessary resolutions to localised, and later nationwide issues.

macro scale issues

USTKA SĹ UPSK

micro-scale issue resolu tion

GDANSK

FUEL POVERTY COAL ADDICTION

WARSOW

DECLINING POPULATION

FUEL POVERTY

TEST-BED

micro scale issues

URBAN SPRAWL

LACK OF GRADUATE JOBS RUN DOWN BUILDINGS

ustka as a cata lyst

DISCONNECTED CITIES LACK OF GRADUATE JOBS

RESOURCES

OVER-RELIANCE ON TOURISM POOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

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perfected research

PROGRAMME STAGES

prototype prototype

PH

SLUPSK HUB | production |

prototype

ASE

increased harvest increased harvest raw materials

1

raw materials

ASE

STAGE1 2

PH

A

S 2 STAGE

E1 residents’ feedback SLUPSK HUB | production | residents’ feedback

raw materials

PHASE 3

city-wide & out

STAGE 2 PHA SE 3 mass material &

SLUPSK HUB | production |

energy production residents’ feedback

S S S PHA PHA PHA

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Stage 01

PH

PHASE 2

increased harvest

mass material &

E2 Stage 02 energy production

PHASE 4PHASE 4PHASE 4

There are 4 overall phases within the Proto-City scheme, programmatically.

As for the economics of the project, they play as hugely important role. The project aspires to set an economically sustainable urban scheme, so the funding is mainly deriving from suitable sources, such as European Union Research Funds, that can support and promote the agenda of the scheme.

PHASE 2

PHASE 3PHASE 3PHASE 3

STAGE 1

perfected research USTKA | research |

city-wide & out

PHASE 3 & energy plant factory city-wide & out

hub mass materialmain E &2 energy production

factory & energy plant

main hub SLUPSK MICROHUBS | application |

factory & energy plant

E2

STAGE 3

STAGE 3 PHASE 3

block development

SLUPSK MICROHUBS | application | main hub

repaired homes

biofuel production on blocks building material application

repaired homes

PHASE 3

PHASE 4PHASE 4PHASE 4

Stage 03 repaired homes

social, economic sustainability block development energy autonomy

STAGE 3

SLUPSK MICROHUBS | applicationP| HASE 3

social, economic sustainability

autonomy blockenergy development

information hubs

social, economic sustainability energy autonomy

biofuel production on blocks building material application

PHASE 1

information hubs

biofuel production on blocks building material application

PHASE 1

information hubs

microhubs microhubs

Ustka | research: Stage 1 The Proto-City movement will be managed by a Non-Profit Organisation with the welfare of the city as its primary agenda. The funding for the Ustka Research Centre will come primarily from EU grant funding, with an eventual aim of the centre becoming financially independent. It is envisaged that income will be made from research grants, patent sales and consultancy fees, as well as income from visitors to the centre.

Slupsk hub | production: Stage 2 The SĹ‚upsk Production Hub is viewed as an extension of the Ustka programme and also relies on EU funding for construction. Once again financial independence is expected through the export of material goods and clean energy.

Slupsk microhubs | application: Stages 3 The MicroHubs are viewed as an extension or replacement of the councils existing infrastructure and regeneration budget. Money which is currently being expended on regenerating individual apartments and courtyards would be spread more fairly through the city.

The expectation is that residents would eventually be willing in contributing to repairs in exchange for practical skills and knowledge.

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- institute of fundamental technological research - national strategic reference framework - ministry of science & higher education research grants - polish academy of sciences - institute of fundamental technological research

ECONOMIC STAGES

SLUPSK HUB | production |

ECONOMIC STAGES USTKA | research |

Stage 01

STAGE 1

research develops

SLUPSK HUB | production |

PHA

EU funds 2014-2020 New Financial Framework - infrastructure & environment programme - smart growth programme - knowledge, education, growth programme - regional operational programme - EU: COST programme

PHAS

council retains land ownership

E2

engineers & factory stuff

PHAS

factory is developed using the ustka funds as an extension of the ustka processes; those eu & factory setup government funds are vital to factory developed the setting upisthe programusing and the ustka funds as an extension of theit infrastructure required to support ustka processes; those eu & government funds are vital to setting up the program and the infrastructure required to support it

PGE capital group (largest energy sector

E 2 in poland) as private investor

PGE capital group (largest energy sector in poland) as private investor

STAGE 3

large scale implimantation & development

NPOs & NGOs generate profit

PHASE 3

NPOs & NGOs generate profit

PHASElocal residents involvement 3

local residents involvement business startups

local residents get permenant job required payment

2 SE 2 P H A SPE H A

slupsk microhubs

export materials & energy to private investors

SE 4HASE 4 PHA P

local NPOs & NGOs are buying shares off the corporation and large scale implimantation & development coordinate the microhubs localslupsk’s NPOs & NGOs are NPOs & NGOs are involved within deprived in the proto-city scheme buying shares off the blocks corporation and coordinate the microhubs NPOs & NGOs are involved within slupsk’s deprived in the proto-city scheme blocks

SE PHA 4

slupsk hub

council retains land ownership

StageSLUPSK 03 MICROHUBS | application | STAGE 3

STAGE 2

local residents volunteer participation

local residents get permenant job required payment

participation

SLUPSK MICROHUBS | application |

government grants - national strategic reference framework - ministry of science & higher education research grants - polish academy of sciences - institute of fundamental technological research

E3 PHAS

slupsk hub

factoryparticipation setup

a non-profit corporation is founded as a development model to manage and finance the two research and production programmes

increased production

E3 PHAS

local residents volunteer participation

council retains land ownership

SE 1

export materials & energy to private investors local residents get permenant job required payment

local residents volunteer participation

slupsk hubengineers & factory stuff

*ERA: european research area

government & EU grants

SE 3

increased production PHA

PHASE 4

maintains an open access research in collaboration with the ERA* participatory institutions

Stage 02

export materials & energy to private investors

SEHASE 4 PHA P 4

PHASE 2

sell research patents to private investrors

research centre

SLUPSK HUB | production |

STAGE 2

increased production

scientists participation required payment through goverment or students participation individual payment

page 30

STAGE 2

business council funded from city’s startups infrstructure budget

slupsk microhubs

initially organised as information hubscouncil funded from city’s

PHASE 1

initially organised as information hubs seen as typologies prototyped in the ustka centre by students

PHASE 1

seen as typologies prototyped in the ustka centre by students

infrstructure budget

DUAL CITY CONCEPT

This collaboration propsed by the ProtoCity scheme, between the two cities, results to the realization of the Dual City concept, an idea initiated by the local authorities of both cities, yet never put under planning.

The urban strategy is essentially providing solutions to the aforementioned issues, only through this immediate collaboration between the two cities. Sustainable political, social and economic growth can be facilated through this dual city relationship, to facilitate exchange of goods, labour force, exchange of ideas and visitors.

page 31

USTKA MASTERPLAN

storage ed uc

ion at

page 32

Visitor Centre (01) Marine Science Museum Conference Centre / Cinema Research & Development Exhibitions Material Storage / Processing (02) Material delivery from the Baltic sea rch resea collection Material export to SĹ‚upsk Material cleaning and processing (For Prototype Workshops) Research & Development / Education (03) Scientific research and development labs Higher education infrastructure material waste Aquarium (04) natural resources Existing Fishing & Industry (05) Existing functioning businesses Visitor based exhibitions industrial process Fish Market Prototype Workshops (06) to s lu psk Processed material delivery Workshops for current prototyping projects Prototype export Public Exhibition (07) Display of previously produced prototypes

processing

research & development prototype shipping

waste outputs & other applications

N

1

PUBLIC DOMAIN

2 3

KEY 4

1:500 sectional model 01

5 6 7

export to SĹ‚upsk

Raw materials collection Storage Processing Laboratories Research & Development Export Main traffic arteries Main pedestrian link Pedestrian promenade Public domain Railtracks Woodland Industrial zone

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learn

SLUPSK MASTERPLAN

ss

set up

step 01

ra m expans

repair home s

pro g ion

hi

ev

eg

lo

c

k

ac

oal

im p

b rove

business startup work @slupsk hub

step 02

factory & energy plant t npu nt i e sid

man uf

open acture so & e ur

main hub

ce

on ucti rod yp rg cation ne edu

re

raw materials a p p li c

labs

a ti

on

it y

page 34

Energy Production Facility (01) Raw materials storage Research & Development Laboratories Energy plant Alternative Material Fabrication (02) Raw material storage Research & Development Laboratories Factory (mass production) Main Hub (03) Scientific research and development Open source learning Public workshops Public Exhibition (04)

pro ce

e

prototype

rt xpo

to

c

export to poland

N

B

4 3 1

2

C 1:500 sectional model 03

INDEX INDEX INDEX INDEX INDEX

Main Main Site Site Laboratories Laboratories Main Site Main SiteINDEX Factory Factory Main Site Laboratories Laboratories Laboratories Main hub Main hub Laboratories Factory Factory Mass production MassFactory production Factory Main hub Main Main Site hub Main hub Main hub Mass production Laboratories Mass production Export Export Mass production Mass production Factory Export Main hub Export Export Block Block Typologies Typologies Export Mass production Learn Learn Learn Block Block Typologies Typologies Application Block Application Typologies Application Learn Export Learn Set-up Set-up Learn Set-up Application Application Main traffic arteries Application Main traffic arteries Set-up Block Typologies Main traffic Secondary routes Set-up Secondary Set-up routes Main traffic traffic arteries Pedestrian promenade Learn Pedestrian promenade Main arteries arteries Main traffic arteries Secondary routes Railtracks Railtracks Secondary routes Application Secondary routes A Pedestrian promenade Secondary routes Block typology Block typology Pedestrian promenade A Set-up Pedestrian promenade Railtracks 1:2500 site model 1:2500 site model Railtracks Pedestrian Main trafficRailtracks arteries Block typology 1:500 models 1:500 sectional sectional models Block typology A A Block typology Secondary routes 1:2500 site model A promenade 1:2500 site model 1:2500 sitemodels model Pedestrian promenade 1:500 sectional 1:500 sectional models Railtracks scale: 1:5000 1:500 models N Railtracks scale:sectional 1:5000 N Block typology A Block typology scale: 1:5000 1:2500 site model N scale: 1:5000 N scale:sectional 1:5000models N 1:500

KEY

A

1:500 sectional model 03

export to poland

scale: 1:5000

N

page 35

CHAPTER 02

HEALTHCARE AGENDA

Ustka is a designated ‘spa’ town... ...Any room for social benefits?

DESIGN RESEARCH SYNOPSIS

page 38

Building upon the ageda and strategies developed in the urban strategy of the Proto-City and the dual city concept, my design research aspires to further develop the debate on the resolution of the afore-mentioned key issues that Ustka is dealing with. In the following chapter, those issues will be discussed in accordance to further personal observations. Any further resolutions will be the theoretical basis and incentive for the design thesis and proposal that follows.

The mechanics of the Proto-City urban strategy are about seeking for economic and social sustainability, through future implementations of innovative, research based protocols, new means of productions, both of ideas and materials that have an immediate positive impact on daily lives and are as affordable as possible, activating the local communities to participate first hand in the inception and production stages.

In other words, that strategy sets up the basis for the development of a participatory model, with schemes carrying immediate socioeconomic benefits, run and organized by an empowered community.

The design research will shift from alternative forms of material production and innovation - see Proto-City’s agenda - toward innovation for social benefits. That is to say, it will exploit local issues, such as peak tourism, and poor community engagement, and most of all will pick up on the fact that Ustka is a designated Spa Town. I intend to oppose that status, which I believe it is to blame for the over-reliance on tourism and the false identity the town has received. Tourism should be neither seasonal nor the facilities used should be exclussively for hotel clients. Ustka has per majority an elderly population during winter months, with no plans by the local council to improve their way

of life, or any medical and relaxation facilities. The nearest major hospital is in Slupsk, with poor transport links.

The design thesis will be based on a wider architectural and non-architectural theoretical framework, following in the upcoming chapters - see Architectural Discussion.

Wider theoretical influences will include the concept of the ‘participatory management model’, the agenda of ‘urban health systems’ and ‘primary healthcare investments’, as well as the architectural theory of the ‘mat building typology’, and precedents on ancient methods of cleansing and spirituality, such as the ‘Japanese sento ritual’ and the ancient ‘Ottoman bathhouse’.

The site of the project is the north end of Ustka’s port, yet it is accompanied by a revised masterplan, set to promote new way of healthy living in both cities.

In a few words, the brief of the project is focussing on bringing an alternative healthcare agenda into space.

page 39

FURTHER KEY ISSUES

Development plans, such as the aforementioned new marina, as well as new hotel developments, put the woodland surrounding Ustka at risk.

page 40

WOODLAND LOSS

TITLE

The sand dunes west of the port of Ustka, belong to the Polish National Heritage office. The dunes and the waterfront are part of the European Union nature conservation programme, Natura 2000, due to their importance in biodiversity and nature.

page 41

Certain areas within the city have high levels of unemplyment, crime, and social problems. These areas (and their residents) are seen as undesirable. That comes in great juxtaposition to the fact that central areas of Ustka are highly well-maintained to portray the image of a successful tourist destination.

Supringly however, those areas are inactive during post-season months. page 42

AREAS OF POVERTY

Scrap Wood for Winter HouseTITLE Fuel

Such areas of poverty can surely benefit from an agenda that seeks to make primary healthcare a public good.

Investment in primary healthcare eventually leads to a reduced number of hospitalizations, and that leads to more effective management of household budgets.

page 43

Eastern TITLE Riverfront Summer Apartments

Text

page 44

Western Riverfront Adabndoned Industries TITLE

Text

page 45

Demographics as a Negative Factor

Ustka’s population according to the latest census, is 15,973. However during summer months (July-August) this number goes by 760%, adding up to 115,000, according to local sources3.

page 46

Yet this temrporary summer boom is not necessarily good for the local communities. It might suggest economic boost, but according to government statistics, only about 10% of the working citizens benefit from the tourism economy. Only 149 per 1000 residents are working, with unemployment rising high above the Pomeranian average.

3 As informed during site visit, by the local authorities at Ustka’s Town Hall

115,000 SUMMER POPULATION

The number of employed citizens shouldn’t be a surprise. Looking closer into the demographics of Ustka, the majority of the 15,973 residents are above median age - 45% above median age and more than 10% elderly4 suggesting Ustka is either suffering with unemployement and job prospects, or that it is also a desirable retirement place.

15,000 WINTER POPULATION MAJORITY OF WHICH ARE ABOVE MEDIAN AGE

Numbers point to a signifficant yearly population decline, as well as a negative natural increase (negative birth rate).

4 “Ustka W Liczbach - Demografia, Rynek Pracy, Edukacja, Kody Pocztowe, Urzędy, Wykresy, Zestawienia, Porównania, Adresy, Mapy”. Polskawliczbach.pl. N.p., 2016. Web. 27 May 2016.

page 47

Atmospheric Pollution

As for death causes, the majority of which is either cardiovascular or respiratory diseases5, suggests an unhealthy lifestyle (keeping under advisement natural causes as well).

page 48

It is a well-known fact that Poland’s energy sector is highly dependant upon coal burning, with two active coal burning energy plants in Pomerania alone. Coal is cheap, but polluting and according to discussions with local residents, any of them feel that they have no option but to heat their homes with coal.

5 “Cardiovascular Disease - NHS Choices”. Nhs.uk. N.p., 2016. Web. 27 May 2016.

COAL ADDICTION

As a result, fuel poverty adds to the coal addiction, creating unhealthy atmosphere in both Ustka and Slupsk.

As a matter of fact, increases to energy and heat prices nationwide, is a major social problem.

page 49

FUEL POVERTY

Ustka Statistics

The following statistics suggest that health risks deriving from the afore-mentioned diseases are quite imminent, yet when co-related with the demographics, it is possible that

page 50

such health risks can be avoided by simple changes in the lifestyle and primary healthcare investment. Factors for improvement can varry from a healthier atmosphere, increase in daily

exercise - which is quite easy if taken full advantage of the natural benefits of Ustka - as well as healthier living choices that are accompanied by proper and frequent professional guidance.

In addition to health risks, atmospheric pollution and unhealthy living choices are not the only reason that create the risks and the negative statistics. Funding in health services and sport services has

gotten signifficantly low in the past 7 years, as Ustka’s local authorities have been applying consecutive budget cuts.

That enhances the need for public and affordable healthcare services.

page 51

Regional Medical Centre, Ustka

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N

Seeking for Social Benefits Through the Spa Town Designation

The most efficient way to create an affordable primary healthcare service in Ustka, is to think local and act local.

Taking advantage of the designation as a Spa Town, the design project agenda sets to question the clientele of the spa facilities Ustka has to offer. Tradditionally spas have been public facilities, where the local community bathed and found mental peace. Spas since the Roman times have been a routine into the daily lives of citizens. A batthouse has been a place of leisure, relaxation, treatment, a place for discussion and socializing.

In order to respond to the aforementioned issues, is there any potential to extract public and social benefits through the designtation of Ustka as a Spa Town?

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CHAPTER 03

REVISED HEALTH MASTERPLAN

1

2 3 7 page 56

4

N

5

6 8

1. Proposed healthcare facility - to be discussed in the following chapters 2. Temporary accommodation embed with the surrounding nature to promote a healthy benefitial relationship between urban and nature co-existance.

3. Energy production unit based on seaweed and biofuels, as discussed in the Proto-City masterplan.

4. New research and innovation high street.

5. Pedestrian routes across site and Ustka town centre creating promenades across both sides of the river.

6. Electric tram link to the train station, set to promote new means of green public transport.

7. Aquarium - Marine Research Centre (Project by Urban Strategy Group Teammate Thomas Whettingsteel) 8. Plastic Lab (Project by Urban Strategy Group Teammate Alex Wightman)

1:500 Testing Model of Revised Masterplan With Proposed Healthcare Facility

page 57

CHAPTER 04

ARCHITECTURAL DISCUSSION

TOWARD A NEW HEALTHCARE MODEL

page 60

SYNOPSIS

As the design proposal is about an alternative primary healthcare facility - a public bathhouse - the architectural discussion will be focussing on how to bring the healthcare agenda into space.

In summary, the main incentives for this discussion, as they have been already analysed, are two key issues: Ustka’s designation as a Spa Town and the dominant elderly population. That particular population group provides the incentive to seek for any social benefits that can be extracted from the designation of the Spa Town.

This will unfold by discussing and analysing World Health Organization and European Union initiatives on urban health systems run through participatory management models. This discussion intends to reflect upon the aim of the urban health systems as to invest in improving the primary care, ensuring local communities a high quality life.

Based on all that, I will devise a new healthcare model, run through participatory management - which will be the agenda of the proposed design.

The new model comes with certain site characteristics and sets to provide 3 types of healthcare services, one based on relaxation, one based on treatment and finally one based on leisure.

As the agenda needs to be as public and social as possible, the best way to translate the urban health system and the participatory concept into space, is through a particular architectural typology. That will be the Mat Building Typology, a unique system devised by Alison Smithson, Le Corbusier and Aldo Van Eyck. It reads the building as a system of interconnected programmes and networks, as an extension of the city life, the urban grain, and a piece of the city.

The spatial articulation of the proposed

public bathhouse will be reflecting the afore-mentioned architectural and non-architectural theories, dividing the building in 3 volumes that represent the 3 healthcare services provided. The building is further organized in terms of access, programme, spatial and conceptual needs.

The building of course is accompanied by a masterplan as briefly discussed on the previous chapter, that includes means and implementations that promote the idea of the urban health systems, that of healthy living and new means of investing into the public health policies of the future, falling under the agenda of trying to keep people out of hospitals.

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SUMMARY OF ISSUES

page 62

The key issues that lead to the proposal for an alternative healthcare agenda are of two categories. For the implementation of a new primary healthcare facility, there are macro scale issues that provide incentives, as well as micro scale issues. The question that are all trying to answer, is why implement such a healthcare agenda specifically in Ustka. Yet, what must be constantly taken under consideration is that such an agenda intends to operate as a prototype, for a model for alternative primary healthcare that be applied nationwide, as the Proto-City urban strategy suggests. So the macro scale issues are portrayed on the following diagrams:

FUEL POVERTY

COAL ADDICTION

Those issues belong to the macro scale category as they are evident repeatedly in both cities, SÅ‚upsk and Ustka (see disconnected cities and areas of poverty), as well as nationwide (see fuel

DISCONNECTED CITIES page 63

AREAS OF POVERTY

poverty and coal addiction).

Whereas the micro scale issues are the following:

115,000 SUMMER POPULATION page 64

OVER-RELIANCE ON TOURISM PEAK TOURISM

Those issues belong the micro scale category, as they are mostly evident in Ustka. As it has already been discussed, the micro scale issues are directly related to the demographics of the town and provide a valid justification for the implementation of a primary healthcare model. A primary healthcare facility, a public bathhouse, would build upon the relationship of the local community with nature, and take a year-round advantage of the Spa Town designation. Such a facility would not only benefit the locals, but has the potential to be an attraction for Słupsk’s population as well as nearby communities. In addition, a facility that is set to operate on a participatory management model, directly involves the local community in implementation of future programmes and decisionmaking processes that affect their own locale.

POOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

WOODLAND LOSS page 65

15,000 WINTER POPULATION MAJORITY OF WHICH ARE ABOVE MEDIAN AGE

URBAN HEALTH SYSTEMS

Definition: at a time of increasing urbanization, environmental change, poverty and population growth, new strategies for health emerge that require innovative governance structures and political processes; those strategies are known as urban health systems.

Aim: to invest in improving the primary healthcare to ensure a high quality life. page 66

Necessity: to prevent degradation of health in people and communities at a time of increasing trends toward urbanization; to organize people and communities into more democratic forms of governance with immediate control over benefits for a higher quality lifestyle Key examples: 1988, Ontario established a Premier’s Council on Health, Wellbeing and Social Justice run by the local citizens in collaboration to MPs and NGOs to implement public health policies;

Halton Regional Council has been working to integrate land-use and social policies and studying the implications of social needs for land-use; The city of Richmond, BC, has been working with the local university’s task force on Healthy and Sustainable communities to develop tools and concepts for well planned formulation and development of government led health policies; Toronto, has implemented a food policy council, addressing a wide range of issues related to the provision of healthy food.

Using this particular theoretical system to develop the agenda of the proposed public bathhouse, it sets to provide resolution for primarily the micro scale issues and in the long run - as the primary healthcare model that is set to work as a prototype system, expands and develops - to provide resolution for the macro scale issues.

The Proposed Healthcare Facility is Set to Provide Health Coverage for the Town of Ustka and Beyond

page 67

Discussion

The future of health involves a lot more than the future of medical care. They are not necessarily interrelated terms.

The major factors affecting health are environmental, social and economic!

page 68

According to Trevor Hancock and Martha Garrett, as they state in their publication ‘Beyond Medicine: health challenges and strategies in the 21st century’, health is threatened by population growth, uncontrolled urbanization, climate change, poverty - essentially of the macro and micro scales issues discussed above. New policies and strategies are continuously emerging to build a better future for health, yet healthy public policies are very hard to be achieved through current politics. New strategies for health require innovative governance structures and political processes. Participatory management has the potential to act as a suitable model for the implementation of new public health policies, as it empowers

communities and people to take part in the definition and realization of their preferred health futures.

PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT

Health decline: in times of economic depression and weakening of social structures the discussion is shifting toward the social aspect of urban health systems - non-medical factors.

Yet the lifestyle (stress, eating, exercise, smoking, etc.) choices can be both a medical and a non-medical factor.

Environmental deterioration is also crucial.

According to the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research’s Population Health, there is a close relationship between power and health. The report states among others, that there is a connection between equity and health, as well as one between social status and health that is distinct from any effect traceable to wealth alone! In addition health is influenced by the level of control and decision latitude people have in their work places. Lack of control, low social status and low level of self esteem can indeed contribute significantly to poor

health.

Yet, in improving health in the 21st century, large investments in new medical technologies are not the answer, only an aid. What is crucial are advancements in the in methods for primary-care. For instance, as life expectancy gets longer, primary-care ensures healthcare for most elderly that

should involve less concern about curing, and more concern about ensuring a high quality life. Through a public bathhouse faciltiy that enhances the relationship between urban and nature, the quality of life in Ustka is set to improve as the type of healthcare services provided within this primary healthcare facility are set to ensure a raise in the standards of healthy living. page 69

HEALTHCARE AS A PUBLIC GOOD

page 70

Once more, according to Hancock and Garrett, future advances in health are most likely to be based in macro scale improvements of ecological, social, economic, political and technological conditions. Education and empowerment of people and communities, will be crucial for an effective management of urbanization, the protection of environmental quality and encouragement of healthy lifestyles, so will be a new model of health economics and the establishment of innovative and more democratic forms of governance.

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT

History & Examples

Examples of such methods and applications can be found in a wide variety in Canada. First initiated in 1988, the province of Ontario established a Premier’s Council on Health, Wellbeing and Social Justice, which included the prime ministers, ministers of health, education, environment, labour, community, social services as well as representatives from local businesses, NGOs, community and religious groups etc.; in other words a sample of the entire population of the city had a managing and organizational role in the implementation of public health policies. Similarly the Halton Regional Council has been working to integrate land-use and social policies and studying the implications of social needs for landuse planning. The city of Richmond, BC, has been working with the local university’s task force on Healthy and Sustainable communities to develop tools and concepts for well planned formulation and development of

government led health policies. Finally, the city of Toronto, has implemented a food policy council, addressing a wide range of issues related to the provision of healthy food.

In the early 1990s, the European Regional Office of the World Health Organization held a conference on the topic of investing in health. For the first time ministers of finance and health were brought together to discuss on the subject, and improving health in the European region. Outcomes of this conference were investment in education, citizens’ and community political and social empowerment and promotion of health among the disadvantaged, instead of expensive tertiary-care investments. In many ways, this conference laid the groundwork for implanting urban health systems and public health policies, through a socioeconomic approach, rather than direct improvement of medical care.

Ever since, the WHO’s approach to health promotion is based on enabling people to increase control over and improve the conditions that affect their health – a primary-care self and collective provision. Moreover in 1980s, the WHO initiated a worldwide movement for healthy cities and healthy communities, an ‘anticipatory democracy’ approach. That was set up in order to ensure a high level of public health would be maintained at all times through city governments, despite the increasing trend toward urbanization; to ensure that city governments would maintain control over land use, environmental conditions and social services, so that changes in those fields would not affect the quality of urban health. In achieving that high level of health, the most effective manner has been proven to be direct involvement of citizens and local communities and micro-scale implementation in urban sectors. This way, citizens and local

page 71

communities are directly participating in the organizational management and decision making of local health policies that affect positively their everyday lifestyle and primary-care prevention, ensuring a high quality life.

page 72

Moreover, the city of Vancouver has been a pioneer in the implementation of such urban health systems. In 2015, the city’s Healthy City Strategy, entered Phase 2 after successfully meeting their initial aspirations. The council approved a 4-year action plan after extensive collaboration with implementation teams, members of the local communities, local organizations, local councils and NGOs, as well as representatives from the government and of course the residents. After strong team effort, the results speak for themselves.

The following statistics were extracted from the Healthy City Strategy: Vancouver 2015-1018.

page 73

PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT MODEL

Definition: to empower members of the community to organize and participate in organizational decision making.

page 74

The participatory model is in many ways a bottom-up economic approach. At the moment, according to information recieved at Ustka’s Town Hall meeting, during the site visit (October 2015), the local municipality proposes schemes for metropolitan development and is seeking for the central government’s approval and funding, without involving the local community in the organizational process.

The health and wellbeing agenda proposes a participatory bottom-up model that uses governmental and local municipality funding (see ProtoCity economics), yet is directly owned and managed by local professional associations and community groups. As the primary healthcare facility is meant to directly benefit the local residents,

yet accept visitors from Slupsk and nearby communities, it must operate for the greater social benefit of the user. To maintain a public healthcare agenda, what is required is the outmost attention and consideration of the users.

The facility serves the public good, thus it should be publicly accessible (“healthcare as a public good”). It is proposed that local associations, community groups, NGOs, and local authorities are both serving and being served by the facility. sport activities heated pools spa

funding

education grants healthcare grants

Economics

government & proto-city health core disease research centre

local municipality

A mutual trust is created by the local council that serves the needs of the primary healthcare service and decisions on spending and management are taken by representatives of the local residents and the afore-mentioned associations.

It is proposed that the facility should both employ and serve the locals. For instance, members of Ustka’s doctors association should be working and operating within the facility. Along these lines, the facility is meant to service professionals, the elderly population, students, children, visitors etc. That suggests that the facility as space and programme, becomes a destination.

A destination suggests the existance of public activities, for instance within the limits of public realm in and around the building. In addition a destination is created by the existance of a community hub. As the proposed facility is planned to operate under a participatory

management model, then the facility becomes a hub for the representatives of the residents, organizations and associations that are involved in the scheme.

public realm

public wellbeing program

Bulding as a Destination swimming lane sports (water/nature) cafe public/sport activities

outdoor movie screenings Community Hub water sport activities nature sport activities

cafe yoga classes aerobic classes public swimming lane

page 75

page 76

Futhermore, the energy agenda (see Revised Health Masterplan) can also operate on a participatory model. As it has already been discussed, the energy production unit of the revised masterplan operates on alternative fuel (such as biofuels and seaweed Proto-City Ustka’s masterplan). Yet as the agenda of the primary healthcare facility is set to promote healthy living and is meant to operate as a public facility, the energy scheme is also meant to promote an agenda for affordable and sustainable energy production and provision, hacking in a way the current coal-based energy model. The energy agenda participatory scheme can involve local associations such as farmers and fishermen to provide raw materials, land owners and green energy companies to provide space for expansion and technology for further energy production. The energy unit is set to initially provide energy for the healthcare facility as well as the

revised masterplan. As it devlops it can potentially power Ustka’s residential zones creating an independant energy grid for the town. In return the local residents can benefit by paying lower energy bills.

economic beneďŹ ts

energy unit

town

local farms Site Energy biofuel energy prodution power generation

masterplan heat generation

Initial Phase of the Power Coverage Provided by the Energy Production Unit

page 77

DE-GENTRIFYING THE SPA CONCEPT

The nature of the healthcare services provided in the proposed primary healthcare agenda is directly linked and taking full advantage of Ustka’s designation as a Spa Town. Thusly the three types of healthcare services, one based on relaxation, one based on treatment and one based on leisure, are all refering to types of therapies that have a strong water element. page 78

The processes of de-gentrifying the spa concept through the proposed urban health system, takes place in many levels. To begin with, the positioning of the proposed healthcare facility on site, acts as a statement. The building is sitting at the edge of Ustka’s port. To fit the concept of the public healthcare model, the dunes have been extended and are now reaching the first level of the building. That way, the facility is a node in the intersection of nature, water and the urban elements. Combined with the building’s public character, it trully

behaves in terms of site as a destination, a passage to the beach, to the dunes, to the port and to the town centre.

In juxtaposition to the exclussive use of hotel spas in Ustka, the public bathhouse contains 2 outdoor public access heated pools, buried within the re-landscaped dunes, a core of treatment rooms for particular types of physio-treatment, and a series of indoor and outdoor baths and heat rooms, arranged around public openings. The essence of the agenda is to de-gentrify the spa concept thus the facility has the minimum number of control points and tries to maintain public access to the majority of the healthcare services it provides. In addition the building maintains a series of public openings for various impromptu activities to maintain the aspect of a social space and a celebratory ground.

Site as a Statement

page 79

1

2

3

4

page 80 section a 1

section b

2

3

4

5

5

Brief Sectional Description of the Building Programmes

section a: 1. public heated pool 2. public swimming lane 3. treatment rooms 4. outdoor bath 5. sport activities volume section b: 1. steam room 2. indoor bath 3. public cafeteria 4. disease research centre 5. community hub 6. public square 6

page 81

TYPES OF TREATMENT

scientiffic community, with regards to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, which are the main death causes in Ustka according to government demographics discussed in the previous chapters.

tion

heat therapy

The 3 types of healthcare services provided by the facility, relaxation, heated pools treatment and leisure, are distributed within 3 separate building volumes and within which speciffic types of water related therapies can be found: treatment rooms balneotherapy, physiotherapy and heat therapy. Those type of therapies have been proven effective by the

balneotherapy

physiotherapy

spectrum of health

fa m ili e s

th you

Tradditionally spas have been public facilities, where the local community bathed and found mental peace. Spas since the Roman times have been a routine into the daily lives of citizens. A ENTpage bathhouse has been a place of leisure, 82 relaxation,SPACES treatment, a place for CORRESPONDING CORRESPONDING ACTIVITIES discussion and socializing of the averagephysiotherapy heat therapy room mation citizen - not an exclussive destination. balneotherapy

elberly

In particular the spectrum of health services provided within the facility are directly influenced by the ancient use of spas, from ancient Japan and the Ottoman Empire.

heat therapy

An Ottoman Bathouse - A Social Space

Text

page 83

A NEW HEALTHCARE MODEL

page 84

Overall, the proposed public bathhouse means to act as a primary healthcare facility based on bathhouse activities and treatments that respond to the issues, demographics and statistics of Ustka, yet a facility that maintains a strong public and social element. The 3 types of healthcare services provided correspond to 3 building volumes. Those volumes are arranged on a planning grid, that sets the basis for the discussion on the mat system.

leisure volume: - includes heated pools - free public access from dune level

page 85

treatment volume: - includes treatment rooms - requiring doctor’s appointment and controlled entry - types of therapy: physio therapy

relaxation volume: - includes outdoor and indoor baths, steam room and sauna units - public access yet controlled and regulated entry - types of therapy: balneotherapy, heat therapy

Mat Concept in Relation to the Planning Grid

Text

page 86

MAT BUILDING TYPOLOGY

The ‘Mat Building Typology’, is a building type that resembles a spider web.

According to Dina Krunic the mat building is conceptually linked to the idea of a ‘groundscraper’ and as Team 10 phrased, it is absolutely linked to the concept of ‘stem and web’. That suggests a flat building with a central core, in relation to which a great number of inter-related programmes and networks can operate, expand and contract. Circulation becomes the key to achieve high spatial resolution, providing clusters of spaces to openings (courtyards). In that way, the spatial articulations of the various networks and programmes operating within the building, is homogeneous, clearly stating that aesthics are not a primary aim for this particular typology.

The mat building is meant to be read as a system, an extension of the urban grain it belongs, a miniaturized version of the city.

In the case of the public bathhouse, as

a public healthcare facility, serving the local community, it is crucial that the building is understood as a piece of the city, metaphorically enhancing the public aspect of the healthcare agenda.

The typology will be further analyzed in the following chapters of this document, as individual precedent studies.

In addition, spatially, the architecture of the typology allows public pockets and domains interacting or co-ecisting with aspects of the building programme that require a certain degree of privacy.

page 87 public space

participatory management

Piece of the City healthy living: promotion & encouragement

nature

waterfront

Plan for Frankfurt - Romenberg Mat

Though hardly distinguishable in plan, different activities such as offices, shops, housing and cultural facilities enable the resulting matbuilding to be seen as a living organism. The building becomes a piece of the city, not a landmark.

Berlin Free University - Candilis, Jossic, Woods: Spatial Homogeneity in Programme Distribution

page 89

Discussion

The theoretical characteristics of the mat building typology, and by extension the layout of the public bathhouse, pave the way for a debate on ownership.

page 90

As already been discussed, the architectural discussion is focussing on taking the healthcare agenda into space. However, in the effort of trying to answer what is health about, there needs to be an understanding of ownership in terms of public space. As the use of the mat system suggests, the building is meant to be embedded in the city, and to persuade people to be healthier through sport activities, therapeutic treatments and leisure. Yet to understand ownership in terms of public space, in an agenda that is highly driven by a participatory model, there is need to understand what aspects of the healthcare spectrum fall under the building’s programme. As the aim is to promote and encourage healthy living choices, the project needs to act as a

cohesive part of the city. Le Corbusier’s Venice Hospital is good example. The architect conceived the building as a macro-scale cosmos, a miniature version of the city, shrinking large scale urban patterns and fitting them into one building, via the mat building typology, making the never-built hospital in theory, a piece of the city and bridging the lines between urban planning and spatial design.

Le Corbusier - Venice Hospital, 1964

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Note: The following paragraph was highly influenced by my thesis submitted January for the module ARCH753: Emerging Research in Architecture. The thesis was entitled “Re-thinking the Tenement Block via ‘Ownership’ and ‘Porosity’”.

OWNERSHIP AND POROSITY

Mapping user-related needs forms the healthcare agenda of the project. Yet to relate the agenda to the building, it is necessary to initially rethink ownership, via porosity, as the term has been described by Walter Benjamin.

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‘Porosity’ is a means of re-thinking border relations. It is a concept that allows the possibility to re-think the nature of the border, which by definition is a visual or notional line that marks the division amongst territories or regions.

Benjamin suggests that borders mark points of confrontation and separation.

For instance, they have the potential to define and clarify unsettled zoning between public and private domains.

In respect to architecture, ‘porosity’ as it has the ability distinguish points of separation, can characterize and accompany a series of spatial and urban design decisions. Concerning the public bathhouse’s spatial configuration as a mat system, ‘porosity’ has the potential

to be utilized to examine ownership gradations, in order to establish a clearer understanding of the utilitarian, economic and social implications of the typology.

In Benjamin’s work “The Arcades Project”, he interiorizes the city life as he claims the city itself is being alienated by the dweller. He is emphasizing on the ‘lived moment’ to imply that ‘the material continuities of work and community have been culturally devalued’. Re-appropriating the mat building typology for the benefits of an urban health system, has the potential to act as a factor in strengthening community bonds and socio-economic activities among residents and the rest of the city.

Yet, to build upon such a premise, what needs to be resolved is the reason for social and economic instability, which has been the non-immediate ownership

that is linked directly to the ‘right to the city’ and the user’s territorial claim upon the urban commons. In order for the latter one to be put into effect, via the mat system, ‘porosity’ can facilitate this transition. According to Harvey, the urban commons are both public and private space, upon which the citizen-user is able to exercise rights of social, political and economic character.

The urban commons can incorporate spheres of political activity and political interests, can act as protected spaces – ground for the establishment of communes – or as open spaces within which users share common interests – ideological or utilitarian.

The proposed public primary healthcare facility, constitutes an urban common, as not only operates on a participatory model, includes public pockets within the building’s spatial arrangement, but in addition, the building has minimun circulation control points.

As described earlier, there is a fluidity that transcends the notional borders between the interior and the exterior of the mat. For instance, courtyards are often used as secondary pathways (see Berlin Free University); much like the way Benjamin describes the arcades of Paris as ‘inner-city boulevards’. Furthermore Benjamin, who perceives the city as ‘the place of experience endures’, through his work “Naples”, he’s discussing the term of ‘spatiality’. Spatiality becomes a key element to understand the mat building typology via ownership and ‘porosity’, as it is treated as an effect of urbanism. Much like the Viennese coffee house that Benjamin uses to describe his understandings on spatiality, the mat building includes spaces, such as the outdoor bath courtyard, that are characterized with a strong sense of confinement.

Re-thinking ownership via ‘porosity’, suggests the need to go beyond a socio-

spatial understanding of the concept.

In relation to Benjamin, Bergson is able to assist in this investigation. The latter one uses two actors, the collector and the dreamer who establish a ‘dynamic reciprocity between objectivity and time’. This psychological form of exchange differs from the static way, through which we perceive everyday objects and events. Everyday objectivity according to Bergson depends on ‘masking the differentials of time under the guise of stable objects, with their external, quantitative, spatialized forms. The objects of the collector and dreamer, in contrast, are only the component elements of complex temporal images: memories, historical representations and so on’. It is then reasonable to assume that when rethinking ownership via ‘porosity’, the next level of interpretation is absolutely interrelated with time, memory and experience.

Consequently, when attempting to resolve the unsettled zoning of public and private within the typology and the surrounding urban context, the mat building itself becomes merely a tool, through which not only the local resident can exercise his/her right to the city, but a tool that acts as a micro-scale version of the city life.

In addition, re-thinking ownership via ‘porosity’ can happen through architectural politics, that is to say different – yet linking – to the philosophical understanding of Benjamin and Bergson. Objectively, ‘porosity’ defines urban and spatial relationships – for instance between courtyard, treatment room unit and street – with regard to other existing interpretations. According to Benjamin, ‘porosity’ has a ‘productive presence’ as it allows a sense of mapping ‘driven by linear sequence and singular moments’.

The transition between courtyard, room

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TITLE

and street becomes a spatial experience, which suggests that borders shift and public and private domain can be in constant flux. This potential for fluidity, enhances the potential for socio-spatial freedom of the user and constitutes the mat typology as a public urban common.

page 94

sectional model: 1. courtyard: outdoor bath 2. internal building circulation (private) 3. public pathway 4. public circulation route within the building 5. transitional lobby: control point 6. public ground floor pocket 7. public square as entrance-destination point to the building

1

2

3 4

5

6

7

page 95

N

HEALTHCARE MASTERPLAN

Lastly the wider health masterplan that accompanies the building, enhances and promotes the new urban health system.

page 96

Its facilities are set to promote the idea of healthy living, but most of all, the participatory management scheme with the local character of the new healthcare facilties, behaves as a prototype for implementation of similar schemens in similar urban environments.

Moreover, the new healthcare model, can work not only for the benefit of Ustka, but for the benefit of Slupsk as well, encouraging visitors’ traffic between the two cities. Yet, most of all the masterplan is set to promote and encourage the implementation of new public health policies with democratic governance that invest on primary care and seek the outmost social benefits of local communities.

FIRST FLOOR CAFE TREATMENT ROOMS

DISEASE RESEARCH CENTRE PUBLIC HEATED POOL

TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION ENERGY PRODUCTION UNIT

CABLE CAR

TRAM

RESEARCH HIGH STREET

LINK TO TRANSPORTATION HUB

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A Healthy City For All - Healthy City Strategy. 1st ed. Vancouver: Vancouver City Council, 2015. Print.

“Candilis-Josic-Woods: Dialectic Of Modernity | Archined”. ArchiNed. N.p., 2005. Web. 18 May 2016.

Fabrizi, Mariabruna. “The Building Is The City: Le Corbusier’S Unbuilt Hospital In...”. SOCKS. N.p., 2014. Web. 18 May 2016.

Hancock, Trevor and Martha Garrett. “Beyond Medicine: Health Challenges And Strategies In The 21St Century”. Futures 27.9/10 (1995): 935-951. Print.

“Healthy Systems In Transition”. Poland: Health Systems Review 13.08 (2011): n. pag. Print.

Krunic, Dina. “The Groundscraper: Candilis-Josic-Woods And The Free University Building In Berlin 1963-1973”. ARRIS 23 (2012): 31-49. Print.

Rechel, Bernd. “How Can Health Systems Respond To Population Ageing”. Health Systems and Policy Analysis 10 (2009): n. pag. Print.

Stagkos, Nikolas Theodore. “Re-Thinking The Tenement Block Via ‘Ownership’ And ‘Porosity’”.

Master of Architecture, Year 2. Plymouth University, 2016. Print.

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CHAPTER 05

SITE ANALYSIS

SITE IDENTIFICATION

As previously stated, the site of the proposed primary healthcare facility from now on to be referred as the Public Bathouse - is the north end of Ustka’s port.

At its current status, the site is fairly abandoned. The promenade that conncets the port to the beach is neglected with restricted access. page 100

Site Position

page 101

The site is now an unofficial car park of the adjacent fishing dock.

page 102

In addition, overtaking the nearby forest, there is a seasonal fun fair.

page 103

SITE CONTEXT lighthouse

marina

3

old dock crane 1

page 104

town hall

fish market

KEY

church 2

N

shipyard

4

cinema busses to slupsk

Site Key buildings Rail tracks Main road Pedestrian promenade

Site map: 1. planned forest road 2. new residential district with holiday flats 3. existing riverside promende alongside holiday flats and hotels 4. Ustka’s bus station (top right image) Forest road planned for expansion. (bottom right image) Nearby holiday flats, fenced to resemble a gated community.

page 105

boats in/out

MAIN ROUTES

page 106

town hall

fish market shipyard

church

train station

N

Site KEY Main road Railtracks Key building Pedestrian promenade Public realm

HEALTH MASTERPLAN ALTERATIONS

A new ‘research’ highstreet is proposed on the far east of the site, alongside new buildings with research and innovation programmes.

The middle path penetrating the site, north to south, is pedestrianized mirroring the qualities of the pedestrian route across the river.

In addition a new electric tram link is extending from the train station to the public bathhouse, to assist users with transport difficulties and to promote green means of transportation.

This way the site becomes more active, encouraging the user to experience both nature, the facilities of the masterplan and both sides of the river.

The pedestrian walkways intersect at the heart of the public bathhouse, making it a public destination and a gateway to the beach on the north. This intersection allows the possibility for the creation of a public realm (square).

page 107

ZONING

page 108

train station

N

Industrial zone Residential zone Key buildings Rail tracks Woodland Pedestrian promenade

EAST-WEST PASSAGE

The site at the moment interupts the potential for an east-west connection of public passages along side the beach and dunes.

Bridging that existing gap, would merge the boundaries of industrial and residential zones, creating a more coherent urban grain.

1 lighthouse WWII bunker

marina

old dock crane town hall fish market

church cinema

train station

page 109

SITE ATTRACTIONS

marina

6

fish market

4

5

old dock crane

7

page 110

dock

2

fish market

1

N

3

old crane

HEALTH MASTERPLAN ALTERATIONS

At its current status, the site includes a beautiful yet abandoned old industrial crane and a busy in the early morning hours fish market.

1 2

The proposed alteration suggest the following uses in lieu of the existing occupations: 1. temporary accommodation 2. energy production unit 3. research and innovation units 4. marine research cenre 5. fishing docks 6. culture & leisure spaces 7. storage units 8. research laboratories & conference units

3

4

1 5

7

6 8

page 111

NORTH-SOUTH PASSAGE

beach lighthouse

page 112

marina N

old dock crane

Site KEY Main road Railtracks Key building Pedestrian promenade Public realm

HEALTH MASTERPLAN ALTERATIONS

At its current status, the site has the potential for pedestrian links and the development of public realm, as the north-south route emerges from the fish market, past the old crane, to the site of the public bathhouse and then to the beach. The health masterplan is proposing an uninterupted pedestrian north to south passage that cuts through the public bathhouse. The building is using a spine wall, defining the public path and its fixed direction.

page 113

PUBLIC TERRITORY

1

page 114

2 3 4

5

N

Site KEY Main road Railtracks Key building Pedestrian promenade Public realm

6

7

HEALTH MASTERPLAN ALTERATIONS

The entirety of the public bathhouse’s site, is becoming a public domain. The south edge by the waterfront has the potential to act as a public square, the intersection of 4 pedestrian routes, making the front of the building an active destination for Ustka’s seafront.

page 115

EXISTING TYPOLOGIES

Surrounding the site there is a variety of architectural typologies. On the south (see page 102, annotation 2) there are high density residential blocks of flats, fenced to immitate a gated community.

Whereas on the east, accross the river, there is a high density strip of holiday apartments and hotel blocks, immitating with their pitched the vernacular architecture of Ustka. page 116

Immidiately adjacent to the site, next to where the old crane is, there a few high rise, yet abandoned industrial building and across the road from them, one can find standardized single storey industrial storage units.

Yet as portrayed on the map above (see page 112) the extact location of the public bathhouse is fairly uninhabited.

The nearest building is approximately 300 metres away, thus that lack of density raises concerns for the future rate of use of the public bathhouse.

That is reason for the extensive development proposed in the ‘Revised Health Masterplan’, aiming to provide the entirety of the site with a series of preferable destinations.

page 117

CHAPTER 06

DESIGN PROCESS

VOLUMENTRIC TESTINGS

The following volumetric testings were made in regards for seekings the most appropriate site response. In particular they were set to explore the positioning of the outdoor public heated pools, in relation to the public passage penetrating the building, north to south, and the remaining volumes of the building that led to the mat typological arrangment. page 120

spatial arrangment looking at the building volume as a massive landmarklike block

buildng spine defining the north to south passage in relation to potential circulation cores

the building steps back from the north waterfront, creating circulation all around it

the spine disappears and becomes part of the second volume

TITLE

the centre of the building, is read as a conceptual peak, within which all the programmes intersect

building at the edge of the waterfront | tilted facade to show a conceptual rise from the water

initial concept of 3 volumes, one for each type of healthcare service provided

the higher heated pool becomes part of the second volume

suggest public north to south passage to go underneath the second volume

settling on the positioning of the higher and lower haeted pool

page 121

NEED FOR DENSITY

page 122

primary test: public routes forming a crossroad centred on a public square, in front of the public bathhouse | there is a spine in the centre of the building defining the main public passage north to south

secondary test: routes - volumes - spine + public pools | the intersection of the paths in the south end of the building carves an opening in the centred volume for the positioning of a public square | the spine is used to hide the pools from the the rest of the building programmes

page 123

tertiary test: masterplan programmes relating to the new urban healthcare model

final building arrangment: temporary accommodation, research and energy programmes are pushed within the dunes to form a promenade leading to the building | nature is overtaking the side of the heated pools, enhancing (yet contradicting) the public activities east of the building’s spine

RESULTED SCHEME CHARACTERISTICS

page 124

In the final approach as a site response, the mat system allows for an open public realm all around the building, yet public pockets are carved in the ground floor, as certain volumes are elevated to create a flow between the north and south waterfront. The multipathway approach seen in the primary, secondary and tertiary tests, is now fully incorporated within the ground floor of the building.

The over-exaggerated spine, is multipurposed. It defines the public square forming in the south facade of the buildng, as well as the public north to south passage, from the port to the beach. Additionally, physically and conceptually, it contributes to the seperation of nature and the heated pools, from the urban environment east of the spine.

It also behaves as a landmark, marking the edge of the destination of the users,

as it arrives both from the fish market and the town centre.

Finally, the spine trigers the discussion for the implementation of 2 axes that are to form dominate the building form, strategy and programme distribution.

The first axis articulates the public characteristics of the public bathhouse, as it defines the route of the north to south passage and the connection of the north and south waterfront.

The second axis articulates the programme distribution and the layout of the mat building typology.

page 125

BUILDING CORE: MAT SPATIAL ARTICULATION

The following testings concern the side east of the building’s spine. They seek the desirable spatial articulation of the building volumes hosting the treatment healthcare services and the relaxation healthcare services, as mentioned and discussed in the architectural discussion chapter.

page 126

the yellow volumes represent the ones suspended from the ground level, allowing pockets of public realm to occupy the ground floor

page 127

testing investigating the possibility for an elevated public realm, above the relaxation volume; that realm would be a continuation of the ground, joining via a slope

testing investigating the possibility of a secondary lane on the far east side of the building, parallel to the main north to south passage; this lane would be alongside a secondary volume, occupied with sport activities programme, building upon the relationship of both building and user with the surrounding nature and sea

PUBLIC PROPERTIES

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Through the afore-mentioned testings, the building system that has been developed has acquired a series of public properties.

1. elevated public heated pool 2. lower public heated pool 3. public swimming lane alongside the main north to south public passage to encourage playfull activities and use of the building 4. public square as a destination with proposed 24hrs use, such as summer movie screenings 5. elevated public realm atop on the relaxation volume, being used as a cafe with views to the Baltic sea

TITLE

Text

page 129

SECTIONAL TESTINGS BASED ON THE MODELLED SPATIAL CONFIGURATIONS

section AA’

section BB’

page 130 section CC’

section DD’

section EE’

section FF’

page 131 section GG’

section HH’

section II’

section JJ’

page 132 section KK’

sections AA’ - EE’

page 133

sections FF’ - KK’

SKETCH VISUALISATIONS

The following visualizations are based on the previous sectional explorations.

The firs 3 are looking at the south facade of the public bathhouse, imagining the entrance to the main public passage, the relationship of the treatment volume to its adjacent block and the entrance of public square as arriving from Ustka’s town centre. page 134

page 135

The following sketch visualizations are investigating the relationship of the 2 public heated pools to the spine, a bridge connection to the treatment core and the possibility for an inhabitable spine (changing rooms within).

page 136

page 137

DUNE EXPANSION

page 138

As a final design decision at a wider scale, the revised healtcare masterplan suggests a shift in the current position of the adjacent dunes. To strengthen the social impact of the building and its relationship to the surrounding nature - a mat building system blending the boundaries between urban, sea and nature - the dunes are now meeting the building on the 1st floor level of the lower heated pool, creating public access through them, all the way to the building’s cafe on the east side of the spine.

TITLE

model annotations 1. +1.5m initial rise of the dune’s level 2. +1.5m further rise with dense vegetation 3. +1m furter rise to match the height of lower public heated pool; a wide level is created allowing room for the temporary accommodation of the wider urban health system masterplan 4. existing dune position with protected forest The link created between the dunes and the lower public heated pool and the cafe, defines the nature of the second axis the design scheme is based upon.

Whereas the north-south axis defines the degrees of public domain within and around the building, the east-west axis, through a public passage from the nature side of the spine, to the urbanized mat system, allows the distribution of the 3 healthcare services, as discussed in the architectural discussion chapter.

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EAST-WEST AXIS

The east-west axis defines the programme allocation. As already mention in the previous chapter the public bathhouse, primary healthcare facility offers 3 types of healthcare services: one based on leisure, one based on treatment and one based on leisure. All linked to the nature and water elements that are defining the site and Ustka as a town. page 140

leisure volume: - includes heated pools - free public access from dune level

page 141

treatment volume: - includes treatment rooms - requiring doctor’s appointment and controlled entry - types of therapy: physio therapy

relaxation volume: - includes outdoor and indoor baths, steam room and sauna units - public access yet controlled and regulated entry - types of therapy: balneotherapy, heat therapy

BUILDING AS PART OF THE LANDSCAPE

Case study: Peter Zumthor, Therme Vals, 1996 This particular building by Peter Zumpthor, is an excellent example of the relationship of the building with the surrouding landscape.

page 142

The building is placed within a slope, making its roof an extension of the higher ground. The buildng allows opening for the outdoor pools, in a manner that the visitor recognizes only 2 elements, nature and water.

page 143

Case study: Alvaro Siza, Leca Swimming Pools, 1966

page 144

Siza’s pools is a public facility where the planning and spatial arrangement does not require controlled enclosed volumes. This particular precedents is not only valid for the relationship of the building with the landscale, as it embraces the natural rock formations as part of the pools’ structure, but the building is creating a natural public corridor through the semi-artificial landscape. The room that requires controlled access and a certain level of privacy are the changing rooms.

page 145

CHAPTER 07

DETAILED DESIGN

SYNOPSIS

page 148

This chapter will go in detail into the spatial description of the final resolution scheme of the public bathhouse. The building will be initially introduced through the final drawings to annote the programme allocation. Later on it will be examined as per the 2 axes concept.

The first part of the chapter will be investigating the properties of the northsouth axis, whereas the second part of the chapter will examine the properties of the east-west axis. As already been stated, the second axis defines the programme distribution, thusly it will be on that segment a space by space analysis of the building; starting with the leisure volume, the treatment volume and the relaxation volume, to end with the spatial description of two additional spaces, the disease research centre and the community hub.

The spatial analysis and description of each axis and space-room, will be carried out by the use of final sections,

detailed plans and diagrams, as well as an extensive use of 1:500, 1:200 and 1:100 models made for this particular purpose.

Final Building Model

page 149

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FINAL NORTH-SOUTH AXIS BUILDING SECTION

section annotations 1. public waterfront edge 2. steam room 3. wc, showers and changing rooms 4. indoor bath 5. public outdoor seating area 6. public ground floor path 7. cafe 8. community hub main office 9. disease research centre 10. balcony 11. ground floor public pocket for community groups stalls 12. public square

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FINAL EAST-WEST AXIS BUILDING SECTION

section annotations 1. public heated pool 2. changing rooms 3. public swimming lane 4. main north-south passage 5. treatment room 6. ground floor public pocket 7. wc, showers and changing rooms 8. information, reception, registration for relaxation health services 9. outdoor bath 10. ventilation control room 11. sport activities lane 12. sport activities hub 13. sport equipment storage area

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FINAL GROUND FLOOR PLAN

plan annotations 1. chp & digester providing sustainable energy for the building 2. chp control room 3. digester loading bay 4. pool water utilities 5. public swimming lane 6. ground floor public pocket public activities such as yoga classes 7. information, reception, registration 8. wc, showers and changing rooms 9. community hub office 10. community hub management office 11. conference room 12. exhibition space 13. public square 14. outdoor bath 15. steam room 16. sauna 17. ventilation control room 18. indoor bath 19. sport activities hub

The main space evident in the ground floor of the public bathhouse belongs to both axis. The relaxation health volume is occupying the better part of the ground floor. It is a single-storey volume as it grows around a central courtyard, with an outdoor bath. The volume has controlled access as it is for limited number of user at a time. It deals mostly with heat therapy related facilities, such as indoor and outdoor baths, a steam room and a series of saunas.

In addition what is evident is the community hub. Those respective spaces are meant to be hosting the spatial needs of the participatory management model of the proposed urban health system, as discussed in the architectural discussion.

Moreover in the centre of the plan there are the two main circulation cores that lead up to the treatment volume.

On the far east, aside from the pool pile foundations, there is the chp and digester facility, producing sustainable energy for the building to operate with minimum expenses the outdoor heated pools.

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FINAL FIRST FLOOR PLAN

plan annotations 1. public entrance from dunes 2. information desk 3. locker rooms 4. wc 5. pool deck 6. public heated pool 7. changing rooms 8. pool utility room 9 .information, reception, registration 10. treatment room 11. wc, showers and changing rooms 12. disease research centre office 13. disease research centre lab 14. private entrance - control point 15. cafe 16. outdoor public seating area

What is evident in the first floor plan, is the main east-wet public passage, from the dunes, to the cafe, that penetrates the building. This is an uninterrupted route. Control points are in effect only for the entrance to the treatment rooms and the disease research centre. The last space is an additional facility dedicated to research on alternative healthcare services, to maintain and strength the provision of primary healthcare.

Atop the relaxation volume, there is a public seating area, for users and visitors of the public bathhouse, serviced by the adjacent cafe.

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FINAL SECOND FLOOR PLAN

plan annotations 1. indoor public seating area 2. pool deck 3. public heated pool 4. changing rooms 5. pool utility room 6. information, reception, registration 7. treatment room

The main spaces evident in the second floor plan, are the two public heated pools and the top floor of the treatment volume.

page 159

NORTH-SOUTH AXIS

The north-south axis defines the degrees of public domain within and around the building.

page 160

This axis unifies the front and back of the building through a permiable arrangment, linking the south waterfront to the north waterfront through different degrees of public realm. In relation to the public territory, circulation as well happens in different degrees, allowing the possibility for different conditions (public circulation in parallel to private circulation). The north-south axis also defines the role of the spine as a directional element - a landmark - and articulates the mat typology that the building is based upon.

page 161

Role of the Spine

The spine is acting as a landmark, contrary to the mat theory which states that the building is an extension of the urban grain, a groundscrapper, a nonlandmark.

It defines the edge of public frontage as a destination and forms the north to south public passage to the beach, as well as the public square on the south. page 162

Alongside of it there is a public swimming lane extending as long as the spine, so that users and non-users would enjoy the building as a public, social and celebratory ground.

page 163

spine

public swimmig lane

Nort-South Public Passage

The role of the north-south passage is to unify the front waterfront edge and the back waterfront of the building, providing a link to the beach further in the north.

page 164

page 165

Ground Floor Public Pockets

Alongside the main north-south passage, the ground floor of the public bathhouse is articulated in such manner that allows a series of public pockets, resting spots in the journey from the sourth to the north waterfront. Those pockets are meant to be occupied by health related activities, such as free aerobic or yoga classes, that local communities can exercise, without the need of reserving the space.

PUBLIC ELEMENT CORRESPONDING SPACES square

page 166

public heated pools

1st floor cafe

public swimming lane

PUBLIC ELEMENT CORRESPONDING SPACES square

public heated pools

1st floor cafe

public swimming lane

CORRESPONDING ACTIVITIES movie screenings socialize - relax swim - play - relax

CORRESPONDIN movie screen socialize - rel swim - play -

diagram annotations 1. north public pocket underneath treatment volume 2. south public pocket underneath treatment volume 3. north public enclosure as secondary public square by the waterfront 4. outdoor bath courtyard (controlled access) 5. public enclosure in-between offices of the community hub - to be used for community groups stalls and information

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In addition to the ground floor’s public pockets, the north-south axis offers an additional pocket above the relaxation volume, the outdoor seating area served by the cafe.

page 168

There is a relationship in the volumes those public pockets belong to. There is a declining slope from the volume of the disease research centre, down to the north waterfront. The outdoor seating area guarantees views to the Baltic sea as well as to the public realm north of the building.

east-west public passage

outdoor seating area public square

public waterfront controlled access outdoor bath public enclosure

page 169

disease research centre

public enclosure

page 170

outdoor bath courtyard

The central public enclosure between the square and the public path, is created by the elevation of the central volume of the disease reseach centre. That strategic move, serves the transition for the south public domain, to a protected public enclosure, to a controlled accesssemi private courtyard, and back out again to the north public waterfront.

page 171

Public Square

As already been stated, the public square functions as the primary destination, the node upon which all routes leading to the public bathhouse meet.

page 172 transparent - private

public enclosure public qquare

private

page 173

Degrees Public Domain

As the user moves further away from the spine, toward the east, the public pockets of the ground floor start taking different degrees of public domain.

The parallel co-existance of private circulation and public circulation and the possibility for control points, creates a certain ambiguity of room in relation to planning grid.

model annotations 1. private relaxation volume circulation 2. public passage 3. control points

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The public properties of those pockets, especially on the ground floor, are enhanced due to lack of main entrance.

Particular spaces have their respective entry points to satisfy user-related needs. This separation of programmes however is cancelled on the east-west axis, as the east-west passage unifies all 3 healthcare volumes through one single pathway. page 175

Public Ground Floor Circulaton

The flexibility of the planning grid allows the creation of positive and negative spaces, internal and public circulation.

page 176

Private Ground Floor Circulaton

In conversation with the public routes of the ground floor, the grid system allows private circulation to occur in parallel with the public paths, sharing the same spatial conditions (eg. light) and structure

page 177

Mat Typology

The flexibility described in the spatial arrangment of the public bathhouse, is evident in the following examples of 2 of the most characteristic cases of the mat building typology.

page 178

Le Corbusier - Venice Hospital, 1964

(water element).

“The Building is the City”

Having said that, the oversized spine provides the choice to concentrate on 2 out three elements at time, maintaining this way the spiritual qualities and spatial + surrouding characteristics required by the 3 types of the new healthcare model (leisure, treatment and relaxation)

In this late project the plan interprets the growth logic of the ancient city of Venice and its spatial configuration, its system of semi-autonomous islands and campi (the Venetian squares) separated by channels and connected by bridges.

The horizontal project doesn’t aim to become a landmark, but to work as an extension of the tissue of the city.

Contradiction with ‘monumental spine’ of the bathhouse building. In this case similar to Le Corbusier the building has an urban component and a nature component Yet, here nature is split between the water element (baltic sea) and the dune element (forest + sand), whereas Le Corbusier was dealing with the urban (venitian canals + squares) and nature

page 179

Text concrete core: spine

page 180

services

private courtyard

Case study: Aldo van Eyck, Amsterdam Orphanage, 1960 “A house must be like a small city if it’s to be a real house, a city like a large house if it’s to be a real city” in an essay published in 1962 titled ‘Steps Toward a Configurative Discipline.”

The Amsterdam Orphanage is a classic example of a mat system. Within the building, units of program (live) are laid out on an orthogonal grid. The units project off two diagonal paths (axes) so that each unit has multiple exterior facades and a continuous relationship to the outside. By projecting off of a diagonal within the grid, van Eyck creates an equal amount of negative spaces from the positives he’s formed.

Each individual unit is then neighbored by its own outdoor space.

In a similar strategy to the public bathhouse, the orphanage has a main

concrete spine, working as the backbone of the grid structure, concentrating building services and organizing the hierarchy and degree of privacy in the courtyards.

page 181

Van Eyck on Structure & Technology

page 182

The grid system allows the potential for a lightweight and economically viable structure. Following the logic of respective number of positive and negative spaces, the plan indicates almost mechanically the need for solid and transparent surfaces. That allows the grid to provide structural flexibility, by building only on the elements of the wall that require structural support giving room for economically viable materials to fill in the wall space between structural collumns. By looking at the adjacent photograph, the materiality defines the type of room that respective unit is enclosing. For instance, the glass surfaces is enclosing a common area, whereas the brick surface is enclosing a bedroom. The gap on the top part of the wall wasn’t considered necessary to be filled with concrete, so every room is ensured a top slim window.

Text

page 183

EAST-WEST AXIS

The second axis articulates the programme distribution and the layout of the mat building typology. It defines and separates the 3 building volumes, yet allowing flexible circulation, and interaction of user and non-user, through a unifying public passage that sits perpendicular and a level above the north-south passage. page 184

Similarly to the previous axis, the spine takes another purpose when defined within the east-west context. It is being inhabited with facilities relating to the public heated pools, thusly taking a nonstructural role.

page 185

East-West Public Passage

The east-west public passage, defines the second axis of the public bathhouse.

This public access pathway, is crucial to the spatial articulation as it unifies the 3 healthcare volumes through one single route, connecting the dunes (nature) to the public cafe at the far east side of the building. Access to the healthcare volumes happens through control points which regulate access to the spaces.

lift

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model annotations 1. east-west public passage 2. bridge: intersection of east-west and north-south axis, paths 3. public outdoor seating area 4. north waterfront public realm 5. public square

Sectional model of the east-west path, interescting pool services, the bridge, controlled entry to the treatment rooms, and finally ending to the opening for the outdoor seating area.

model annotaitons 1. open access 2. pool entry point 3. treatment rooms entry point 4. cafe

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East-West Passage Open Access from Dune Level

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Cafe as a Destination

The cafe is situated at the end of the public east-west passage. It is overlooking the controlled-access outdoor bath.

page 190

In addition, it offers clear views to the south waterfront edge and public realm.

page 191

Purpose of the Spine

The role of the spine is understood only in relation to the passage. It hides the pools; protecting them from the urban element, limiting (framing) the views from the pools, either to the dunes and the forest, or toward the Baltic sea, enhancing the tranquility and spirituality that accompanies the ritual of bathing.

page 192

In addition to that the spine separates the pools to the treatment and relaxation volume, yet it allows only one opening for the east-west passage to penetrate and cross through the other side of the pools, linking all the building programmes together.

In a conceptual understanding, the spine within the east-west axis, acts as a barrier to both the nature and the urban, yet allowing the potential for one meeting node, that becomes the epicentre of the building.

Spine in Relation to the Public North-South Route and Treatment Rooms Entry

East-West Passage in Relation Treatment Rooms Entry and North-South Passage

page 193

Leisure Volume

The key space the leisure volumes includes are the two public heated pools. One is located on the first floor, accessed directly through the dunes and the second one is elevated on the second floor, being accessed through un-controlled circulation. The pools extend their changing rooms, utility rooms and specators’ area, within the spine of the building. page 194

USER LEISURE CORRESPONDING SPACES information

heated pools

public ground floor enclosures sport activities block

The entrance form the dune level, includes only an information desk for USER the benefit of the user - visitor.

LEISURE

CORRESPONDING SPACES information

heated pools

public ground floor enclosures sport activities block

CORRESPONDING ACTIVITIES swim - play - relax water sports hiking free exercise classes

CORRESPON swim - play water spor hiking free exerci

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2nd level plan annotations 1. lower public heated pool 2. elevated public heated pool 3. pool deck 4. changing rooms 5. spectators’ area 6. utility room

Entry from Dunes

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Dunes TITLE Relandscaping for Pool Access and Entry to the East-West Public Passage

page 198

dune entering the building’s domain

access to lower pool through natural landscape

page 199

Case study: Alvaro Siza, Leca Swimming Pools, 1966

Siza’s pools, as already been discussed, is a public facility where the planning and spatial arrangement does not require controlled enclosed volumes.

page 200

A particular spatial feature that works as precedents for the public bathhouse is the way the architect, has created a light-weight timber structure of the changing rooms, within the concrete volume. In a simalar manner work the changing rooms within the spine of the public bathhouse facility.

page 201

Treatment Volume

The treatment volume consists of 2 storeys of treatment rooms with respective information, registration and reception areas. The architecture of the treatment rooms is repetive. Each room has views to the public north-south passage and the public swimming lane.

The corridor leading to the rooms

USER TREATMENT CORRESPONDING SPACES information

registration

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heated pools

heat therapy room

balneotherapy

heated pools physiotherapy treatment rooms

yo

CORRESPONDING ACTIVITIES physiotherapy balneotherapy heat therapy

elberly

CORRESPONDING SPACES

registration

heat therapy room

treatment rooms

USER TREATMENT information

CORRESPOND physiothera balneothera heat therap

spectrum of health

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page 203

in conversation with the public routes of the ground floor, the grid system allows private circulation to occur in parallel with the public paths, sharing the same spatial conditions (eg. light) and structure

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The treatment rooms volume and the relaxation volume, share the toilet, shower, chaning room and lockers facilities on the second level of what belongs to the relaxation volume, opposite the disease research centre.

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Relaxation Volume

page 206

The relaxation volume is a single story volume located in the south central of the ground floor. It is consisted of an indoor and an outdoor bath, placed in a central courtyard. It creates a dialogue of parallel private and public circulation conditions. It has regulated access to control the number of users. It’s main entry point is located on the ground floor but it can also satisfy the needs of the treatment volume and leisure volume users, as it has access from the second level of the public bathhouse as well.

USER RELAXATION CORRESPONDING SPACES information

heated pools

2nd floor blaconies

spa

USER

RELAXATION The types of treatment and uses of this volume are inspired by Roman Bath and CORRESPONDING SPACES Ottoman Bath typologies. That is to say, large rooms with high temperatures information 2nd floor blaconies for heat therapy and steam flow for inhalation therapy. The rooms are designed in a minimalistic way to ensure un-interupted circulation and warmth through the corridors.

heated pools

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CORRESPONDING ACTIVITIES swim - play - relax inhalation therapy yoga - aerobics

CORRESPON swim - pla inhalation yoga - aer

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plan annotations 1. information, reception, registration 2. wc, showers, changing rooms, lockers 3. ventilation control room 4. shoe shelves, towel hangers 5. internal circulation 6. sauna 7. steam room 8. indoor bath 9. outdoor bath page 207

Relaxation TITLE Volume as Understood on the East-West Axis

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Relaxation Volume as Understood on the North-outh Axis

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Indoor Bath in Relation to the Outdoor Seating Area and the Cafe Above it

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Steam Room in Relation to the Noth Public Waterfront

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Roman Therme Baths, Bath, UK - 60-70AD

This particular precedents is mainly used to visualize the conditions that exist on the outdoor bath. The latter is an alternation of the Roman courtyard, with circulation only on one side of the bath, and visual links to the indoor bath.

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Cağaloğlu Hamamı , Instanbul - 16th Century

This particular precedents of the Ottoman hamam, reflects the atmosphere imagined in the indoor bath of the public bathhouse. The hamam has been traditionally, in addition to its health benefits, a social space for converstation, with high levels of spirituality evoking through the atmosphere of the room. Minimal light conditions, guiding the sun beams to particular spaces or objects, such as only on the water elements. Views to the outside are in this case restricted.

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Case TITLEstudy: Peter zumpthor, Therme Vals, 1996

This particular precedents in used to envision the tranquility and spirituality that comes with the blending of concrete and water elements, both of which are main to the public bathhose facility. Peter Zumpthor successfully reinterprets the ancient bathhouse typolgy by creating water corridors through the building. The light is artificial yet as speciffic as in the Ottoman typology. page 214

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Disease Research Centre

The disease research centre occupies the second level of the volume adjacent to the public square. It is private-controlled space whose programme is dedicated on research for balneotherapy, heattherapy and other related treatments that fall under the spectrum of health, as menioned in the architectural discussion.

heat therapy room

balneotherapy

heated pools physiotherapy treatment rooms

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CORRESPONDING ACTIVITIES physiotherapy balneotherapy heat therapy

elberly

RESPONDING SPACES

heat therapy

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Disease Research Centre in Relation to 2nd Level Circulation and Public Domains

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Disease Research Centre’s Position Within the North-South Axis

The central part of the volume is suspended as a timber-lightweight strcture to give room for the transition of public domains that occurs in the ground floor.

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Community Hub

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COMMUNITY HUB CORRESPONDING SPACES

The community hub is the heart of the building. It contains the offices for the participatory model operations of the new primary healthcare model. As the participatory model includes all sort of community groups and associations, the hub is place for exchange of knowledge, ideas and conversations. Thusly it is surrounded by by public pockets to function as user and non-user meeting COMMUNITY HUB nodes.

employment centre

employment centre

public ground floor enclosures

ground floor office

CORRESPONDING SPACES management centre

management centre

CORRESPONDING ACTIVITIES stands for local associations community engagement stands for community groups information - registration

public/sport activities

ground floor office

public ground movie screenings flooroutdoor enclosures

Community Hub

water sport activities nature sport activities

cafe yoga classes aerobic classes public swimming lane

CORRESPOND stands for lo community stands for co information

Community Hub in Relation to Public Pockets and Public Paths

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Ground Floor Occupation

As already stated earlier, the ground floor is occupied with a public swimming to encourage interactions between user and building, as well as public pockets upon which local community groups can organize free activities, such as yoga, aerobics, etc.

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The ground floor units adjacent to the public square of the front are being used as the main offices of the participatory management model, the urban healthcare model is based upon.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

“AD Classics: AD Classics: Amsterdam Orphanage / Aldo Van Eyck”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2011.

Web. 25 May 2016.

“AD Classics: AD Classics: Leça Swimming Pools / Alvaro Siza”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2011. Web. 25 May 2016.

“AD Classics: Salk Institute / Louis Kahn”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2010. Web. 25 May 2016.

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“Balneotherapy For Rheumatoid Arthritis - Verhagen - 2004 - Cochrane Database Of Systematic Reviews - Wiley Online Library”. Onlinelibrary.wiley.com. N.p., 2004. Web. 25 May 2016.

Falagas, M. E., E. Zarkadoulia, and P. I. Rafailidis. “The Therapeutic Effect Of Balneotherapy: Evaluation Of The Evidence From Randomised Controlled Trials”. International Journal of Clinical Practice 63.7 (2009): 1068-1084. Web. 25 May 2016.

“Główny Urząd Statystyczny”. Stat.gov.pl. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 May 2016.

“Hotel Grand Lubicz In Ustka In Poland | Medical SPA & Wellness”. Medi-tour.co.uk. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 May 2016.

“Kolumba Museum / Peter Zumthor”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2010. Web. 25 May 2016.

“Library Delft University Of Technology”. Mecanoo.nl. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 May 2016.

“Natural Mineral Waters And Spring Water - European Commission”. Ec.europa.eu. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 May 2016.

“Spa: Belgium’s Healthy-Living Retreat”. The Independent. N.p., 2006. Web. 25 May 2016.

“Therme Vals Process”. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 May 2016.

“Unit 03 - Metamorphosis: Morphosis”. Unit03-metamorphosis.blogspot.co.uk. N.p., 2012.

Web. 25 May 2016.

“Ustka W Liczbach - Demografia, Rynek Pracy, Edukacja, Kody Pocztowe, Urzędy, Wykresy, Zestawienia, Porównania, Adresy, Mapy”. Polskawliczbach.pl. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 May 2016.

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CHAPTER 08

TECHNICAL DESIGN

SYNOPSIS

This chapter will examine the technical aspects of the public bathhouse facility.

It will be divided in three segments: one outlining the structural strategy of the building, another the construction strategy and finally one outlinig the environmental strategy of the building.

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The analysis will be carried through detailed sections and technical plans, diagrams and physical models.

The structure segment will examine the mat typology embedded within the public bathhouse and how it articulates the space. It will also include the accessibility requirements. The construction segment will focus on the materiality of the building.

The environmental segment will go into detail on 2 types of ventilation pressures created within the building, satisfying the requirements of space such as the steam room, the indoor bath and

the treatment rooms. It will examine the thermal properties of the spaces through u value calculations as well as a light study, set to determine the appropriate rate of usage of main public spaces within the facility.

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STRUCTURAL STRATEGY

The flexible mat system that organizes the building within a planning gird, offers a three-fold examination of the building in terms of structure. The public bathhouse ‘s structure reads each building volume as: A. an embedded enclosure B. ambiguity of room C. an edge

1.

2.

3.

4.

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1. public realm as an embedded enclosure within the edge of the relaxation volume

2.

it is is fairly ambiguous where exactly those spaces belong to as access to them happens in two parallel corridors, without any link or contact to each other - to protect user privacy and prevent heatloss

4.

outdoor bath courtyard as embedded enclosure within the relaxation volume

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this public pocket, belongs to the public realm realm of the ground; however, as it located between the 2 cores of the community hub, those spaces are permitted to exercise a territorial claim upon it as well (see architectural discussion pg.90)

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this space’s territorial claim is ambiguous as it serves both the relaxation volume and the treatment volume; it’s a transitional territory

the public outdoor seating area serves as an edge to the public east-west passage

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the control entrance to the disease research centre serves as a transitional domain to the degrees of privacy, from the public passage to the private enclosure.

both public heated pools are embedded enclosures within the adjacent circulation core and the spine of the building; in addition the water element serves as an edge of the building, blending the limits between urban (structure) and nature (dunes)

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Structural Model Stages

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model annotations: model indicating the position of circulation cores that function as structural sheer walls, in relation to the planning grid the mat system is based upon. The hatched areas indicate the open public pockets of the ground floor.

The planning grid is set up on a 10m x 10m basis and obeyed mostly on the east side of the spine. The pools require an intensified column grid to support extensive water loads.

In the plan is evident how a programmed grid is being formulated, to define clearly a ‘mat’ system that expands and contracts, a system that contextualises within the surrounding urban environment. This set-up is suitable for an economically viable structure.

The planning grid allows separation of the expensive load bearing structures, to lightweight and cheaper internal circulation routes.

yellow indicates internal building circulation, in relation to the brown (concrete) structure

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Pool Grid

As mentioned in the previous chapter, the dunes are being technically relandscaped to meet the level of the lower heated pool. That suggests that soil runs underneath the pool bed, and the spine is being used as a barrier.

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The pool tanks are placed on a 4.5m x 4.5m column grid for an effective handling of the water load.

In addition the tank is a lightweight steel frame structure sitting on a concrete slab. That systems is proven cost effective compared to a concrete tank, with tile cladding. The primary precedents for the applied tank system is shown on the following pages.

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Pool Systems

Myrtha Pools systems is the primary example of the suitable water tank for the two outdoor heated pools.

This particular system is fully used in Olympic Pools to cost effective and lightweight structures.

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Moreover, as the ground is artificial and the site is at the tip of a manmade peninsula, the pools, as the rest of the building, are sitting on top of pile foundations, until suitable ground is met.

steel tank concrete structure

drain pipe

Myrtha Systems

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Accessibility

circulation cores

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100mm

fire escapes & disabled access

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KEY circulation cores fire escapes lift cores & structural cores

CONSTRUCTION STRATEGY

2 1

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4 5

6 7

3

north-south axis section

sectional annotations 1. u-values taken from this wall 2. u-values taken from this ceiling 3. 1:50 physical model examing spine, north-south passage and treatment volume 4. u-values taken from this ceiling 5. u-values taken from this wall 6. u-values taken from this wall 7. u-values taken from this floor page 245

east-west axis section

Relaxation Volume | Steam Room | 1:20

material sample

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Relaxation Volume | Steam Room Roof Detail | 1:20

material sample

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Treatment Volume | Ground Floor Public Pocket | 1:20

material sample

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Treatment Volume | First Floor Corridor & Treatment Room | 1:20

material sample

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Treatment Volume | Second Floor Corridor & Treatment Room | 1:20

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material sample

Treatment Volume | Roof | 1:20 material sample

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Tech model 1:50 eaming the lightweight changing rooms structure within the inhabitable spine in relation to the main north-south public passage and the opposite circulation core of the treatment volume.

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ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY

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Within the volumes of the public bathhouse, there are 2 types of ventilation systems as per the requirements of each volume. In particular, the relaxation volume requires positive pressure ventilation conditions, specifically in the steam room, to avoid condenstation. The treatment volume on the other hand, requires negative pressure ventilation conditions, to prevent bacteria spread and infections.

In the next pages what follows are the u-value calculations for those spaces that require positive and negative pressure ventilation.6, 7

6 Deplazes, Andrea. Constructing Architecture. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2005. Print.

7 Stacey, Michael. Concrete.

London: Riba Publishing, 2011. Print.

steam room: positive pressure “The positive pressure ventilation system draws in fresh air that is filtered and dried at an ambient temperature.

This dry air is then gently introduced into the property continuously creating positive pressure by diluting and displacing the stale, moist air that would cause condensation.”8 treatment room & corridor with trombe wall system: negative pressure

8 Care, Wise. “Positive Pressure Ventilation”. Wisepropertycare.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 27 May 2016.

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Relaxation Volume (Steam Room) Roof | 1:20 Section | U-Value

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material thickness (mm) thermal conductivity (W/mK) r-value (m2K/W) exterior surface n/a n/a n/a sheet metal 5 45 0.001 waterproof membrane 5 0.19 0.026 separating layer (polyestere fleece) 20 0.002 10 mineral fibre thermal insulation 185 0.04 4.625 vapour layer 15 0.04 0.375 leveling layer 75 1.20 0.0625 loadbearing layer: reinforced concrete 1% steel 350 2.3 0.15 plasterboard 20 0.17 0.12 cavity 30 0.18 0.17 cedar cladding 25 0.107 0.23 interior surface n/a n/a n/a total 15.7586 u value: 1/RT=0.064 W/m2K

Relaxation Volume (Steam Room) Exterior Wall | 1:20 Section | U-Value

flat warm deck roof construction: the u-value of which is very low; that is because the roof is heaviliy insulated to prevent heat loss from the steam room volume in-situ reinforced concrete wall: heavily insulated to prevent heat loss from the steam room page 257 material thickness (mm) thermal conductivity (W/mK) r-value (m2K/W) interior surface n/a n/a n/a cedar cladding 50 0.107 0.47 timber beams/cavity 30 0.18 0.17 concrete cinder blockwork 215 0.67 0.32 mineral fibre thermal insulation 150 0.04 3.75 damp proof membrane 10 0.034 0.29 air gap 50 0.18 2.8 in-situ reinforced concrete 1% steel 200 2.3 0.87 exterior surface n/a n/a n/a total 8.67 u value: 1/RT=0.12 W/m2K

Treatment Volume Roof | 1:20 Section | U-Value

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material thickness (mm) thermal conductivity (W/mK) r-value (m2K/W) exterior surface n/a n/a n/a protecting and drainage layer: asphalt gravel 70 0.75 0.093 waterproof membrane 20 0.19 0.105 mineral fibre thermal insulation 185 0.04 4.625 vapour layer 15 0.04 0.375 leveling layer 75 1.2 0.0625 loadbearing layer: reinforced concrete 1% steel 350 2.3 0.15 plasterboard 20 0.17 0.12 timber beams/cavity 30 0.18 0.17 cedar cladding 25 0.107 0.233 interior surface n/a n/a n/a total 6,2863 u value: 1/RT=0.159 W/m2K

Treatment Volume Interior Wall | 1:20 Section | U-Value

flat roof warm deck interior wall between treatment rooms and adjacent corridor

page 259 material thickness (mm) thermal conductivity (W/mK) r-value (m2K/W) interior surface n/a n/a n/a coating layer 10 0.52 0.02 lightweight concrete 110 0.2 0.55 cavity 30 0.18 0.17 mineral fibre thermal insulation 130 0.04 3.25 plasterboard 20 0.17 0.12 timber beams/cavity 30 0.18 0.17 cedar cladding 50 0.107 0.47 interior surface n/a n/a n/a total 4.75 u value: 1/RT=0.21 W/m2K

Treatment Volume Floor | 1:20 Section | U-Value

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material interior surface cedar cladding timber beams/cavity plasterboard screed with underfloor heating impact sound insulation mineral fibre thermal insulation heavyweight reinforced concrete 1% steel plasterboard timbers beam/cavity cedar cladding interior surface total

thickness (mm) n/a 25 30 20 75 10 40 210 20 30 25 n/a -

thermal conductivity (W/mK) r-value (m2K/W) n/a n/a 0.107 0.234 0.18 0.17 0.17 0.12 0.41 0.183 0.075 0.13 0.04 1 2.3 0.09 0.17 0.12 0.18 0.17 0.107 0.234 n/a n/a 2.451 u value: 1/RT=0.41 W/m2K

Treatment Volume Exterior Trombe Wall | 1:20 Section | U-Value

treatment rooms floor including a loadbearing layer of re-inforced concrete 1% steel exterior trombe wall of treatment volume’s corridor; behind the double glazzing, there is a mansonry wall to operate as a heat conductor

page 261 material thickness (mm) thermal conductivity (W/mK) r-value (m2K/W) exterior surface n/a n/a n/a glass 10 0.96 0.01 cavity 15 0.18 0.08 glass 10 0.96 0.01 cavity 107.5 0.18 0.6 concrete cinder blockwork 215 0.67 0.32 mineral fibre thermal insulation 100 0.04 2.5 plasterboard 20 0.17 0.12 interior surface n/a n/a n/a total 3.64 u value: 1/RT=0.274W/m2K

Trombe Wall Strategy

A Trombe wall is a passive solar building design where a wall is built on the winter sun side of a building with a glass external layer and a high heat capacity internal layer separated by a layer of air.

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The trombe walls in the public bathhouse are placed strategically. The spaces they heat up require small amounts of heat input. They are heavily insulated, thus there is only need for heat conservation rather than extra heat requirements.

Thus, whever the trombe wall is facing east or even north, it makes little difference as its initial heat generation purpose is not a primary requirement.

The trombe wall of the ground floor relaxation volume is facing south, receiving the appropriate amount of sunlight to heat up the main corridor of the relaxation volume. This particular passage leads from the first floor changing rooms to the steam room and indoor bath, thus it is meant to be warm at all times.

concentrated heat input

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The trombe wall on the first floor is facing east (south-east). It is meant to provide enough heat to conserve the heat flow in the corridor to the steam room and indoor bath. It can get sufficient amounts of sunlight to provide heat for the interior of the volume, which is the shared changing rooms for the treatment and relaxation volume. page 264

medium heat input

The trombe wall on the second floor is facing east and provides sufficient heat to warm up the corridor leading to the individual treatment rooms.

medium heat input

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LIGHT STUDY

Examing 3 sun paths (sunrise - east to sunset - west) so: 3 times during the day (morning, mid-day, afternoon) for the 3 building volumes.

1. summer solstice (21st June) 2. equinox (21st March) 3. winter solstic (21st December)

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The light study is meant to determine and justify the appropriate use throughout the year the public outdoor areas of the public bathhouse, such as the cafe, the waterfront and the public square, as well as of the 2 public heated pools and the outdoor bath.

The photographs in the following pages, were taken in a lightroom, with the light source set up at the angles portayed in the following diagram. image source: Builditsolar.com. N.p., 2016.

Web. 25 May 2016.

N

summer path equinox winter path

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Summer Solstice (21st June)

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sunrise | in the early morning hours, the cafe, the public square and the north public realm, receiving appropriate amounts of sunlight, to enjoy a morning coffee with a beautiful view

sunrise | the pool is affected by shadow due to the circulation core yet is still operational

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sunrise | the pool is affected by shadow due to the circulation core yet is still operational

sunrise | south end of public passage & public square

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sunrise | the pool is affected by shadow due to the circulation core yet is still operational

sunrise | the cafe is receiving sufficient sunlight to provide as a public space with a view

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mid-day | the outdoor bath is receiving sufficient sunlight to operate as part of the relaxation facility

mid-day | north end of the public north-south passage & swimming lane

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mid-day | south end of the public square, the public northsouth passage & swimming lane

mid-day | square, cafe and north waterfront

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mid-day | fully sunbathed lower pool

mid-day | fully sunbathed higher pool

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afternoon | fully sunbathed lower pool

afternoon | sunbathed pool in contrast to the dark public north-south passage

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afternoon | fist shadow pattern emerge from the spine onto the main north-south passage

afternoon |shadow is starting to drop on the square, making it ideal for movie screenings on the wall of the treatment volume

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afternoon | the cafe is receiving appropriate amounts of sunlight, to enjoy a coffee with a beautiful view

afternoon | fully sunbathed elevated pool

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afternoon | fully sunbathed cafe and oudoor bath

Equinox (21st March)

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sunrise | the outdoor bath is affected by shadow due to the adjacent volumes, thus is suggested not to operate at this hour if only weather conditions are alarming

sunrise | fully sunbathed south end of the public bathhouse

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sunrise | sunbathed lower pool

sunrise | public square

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sunrise | afternoon | the cafe is receiving appropriate amounts of sunlight, to enjoy a morning coffee

sunrise | the pool is affected by shadow due to the circulation core, thus is suggested not to operate at this hour if only weather conditions are alarming

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sunrise | end of public north-south passage and north waterfront

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afternoon | the square is fairly sunny allowing time for public activities until the sun sets

afternoon | fully sunbathed elevated pool

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afternoon | public square, cafe and north waterfront

afternoon | fully sunbathed outdoor seating area and darker conditions on the public pockets below the treatment volume

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afternoon | fully sunbathed lower heated pool

afternoon | shadows are emerging on the north public pocket

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afternoon | dark conditions of the public north-south passage in contrast to the elevated public heated pool

Winter Solstice (21st December)

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sunrise | the pool is affected by shadow due to the circulation core, thus is suggested not to operate at this hour

sunrise | dark morning conditions of the public north-south passage

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sunrise | sunbathed north public waterfront

sunrise | fully sunbathed public square

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sunrise | fully sunbathed cafe and north waterfront

sunrise | the pool is affected by shadow due to the circulation core, thus is suggested not to operate at this hour

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mid-day | fully sunbathed south public square and north-south passage

mid-day | public square, outdoor seating area and north waterfront

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mid-day | the pool is affected by shadow due to the circulation core, thus is suggested not to operate at this hour

mid-day | the lower pool is bathed sunlight, appropriate for a winter swim

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afternoon | the cafe is bathed in sunlight due to the low adjacent 2-storey volume

afternoon | the public square gets quite dark during this hour, due to the shadow being dropped by the treatment volume, minimazing the sunlight input into the disease research centre as well

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afternoon | the outdoor bath is fairly dark and thusly cold, so it is suggested not to operate at this particular time

afternoon | the higher public heated is bathed in sunlight at this time, making it appropriate for a swim for winter swimmers

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afternoon | afternoon | the lower public heated is affected by the shadow dropping from the circulation core, thus it is suggested not to operate during this hour

CHAPTER 09

REFLECTIONS

The following few lines are my personal reflections upon the project. In particular on the type of architecture conveyed through this design thesis, on the thinking behind the design process, on the visual language of the project and on the wider academic agenda addressed through this project.

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To begin with, I will try to answer two questions: why did I choose a social, public healthcare agenda and why am I showing this so much social sensibility by emphasizing on the public aspects of both building and programme?

The social side is dealing with current changes in modern politics. Lately and particularly in Europe, far right parties rising, the fight against climate change is not making much progress, the Polish parliament currently passed a law for deforestation of one of Europe’s ancient forest, the primeval Białowieża forest… In addition, this April was proven by NASA to be the warmest April, ever, breaking

global record for high temperatures; perhaps a little sensitivity is what we need right now. Improving primary healthcare, a very basic aspect of our daily lives, is a step towards a healthier, green more democratic mentality that can actually bring some positive change.

As for the architecture, I believe that today is missing a theoretical stronghold.

So many great theories of the previous century have still lessons to teach us on spatial understandings and the social implications of architecture and urbanism. The jump to post-modernism, to the architectural currents of today – the 3D Rhino and Revit led designs and unrealistic renders – are leading to a misconception of what the real fact is.

Architecture seams to be distancing itself from academia - the profession is driving in an uncreative direction. We need to step back, learn from past theories, and take things more seriously. Architecture is not just about designing - is merely a social study that requires higher level

of thinking. That, without theory and guidance cannot be achieved. So the mat typology for instance is teaching us that a building can be an extension of the urban grain and leads to a very programmatic, systematic and sensitive approach to generating a building. The building is not a volume. Design in this case is a journey, from the outside, in and vice versa. The fact that the shape of the public bathhouse came out to be a square is merely irrelevant to how the plan actually responds to the dunes, and the port, acting as an active edge of the city.

As for the overall quality of the work I produced, I understand weaknesses in the technical resolution. I got indeed carried away with thinking about the building at an urban scale. Though I do not regret dedicating that time in the 1:500 scale as it led me to an understanding of the typology I decided to follow. As the building had been

properly justified and the key design moves were clear, the space inside wasn’t as important anymore. The building does a certain job successfully and as it is a public facility, emphasis is given on the detail of the edge of the building, in relation to the site, nature, sea, waterfront, public passage, beach, the port, the city and the user.

I understand now that to design a building successfully so it actually makes sense, there needs to be a lot of consideration given in the spatial, public, social and urban context around it. There is need to define parameters, both of design and theory, such as a public square, re-landscaping the dunes or giving a primary public healthcare agenda - to make yourself think in greater depth about how the building’s programme, shape and space are going to respond to those parameters. The building and what goes around it, are a miniature of the city’s social and urban

processes, of the city life. Only by having all that in mind, then a building will make sense.

Nikolas Theodore Stagkos 27.05.2016 visual style incentive: Steven Holl’s watercolours

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thinking through sketching: Peter Zumpthor’s sketchthinking process