The Metamorphosis of Healing by Rajvi Vyas

THE METAMORPHOSIS OF HEALING THE LIMBE MEDICAL COMPLEX | LIMBE, MALAWI RAJVI VYAS | FALL 2016 PHILADELPHIA UNIVERSITY

The Metamorphosis of Healing By Rajvi Vyas Landscape Contribution By Hakeem Wilson

Project Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Architecture Colllege of Architecture and the Built Environment Philadelphia University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE Design 9: Research and Design Faculty Chris harnish and Kim Douglas Philadelphia, Pennsylvania December 2016 1

For over one hundred years, the Malamulo Hospital has been ministering in Southern Malawi with a strong message that emphasizes in healing the mind, body, and soul as one cohesive unit. The Limbe Medical Complex allows their ministry to come to life and take on new meanings to inspire change. This is accomplished by using environmental strategies that embody holistic healing to bring together culture, natural systems, civic pride, and democracy into an inclusive setting. The goal is to cultivate an individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential to look beyond oneself and reach for a healthier environment for the larger system in place. This type of cultivation starts with educating the community in areas such as physical well-being. environmental sustainability, and cultural ethics that are then supported and upheld in action daily.

TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE.........................................................................................................

THESIS ABSTRACT..............................................................................................

TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................................................

THESIS STATEMENT.............................................................................................

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES....................................................................................

INVESTIGATIVE METHODS................................................................................

DESIGN OBJECTIVES and DESIGN BRIEF........................................................

SITE ANALYSIS....................................................................................................

PROGRAM STUDY............................................................................................ PROCESS DOCUMENTATION..........................................................................

12 13

HOW DESIGN STARTED................................................................................................. HOW IT DEVELOPED...................................................................................................... HOW OPTIONS WERE DEVELOPED.............................................................................. WHAT DETAILS DEVELOPED..........................................................................................

FINAL DESIGN DOCUMENTATION................................................................... 17 ANALYSIS/CRITIQUE OF COMPLETED PROJECT............................................. 28 WORKS CITED and CREDITS............................................................................. 30

The Limbe Medical Complex becomes a space for healing the mind, body, and soul by embracing and cultivating the culture, site, and the community.

Malawians heal themselves by surrounding themselves in the environment. The majority of the day, the community is outside and only use indoor space when needed. I wished to research the healing abilities that nature has and how to incorporate and design healing gardens throughout the site. The concept of healing through nature is very big and proposing the idea with a top medical facility can influence the community more.

INVESTIGATIVE METHODS

Above: Swarthmore College located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania has a amphitheater space that is used for the schools commencement program. This is similar to the amphitheater space that was created in the Limbe Medical Complex. The trees, similarly to the ones at Swarthmore College act as a canopy over the amphitheater, protecting the users from the harsh sun.

The Malamulo Hospital, though serving paid members of the community wish to bring the community together. Through the idea of a social gatheirng space, the facility introduces specific spaces that can be for the community, the medical complex, or both. The facility focuses on connecting the patients with the community and the environment. By creating healing gardens in specific areas, the site becomes a sensory space for peole to circulate around. The center large green space also allows people to gather in one place.

SITE ANALYSIS

Above: Site analysis model that ended up turning into my concept of embracing the culture and the community. The different strings represented circulation throughout the site, blue in the site and green outside of the site. The intersection between the footpath going through the site and the road to the right was the most intriguing aspect that was found during this exercise. That dictated my move to create a public education space near that intersection.

Above: A set of diagrams showing site analysis of Limbe, Malawi and the site itself. The diagram on the left explains the distance of important locations in relation to the site. The diagram in the center explains the city of Limbe and how the urban planning looks in relation to the where the site is. The diagram on the right shows the main roads versus the connecting streets around the immediate site.

PROGRAM STUDY

Above: A matrix diagram shows 3 main accesses of the building and how they are connected with other programs on the site. The 3 main accesses include the entrance to the outpatient wing, the maternity wing, and the service entrances. The diagram next to the matrix shows the different programs and which would be appropriate to include a garden with. This is shown with the little odts on the lower left corner which represent different programmatic spaces.

PROCESS DOCUMENTATION

Left: First try at the design using bubble diagrams to show links of specific spaces and its connection to the cite. This process drawing also shows circulation of maternity patients as well as outpatient patients in pink and red respectively.

Right: The diagram on the right shows another version of the design, more developed than the first. This program diagram shows entrances as well as building outline, where the doctors housing is in relation to the facility and outdoor spaces.

Above: Another try at designing, this time with drainage and storm water startegies in mind. The thick arrows show how water runs down the site. Though this diagram does not show much program, it does show entrances as well as parking placements.

Above: The final roof, first and second floor plans for the Mock Stewardson competition. This was derived by the diagram on the left. The buildings were placed in this certain position to create an embracing form on the site. This is to bring out the idea of democracy and cultivation of both the people and the site.

Above: The diagrams above show how the building took its shape for this project. The orange is the change in the building coming to its final form.

Above: A rendering done for the Mock Stewardson Competition that shows the entire site in use. This rendering is a visual diagram showing dimentionality of the buildings and how they fit within the site. The surrounding countext shows how the adjacent lots are nearly empty with a few buildings further out.

FINAL SITE ANALYSIS

Dead end road: Consider connecting to St Antony Road

West Winds: Cold/Wet (Jan.- May) Desirable

This road that circulates around neighbor hood:

Summer Sun

Consider creating a shorter route to access the side

Winter Sun

Unfinished Road: An opportunity to create needed secondary route to site

Slopes range from 6-12%: Creates erosion concerns during rain event, while not be easy to navigate

All roadways are unpaved and 37-40 feet wide: Consider improving the pedestrian experience

Residential Housing in construction on this side of the street: The site should not ignor the relationship between both side of the street

Only tree on site: With no canopy cover, condition can become undesirable Consider improving the pedestrian experience

East Winds:

Cool Breeze (Jun. - Aug.) Desirable

Hot/Dry (Sept.- Dec.) Most Desired

Pedestrian track to Limbe River tributary and community beyond Site hydrology looks to drain here:

South Winds:

Pedestrian track to Limbe Market

Property Line

Consider improving captuing and infiltration strategies

Road leads down to Dunduzu Road N

FINAL DISTRICT ANALYSIS

Kamuza Highway is a trunk highway leads into Blantyre

Naperi River tributaries

This is an opportunity for improvements for pedestrians and the environment

Kenyatta Drive: is a trunk highway leads into Blantyre

Between 2002-2010 this area has gain new housing units

Limbe Maket/Taxi Rink: Major sources of revenue for the government and local vendor St Antony Road: Leads into Blantyre and passes a Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Naperi tributary with season wet basin

Malawi Railways Headquater

Market Limbe River

Key road needing acces to site

Commercial and Industrial Center Taxi Rink Limbe River tributary with season wet basin Informal roads around the site

Area zoned for residential housing

Need to improve for all season access

Further dense housing development could harm stream

All rail traffic including passenger passes through Limbe to reach Mozambique and beyond Rail station is a community asset. Consider improvement for non vehicular access

Site

Limbe River tributuary

Limbe Country Club

Dunduzu Road: High user volume Consider improving for accommating all modes of travel

Angels Go There: Large housing units on private parcels

Lead into informal settlement areas and rural communities

M3 is a trunk highway that leads into informal settlement areas and rural communities

Since 2002 the boundaries of all sites have expanded into the floodplain of the Limbe River

Possible cliental consider creating a connection with

Lumber Yard/ Gum Tree Plantation

Leads into informal settlement areas and rural communities Burn Dam

Leads into informal settlement areas and rural communities

Above: A set of diagrams describing the issues in Malawi and how it influenced the concept behind the project. The idea was to create a facility that clearly emphasized its embrace towards the country, the culture and the people.

FINAL DESIGN DOCUMENTATION

Above: These are final diagrams for the final version of the facility. The diagram on the left is a simple building form diagram that locates the program of that specific space. The diagram on the right is a circulation diagram that shows the circulation of doctors, pedestrians, vehicles, and service in orange, light blue, turquoise, and peach respectively.

Left: The final floor plans are shown in detail in the site plan. The landscape, done by Hakeem Wislon is also showcased. The floor plans show roof hatches as well as structure which is shown at a large scale in the above diagram. The structure is made of steel beams and columns that hold up the standing seam metal roof.

Right: close up rendering of a section of a standing seam metal roof. (made in rhino a test)

SITE SECTION THROUGH EDUCATION SPACE

SITE SECTION &BUILDING SECTION

SECTION THROUGH MATERNITY WARD

Above: The above 2 site sections are done by landscape architect Hakeem Wilson showing how drainage on the site works.

Above: The above street section is also done by landscape architect Hakeem Wilson showing how drainage was kept in mind when designing the street scape as well. The diagram shows where water is collected in relation to the pedestrian side walk and the vehicular street.

Above: Rendering of the terrace near the cafe overlooking one of the many mountains that surround Limbe, Malawi.

Above: (left) A rendering of the Education/Conference space located below grade. The all glass facade allows plenty of natural light and ventilation to circulate the space. (right) This rendering is of the maternity ward and its main lobby/ circulation space. the central courtyard allows the woman to be one with the surrounding nature but in a private space versus the exterior maternity garden. The open roof allows plenty of light and air to circulate the space.

Above: A rendering that shows the building and the site from the amphitheater space. This area has large public activity and can be used by the community without having to use the facility. The amphitheater space goes along with the education space.

ANALYSIS/CRITIQUE OF COMPLETED PROJECT

The idea behind the Limbe Medical Complex in Limbe, Malawi is to holistically heal the body, soul, and mind as one. This is done by having the facility embrace the culture of the country, cultivate the people about the site and the culture by including the community in some aspect of the facility. The design has certain features that are private and can only be used by the facility, however by designing an education facility closer to the main road incorporates more of the community with the design. This also relates to the amphitheater design that is placed near the education facility. By having it public, the amphitheater can be used for event, religious gathers, and community gatherings. There are various garden and outdoor spaces that are higher up compared to the education level. This allows those using the space to overlook the site and see what kind of activity is taking place. This allows those using the facility to embrace the Malawian culture due to the fact that those being healed are of higher middle class and expats. The terrace space above the education level is connected to the cafĂŠ that can be used by all types of people such as the patients, the family of the patients and those visiting the education space below. This allows all three parts of the community to merge into the space. The terrace also overlooks into the conference space below. This move allows others to indirectly take part in what is happening on the site. Thus, this brings together the community as a whole.

The results of the design have varied throughout the process. Some of the results have worked in favor if the design. For example, the lower level education and conference space is located where the public can access it. This works well when having people enter the site. However, because electricity is scarce in such areas, the best way to incorporate light and air is through passive means. This is difficult in this sense due to the slop of the site. Although these spaces get the maximum air and light, it is still difficult because it is partially underground. Another example that has mix reviews is the location of the housing for the doctors. The location of the houses was chosen to fit with the residential zoning near that side of the site. This works in favor with zoning, however it is too close to the maternity ward, not giving both patients and doctors enough privacy. Though there is vast space towards the center of the site, the dambo located through the entire site cuts through the middle, taking up a vast amount of space. A dambo is a complex shallow wetland used in many states in Africa. This gives a different environment to the site and drains storm water down and through the site, but it acts as a divide. By activing the dambo, it can create a bridge to the division. The design to activate that space simply was to add stepping stones so those using the space can cross the dambo. It becomes a literal bridge between the gap.

The Limbe Medical Complex becomes a space for healing the mind, body, and soul by embracing and cultivating the culture, site, and the community. Further design developments include landscape design of more specific spaces. The original idea behind not having specific activity throughout the site was to have the community create their own experience. However, this can also backfire because it can be a space that no one uses. By creating walkways and piazzas in specific areas, the facility creates more spaces for the community, visitors and patients to use. Another aspect that can be developed further includes the circulation to the entrance of the facility. The entrance is located towards the top of the side which forces the uses to circulate the whole site before reaching the entrance. By creating a secondary entrance or a more activated circulation space, the users will be more engaged towards their journey. Another idea that had surfaced included a separate circulation space for those who travel with bikes or walk. This will create a separate environment for those users. The design of the building could be developed as well. The one idea that can be further developed is the connection between the upper and lower level. Because the cafĂŠ is as public as the education level, there should be a connection between the two spaces.

WORKS CITED/ CREDITS

Page 6: “THE SCOTT ARBORETUM OF SWARTHMORE COLLEGE.” Scott Outdoor Amphitheater - Garden Tour - Scott Arboretum. N.p., n.d. Web. Nov. 2016. Page 19: -Ministry of Lands and Housing ”Malawi National Land Policy.” Government of the Republic of Malawi (2002). -“Health Budget Advocacy, A Guide for Civil Society in Malawi.” Futures Group. June 2015. Accessed September 12, 2016. -“The Middle of the Pyramid: Dynamics of the Middle Class in Africa.” Chief Economist Complex. AfDB. April 20, 2011. Accessed September 8, 2016. -“Factsheet on Health Financing in Malawi in 2015.” Mamaye! Evidence for Action. Africa Health Budget Network. July 2015. September 15, 2016 -Manda, Mtafu A. Zeleza. “Water and sanitation in urban Malawi: Can the Millennium Development Goals be met? A study of informal settlements in three cities.” The Scottish Government & International Institute for Environment and Development. (2009). -Cammack, Diana. “Local Governance and Public Goods in Malawi.” IDS Bulletin42, no. 2 (2011): 7-8. Accessed September 1, 2016 Page 19: Partial Diagrams by Hakeem Wilson Page 23: Site Sections by Hakeem Wilson Page 24: Street Section Perspective by Hakeem Wilson