Final Design Reseach by Stephanie Hoffmeier

Final Research Book By Stephanie Hoffmeier

Project Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Architecture College of Architecture and the Built Environment Philadelphia University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE D9: Research and Design Faculty Chris Harnish and Kim Douglas Philadelphia, Pennsylvania December 2016

THESIS ABSTRACT

alamulo Hospital, located in Blantyre Malawi, sits in the center of a vast lush open landscape which separates the village of Angles Go There and Blantyre City. The site is surrounded by residential development that ranges from larger wealthier homes to smaller humble homes and underdeveloped gravel roadways on the eastern and northern ends. There is a manmade dirt foot path that follows the topography of the site and extends north-east from the southern corner of the site. The site follows a grade change of 38 feet, making most storm water flow downhill towards the south eastern corner.

he goal of my proposed Malamulo Medical Clinic, located in Limbe Malawi, was geared around a user narrative experience. My concept was to take three user groups: doctors and staff (which would be the residential aspect of this project), outpatients and maternity ward patients and design my clinic around these user groups. By designing circulatory experiences around these three user groups, there was an opportunity to create nodes of interaction between each user groups as well as spaces specific to each user group for healing, embracing and celebrating life.

TAB LE O F C O NTE NT S : TITLE PAGE.......................................1 THESIS ABSTRACT...........................2 TABLE OF CONTENTS......................3 THESIS STATEMENT.........................4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES................5 INVESTIGATIVE METHODS.............13 DESIGN OBJECTIVES AND BRIEF........16 SITE ANALYSIS.................................17 PROGRAM STUDY............................24 PROCESS DOCUMENTATION.........26 FINAL DESIGN...................................37 ANALYSIS OF FINAL REVIEW..........50 WORKS CITED...................................53

THESIS STATEMENT

hrough the extensive analysis done of the site of this project, the people of Malawi, the users of this project and their culture I have designated six supporting evidences for my concept. Culturally, the project is designed with verandahs and sheltered outdoor spaces and circulatory paths. The Malawian culture loves to be outside at all times of the day, they are only inside to sleep or else when necessary. Socially, Malawian people gather under Mango or Fig trees. I have proposed within each node gathering spaces as such. Politically, through this organization and NGO aid, the people of Malawi can become confident again in NGO aid. Economically, for each paying customer, there are 30 customers unable to finically support themselves, receive aid. Ecologically, the rainwater collection spilling off all roof overhangs is guided to planters, grass trenches or bio-swales. Architecturally, the shape of the building is relating back to early vernacular construction with organic shapes.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES : MATERIALS AND CULTURE

esearch objectives of this project, within my group of materials and culture, included the material research and selection of appropriate vernacular materials, which can be related to their lifestyle and culture. These materials included soil stabilized blocks, sundried bricks, concrete, thatching and steel framing. Concrete is one of Limbeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more modern building materials known to date. The following pages include my research done to contribute to my team of material and culture of Limbe.

INVESTIGATIVE METHODS

he investigative methods that were adopted for this project include perceptions of Malawi, initial research, site analysis and process reviews. The following image is a method of investigation of this project that includes initial perceptions.

his collage of images representing Malawi, was constructed to convey an abstract natural lifestyle to understand the people and the land.

DESIGN OBJECTIVE AND BRIEF

he objective of this project was to create an appropriate medical clinic for the people of Malawi. These people were to include paying middle class families that would in turn, by paying for care, help lower class families receive aid. Close attention to proper materials of this project were also made critical. The program I have focused on for this project include the following three user groups:

Outpatient care:

Maternity ward:

Doctors and Staff:

Reception with indoor/outdoor waiting

Residential Housing

Cashier’s room with records and storage

Gardens

Observation and exam rooms

Overnight patient rooms

Exterior gathering spaces

Small examination room with storage

Delivery rooms and Intensive care room

Laundry hanging space

Restrooms public and private

Operation room with designated rooms

Offices

Nurse’s station

Restrooms public and private

Lounge

Laundry

Nurse’s station with Linen and Laundry

Cafe

Doctor’s offices

Laboratory with storage and offices

Conference Room

Gardens

Exterior gathering spaces

SITE ANALYSIS In the beginning phases of my analysis and development thereof, the main factors that drove my site analysis decisions included views of and around the site, passive strategies for proper thermal comfort, and relating user experience to natural elements for places of healing. The mountains and forests on the south-eastern end of our site have potential to be a view for a place of healing or waiting. These forests house wildlife as well, that I would like to draw upon and provide shelter for. There is opportunity for outdoor spaces to start to create courtyards of waiting or for private spaces of solitude around this site. Linking views, daylighting and ventilation strategies bring potential to make openings around a structure, multi-purposeful. Orienting the building in a direction for proper ventilation and shading is critical on this site, about 15 degrees slanted north for the prevailing windows coming from the east, down the mountain range. Storm water management is critical to develop properly as well, with the integration of bio-swales; storm water can start to be absorbed into proper draining areas rather than across site. The mitigation of water on site with the introduction of building envelope will drive many more storm water management decisions in the future. The process of understanding these site conditions will extend farther than site analysis. Progressive steps in building orientation strategies and building footprint will continue to explore many more opportunities on site. The follow images include my site analysis after the completion of research for the clinic.

he district scale board illustrates in blue areas of dense buildings and development. The yellow areas represent open space, including the site and its surroundings. The purple area represents a major view from our site; a man-made forest, used for a lumber mill. The major routes of access to the site are either a rail way or by car and or taxi. The taxi rink is the closest means of transportation to the site. It is respected that many people will travel by foot around the site as well.

he section perspectives illustrated above, represent conditions on the site currently and post development. Currently, the site is used for crop growth and natural vegetation. There is a manmade footpath that travels through our site as well, which is used for members of the community to get around and up to the taxi rink of Limbe. The conditions of the vehicular roads are not spectacular, but are made of clay dirt and gravel.

PROGRAM STUDY D O CTO R AN D STAF F After a long day of seeing patients, the residential doctoral staff has the opportunity to relax and unwind around a variety of gardens and gathering spaces. Designed specifically to cater their needs, the gardens create a barrier from the clinic to the doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s housing and private parking. O UTPATI E NT Entering though the public parking lot, patients can park or be dropped off right at the main entrance. The sheltered exterior circulation around the clinic guides the patient throughout their designated program during any time of the year. There are a series of sheltered vistas for these patients between three designated buildings, which overlook a wooded area, towards the mountains in the distance, for privacy and waiting. MATE R N ITY Maternity patients enter the main entrance and are guided directly to the ward along the sheltered exterior circulation. The ward is secluded from the rest of the clinic to provide privacy and relaxation, and allows mothers to gather along meandering pathways, surrounded by gardens.

PROCESS DOCUMENTATION

ll of which will include midterm competition boards where the initial ideas formed for the design of this project. Other forms of process will include sketches and images throughout the design process.

Form follows function. Post midterm review, the overall concepts of my project began to clearly inform the shape of the buildings. The spiral curving nature of my buildings related heavily to early vernacular design and construction in Malawi. What was once a large mass on site is now broken up into immediate programs with appropriate adjacencies. This separation will also aid to ventilation through the site and sheltered outdoor spaces.

Getting there. Post 80% review, and the site plan is now drafted with substantial context surrounding the building. From this point forward, it was time to think about landscaping materials, properly organizing trees throughout the site, and looking further into the residential housing to better fit the overall concept of embracing and celebrating these nodes of user groups.

FINAL DESIGN DOCUMENTATION

ANALYSIS OF FINAL REVIEW The final review went very well. The reviewers responded positively about the choices made to create an organic complex that meandered around the site to incorporate embracing experiences per user group. Everyone had found interest in the organization of this proposal between the three user groups. There was an overwhelmingly agreed upon response to my heavy weight pre-cast roof panel system, that it would be very costly to construct. The rational became possibly changing the exterior circulation sheltered roof to metal decking to cut down on this cost. Another reviewer mentioned that, landscaping wise, it is important to landscape not only small shrubs and gardens (which I had done) but also the tree organization as well. There was an agreed response to the fact that it seems as if trees were just placed on site with no rational at all. Clusters of trees would be beneficial to my project.

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