Case studies

Room for Healing has its base anchored to qualities and learnings from counselling centres already in function. It has been an investigation of how to incorporate learnings from existing centres in both Scotland and Denmark. My investigation started by visiting four other centres, which in their various expressions are based on the modern counselling program. The visits had special focus on how the centres was organized spatially and worked accordingly to location and culture. The findings from these centres include consideration of how to think future counselling centres and how to translate the centres individual qualities into a new context.

The visits started in Edinburgh, Scotland to include the origin of modern cancer counsellings, and three counsellings in Denmark. Hejmdal, designed by Frank Gehry, which is based on the Scottish program and Livsrum in Herning and Aalborg. These are both based on the recent Danish program that is designed to fit the Danish context.

Fig. 7 - Maggie’s Centre Edinburgh, Scotland. Photo: Courtesy of Maggie’s centre

Tranformation Introvert orientation Focus on Materials

Fig. 8 - Maggie’s Edinburgh. Photo: Private and by courtesy of Maggie’s centre

“Architecturally the idea was to slip a building within a building, lots of little niches and intimate spaces, all on the small side.” (Jencks,Charles;Heathcote Edwin 2010) p97

Tranformation Connected spaces Focus on Materials

Fig. 9 - Hejmdal - Kræftpatienternes hus. Photo: Private and by courtesy of Cubo Architects

Located in neighborhood Extrovert orientation Focus on materials

Fig. 10 - Livsrum Herning. Photo: Private and by courtesy of Claus Pryds Arkitekter

Located in neighborhood Extrovert orientation Cluster structure

Fig. 11 - Livsrum Aalborg. Photo: Private and by courtesy of Kræftens Bekæmpelse