Course syllabus
Course-PM
ARK263 ARK263 Future visions for healthcare, housing and work 3: Healthcare architecture lp1 HT22 (22.5 hp)
Course is offered by the department of Architecture and Civil Engineering
Contact details
Examiner: Cristiana Caira
Supervisors:
Marie Larsson, supervision team 1
Lin Tan, supervision team 1
Cristiana Caira, supervision team 2
Henrik Magnusson, supervision team 2
Technical support and admin:
Ásgeir Sigurjónsson
+46(0)76 407 1208
asgeir.sigurjonsson@chalmers.se
Course purpose
Designing spaces for healthcare is one of the most complex and therefore challenging
architectural design commissions there is. You must be able to handle intricate design tasks
in which many and often conflicting parameters have to be prioritized and weighted with
many stakeholders involved. In this process you are requested to create a high quality
building design, coordinating a good, safe and secure patient environment combined with
requirements for high-class work conditions, sufficient space for treatment, care logistics,
advanced technical systems design etc. Also the urban context of the healthcare facility in
focus needs to be considered.
The Healthcare Studio at Chalmers Architecture has a curriculum that is founded on a
dedicated pedagogical vision. It combines explorative design exercises with analytical and
systematic procedures, literature studies and organized reflection. The Studio works with
context-rich "real" commissions that are a part of the planning processes in one Swedish
County Council/ Region together with clients and users.
The students shall obtain general knowledge about and ability to design complex
and sustainable healthcare buildings integrated into the surrounding environment and
urban setting. This includes among other aspects.
- Design healthcare facilities that supports sustainable development from environmental,
social and economic aspects.
- Work interactively with complex programming, combining spaces for care, patient
experience, work environment, logistics and architectural systems thinking.
- Handle a design driven work method for complex commissions.
Assignment
This year’s healthcare studio will focus on the design of a new Primary Care Center in Vadstena.
Vadstena Kommun is a municipality of about 7400 inhabitants in Östergötland County, in southeast Sweden. The Primary Care Center has about 7,500 listed patients and is currently located in an older building that is not suitable to modern standards. Therefore, the Region is planning a new building on a new site.
The project will contribute to the development of the healthcare system towards a “good quality, local health care”, which means a modern, equitable, accessible, and effective health care, focusing on primary care.
The brief of about 3000 sqm gross area includes a primary care unit, specialist outpatient clinics, public dental care and a child and family health center. The site is within the “Birgitta hospital area”, a large area built for different healthcare services since the early 1900s. On the site, one building is planned to be demolished, but another heritage building could be transformed and included as part of the new Primary Care Center.
The project has very high sustainability ambitions and the design will focus on circularity, reuse, and resource efficiency.
Schedule
See Course PM in folder Canvas/files.
Course literature
All mandatory literature is to find in Canvas/files/ compulsory literature.
Further reading can be found in extra literature.
Course design
The course structure, lectures, supervisions and critiques is described in the course PM, to be found in Canvas/ files.
Deliverables for each critique are described in the specific documents in Canvas/ files.
The course is graded F, 3, 4 and 5. To pass the course all deliverables have to be handed in as well as active participation at critique sessions and lectures is required.
For more information, see document: Grades ARK 263.
Changes made since the last occasion
A summary of changes made since the last occasion.
- groups of 3 persons will be recommended
- two weekly tutorials/ group will be introduced
- several IRL study visits will be organised
- relevant literature and project information will be translated from Swedish to English by the students as a common preparation work, at the beginning of the course
- the phase Preparation and Brief will be shorter than previous years to allow for a longer design period.
- folders and instructions for each assignment will be prepared on Canvas
Learning objectives and syllabus
Learning objectives:
The students shall obtain general knowledge about and ability to design large scale, complex and sustainable buildings (healthcare) integrated into the surrounding environment and urban setting.
Knowledge and understanding
- Understand theories and history of healthcare architecture as a part of the professional, cultural and societal context.
Abilities and skills
- Design healthcare architecture that supports sustainable development from environmental, social and economic aspects.
- Work interactively with complex programming, combining spaces for care, patient experience, work environment, logistics and architectural systems thinking.
- Handle a design driven work method for complex commissions.
- Practically apply the concepts of evidence based design and healing architecture.
- Apply concepts of "Future proofing"-generality, flexibility and adaptability.
- Integrate structural design and principal technical requirements that are essential to fulfill the goals of sustainability and future proofing.
Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen.
Course summary:
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