Work submitted for the competition
"Best Diploma Architecture".
The project addresses the very topical issue of mental health disorders these days. It is also a response to the increasingly apparent shortage of places treating the human psyche. Such centers are rarely designed with special attention to environmental factors positively affecting the well-being and recovery of users, and it is the architecture that largely determines such an effect.
The aim of the project is to create a place that provides comprehensive regeneration of both physical and mental health combined with rest in the surroundings of nature, for people who are not only seriously ill, but also consciously and holistically approach the subject of taking care of health - including mental health.
location diagrams
© Kamila Golabek
Architects play an important role here. What decisions are made at the design stage have a direct impact on users, how they function and how they feel. This is particularly important in the case of a facility with therapeutic characteristics, such as the designed FOR REST Mental Health and Meditation Center, which by its very architecture should positively influence people and support the regeneration process. However, this is not a simple task, requiring the architect to have interdisciplinary knowledge of environmental psychology, among other things.
site development plan
© Kamila Golabek
challenges
The project seeks to create a site that combines three functions: a mental health center, a resort hotel and a rehabilitation center. It was prepared based on research into the problems of environmental psychology and related fields. The main idea of the concept is to interfere as little as possible with the terrain (first of all, to limit the cutting of existing trees to the necessary minimum), to create an ecological object, in harmony with nature, matching in scale with the surrounding forest and referring in form to the surroundings.
left: top view; right: accommodation building
© Kamila Golabek
location
The location of the project is not accidental - the establishment is planned in a coastal strip of forest, a peaceful place, surrounded by nature, creating ideal conditions for tranquility and relaxation. On the plot, the city authorities had previously planned to build an object of the well-known Polish hotel chain Golębiewski, whose compact mass overwhelmed the dimensions, completely changed the character of the place and would have involved cutting down a large part of the trees.
concept
The designed complex consists of three two-story buildings, each with a different function: the representative building, which is the showcase of the entire establishment; the accommodation building, which houses hotel rooms; and the activity building, with a sports zone on the first floor and a therapy zone on level +1.
projection of level +1 of the representative building
© Kamila Golabek
The elevations were made of larch planks. An important role in the design is played by extensive glazing, allowing natural light into the interiors, on which wooden laths have been rhythmically arranged to provide privacy and protect the rooms from overheating. Paths have been laid between the buildings for pedestrian communication, connecting the main entrances of the buildings.
cross-section A-A
© Kamila Golabek
In addition, it was planned to adapt the existing post-war, single-story shelter on the plot to function as a cinema hall and game room. The interference in the building was minor, the planned change of function was designed with respect to the existing body of the building. On the roof of the building, the function of a seasonal outdoor exercise area was envisaged. The entire premise is maintained in a natural forest climate, so in addition to the designed sidewalks, it is planned to create trodden paths, created naturally by users of the facility.
left: activity building; right: shelter adaptation
© Kamila Golabek
Kamila GOŁĄBEK
Illustrations: © Author
