Date of Submission
Spring 5-4-2017
Degree Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Architecture
Department
Architecture
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Elizabeth Martin
Secondary Advisor
Giovanni Loreto
Abstract
My thesis focused on exploring death as a part of life rather than looking at death as a separate entity. I reframed a Cancer Center that engaged life as part of a community with nature rather than a hospice center that embraced death. In today’s society, healthcare institutions are very isolated and disconnected from the public like gated communities. Most people I know do not like to go to hospitals if they can prevent it. I felt there needed to be a place where people with cancer could go that offered some respite from the conventional healthcare institutions. A place that put the interests of the patient first, a place where patients could get the practical, emotional and social support they needed. I envisioned a creative architectural design that focused on three concepts of engagement, nature and community that would transform healthcare settings into healing environments that improved patient outcomes and staff effectiveness.
Comments
It has been quite a journey. Overall, I must say I enjoyed the process of gathering research and the design development, engaging with doctors, nurses and architects to provide me with much ensight in developing a program for a Cancer Center that functions as a hybrid prototype of fusing the concepts of nature, engagement and community. For me this project was very dear because I have been impacted by family members and friends whom have battled with Cancer and are survivors of Cancer. I feel by implementing Cancer Centers like the one in my thesis, barriers that exist between patients and healthcare facilities due to them feeling like isolated gated communities can dissolve and more healing environments can be formed that can aid in reducing patients and staff stress levels and new relationships can be established by doctors, patients/non-patients and family members. This in turn will keep focus on the mission to encourage life and not death.