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What
emerged was the idea of a “Place of Wellness” where
health care could include services centered around
lifestyle, nutrition and diet, exercise, urban
agriculture, various forms of therapy and counseling
in an atmosphere of learning, teaching, and exchange
of ideas. In many cases services would be provided
by the academic institutions as part of their
post-graduate and practical experience programmes.
Apart
from the spaces allocated to the various departments
on the Health Plan list, the schedule included
seminar, research, community group activity,
outdoor “break-out”, & creative ‘activities’ spaces.
There was also an exercise lawn, a maintenance
workshop that could also be used as an occupational
therapy facility and a garden store doubling
as the urban agriculture programme headquarters.
The main patient waiting area, with attached
community projects rooms, was to be designed
to function independently as a community activity
space for use after hours. Space, which could
become a commercial gym, with access to the public
but linked to the Rehabilitation Department,
was also developed during the design stage.
Based
on these requirements, the estimated area (and
consequently the cost) exceeded that originally
contemplated by about 45% and vigorous debate
with the service providers followed, exploring
the possibilities of sharing space, and the use
of the same space at different times. It was
proposed that non-specific, generic spaces, which
could accommodate a range of activities, would
be appropriate. Once the schedule and estimate
had been fine-tuned, a motivation for additional
funding was submitted to the City Council who
agreed to provide the shortfall.
Planning
Guidelines
The
site identified for the establishment of a CHC
within the Cato Manor Central Node, lay at the
interface of Cato Manor and University-owned
land in a then undeveloped area. (2)
With
reference to the aims and objectives of the development
of the Central Node, urban development objectives
of the built form guidelines were identified
as follows:
• Pedestrian-responsive ‘build
to line’ edge conditions
• A ‘fine grain’ of development, simulating 18m subdivisions
• A density of development of 2 –3 storeys
Further,
the new road on the Eastern boundary was identified
as the intended “high street” of
the Central node; the main pedestrian entrance,
and components which could serve the public on
a semi-independent basis should be off the high
street, with pedestrian oriented activities taking
precedence over vehicular functions.
The
Health Department required that health service
provision be at one level, a clear separation
between client and staff and service access,
exclusion of visitor parking from the site, and
a high degree of security, especially for the
24 hour (MOU) facility. Of primary concern to
the Department was the very real threat of baby
theft – babies are frequently stolen & registered
as the thief’s own child so that the state
subsidy can be claimed.
Design Concept
Of
principal concern was the idea of a clear and
unambiguous patient circulation route – this
evolved into the idea of a “shopping mall” for
health services which would be grouped along,
and directly accessible off a circulation “spine”.
Industrial
building technology, assessed to be the most
economical with which to form the external envelope,
was used to form large span monopitch roofs meeting
at a centre monitor, where a pair of curved columns
supports all of the members meeting at the mid-point.
With large spans, the variety of room sizes could
be accommodated under a roof supported independently.
The roof monitor, while providing natural light
and ventilation to the circulation spine and
to the rooms facing and backing onto it, was
thought of as a shaded avenue, with places for
rest and recreation, filled with fresh air and
sunshine.
Because
of the slope of the site from the entrance road
on the East towards the West end of the site,
and the need to keep health service accommodation
on one level, the void below the building, increasing
in height from East to West, forms an accessible
service zone for piped gases, water, and sewers.
At
the point at the lower level where the height
becomes sufficient for accommodation, the service
rooms are located, with access off the lower
level parking and loading area.
Evaluation
of the design took place at intervals throughout
the design development, with the Cato Manor Health
forum, the City and Provincial Health Departments,
peer groups (other architects who had worked
or were working on other projects in Cato Manor),
the EU and the CMDA.
Implementation
Tenders
were invited on the basis of the “Targeting
of Affirmable Business enterprises” and “Targeting
of Local resources” forms, and the offers
were adjudicated by a committee consisting of
representatives of the City Architectural Department,
CMDA, EU, Professional Team, the City’s
Tender Board, and the Local Councilor for Cato
Manor.
The
site was handed over to the principal building
contractor on 27 June 2002.
Adherence
to the targeted goals by the Contractor and Subcontractors
was monitored throughout the contract.
1. CMDA Consultants’ Design and Development brief: Final Draft
29.05.2001
2.
Cato Manor Central Node Precinct Development
Plan. Markewicz & English, September 1997.
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