Health and Wellness Shelter: A Warm and Inviting Clinic Space DesignSubverting Stereotypes and Promoting Community Health
Taiwan's health care resources are excellent. Community-based clinics have become good neighbors for medical treatment and medicine in densely populated city areas. Although general primary clinics provide the public with more convenient "family medical consultant" services, the small and medium-sized clinics often give people a negative impression of being pale, crowded, etc., and they still have a certain distance from the public. This case is a clinic space design, whereas it subverts the previous stereotype of severe and cold medical institutions. Through the warm and comfortable hardware space planning, combined with a full range of professional medical and health services, it brings a "high-quality health ecosystem" concept to the community.
To reverse the doctor-patient relationship in which the public only seeks doctors to assist in "resilient" treatment when a disease occurs, the clinic hopes to become the leading promoter of community health with "prevention" as the starting point. Therefore, the facade of the clinic is mainly composed of large glass compartments so that the clinic is open to the community and neighbors. At the same time, it can welcome natural light, making the clinic warmer and brighter.
As a distinctive and warm-hearted clinic, the clinic's facade, the waiting space's walls, and the blood collection room are all made of walnut, which is a white space with a warm texture and does not make the clinic look cold. The rattan-textured counter cabinets intimately give patients a sense of peace of mind while echoing the brand identity "big tree" image, shelter and protect the health of the people in the community.
From the rounded door frame, the curved edge of the counter, the curved edge of the ceiling, the medicine receiving window, the L-shaped light strip above the counter, and even the curved facade partition wall of the facade and the blood drawing room, the good impression of the medical profession is modified. The cordial greetings guide the neighbors to enter the consultation, faces the treatment with a comfortable and calm mood, and relieve psychological anxiety and tension.
The project finished in February 2022 in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Details such as materials, colors, and spatial layout effectively shorten the distance between patients and medical staff. It also reflects a friendly and comfortable medical environment, conveys a "people-oriented" temperature, and provides comforting care with caring power. Reconstructing the positive concept of preventive health care, the clinic not only serves as a fortress against diseases but also becomes a good shelter for residents to protect their health.
In response to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the lifestyle has changed in recent years, and more emphasis has been placed on social distancing and air circulation. The designer deliberately retracted the clinic's exterior and planned an outdoor waiting area to provide patients and their families with a safe and comfortable open waiting environment. The interior is guided by moving lines to ensure that patients and medical staff can be divided into compartments.
This Design was awarded Bronze in A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2023. Bronze A' Design Award: Bestowed upon outstanding and creatively ingenious designs that authenticate experience and resourcefulness. Esteemed for incorporating best practices in art, science, design, and technology, they exhibit strong technical and creative skills and contribute to quality of life improvements, making the world a better place.
Project Details and Credits
Project Designers: Chih Yi Chen
Image Credits: Chih Yi Chen
Project Team Members: Chih Yi Chen
Project Name: Health and Wellness Shelter
Project Client: Chih Yi Chen