MIGUEL CHOI

Healthcare design often accompanies a sterile, clinical atmosphere, complete with plain, undifferentiated spaces. Instead of a positive environment of healing, the relatively low quality of space does little to benefit the patients’ physical and mental welfare.

Inversely, architecture can take steps to assist the healing process; research has shown that natural light and views promote patient welfare and accelerate recovery. A sense of welcoming and comfort that avoids the stereotypical institutional setting, the interaction of natural light with familiar materials, and the framing of outdoor views become the main focus of this proposal.

The building program entails an infusion clinic, where patients spend at least an hour receiving medicine through an IV drip. Residing in Blacksburg, Virginia near the LewisGale Montgomery Hospital, the clinic’s northern and southern facades are open to different qualities of daylight, creating an opportune site for both patients and medical staff.